Causes of Stress and Anxiety

There are numerous ways in which stress and anxiety can be caused, in this post I will look at a few ways in which stress can be built up and anxiety is caused.


Internal:
Stress and anxiety can build up from inside this can be due to not having enough sleep or by worrying about something too much. The constant thought that something may go wrong or right will make you anxious and this will further stress you out. Additionally, not speaking out to a friend or to a professional about what is worrying you can lead to depression. Overall, this will negatively effect your sporting performance as you will feel tied down with all the thoughts you are worrying about. Also, you will not be as concentrated as you would be if you were not anxious or stressed out.




External:
This is related to this things that are happening around you, if you are in a crowded place you may feel anxious that something bad could possibly happen, this can result in panic attacks this is because you cannot control what is happening. Stress can also be caused if you are with friends and one of them gets lost in the crowd, it will be stressful trying to find the person as there is so many people in the area. Being bullied can be both internal and external. This is because if you don't tell anyone that you are being bullied you will bottle it up inside. This can cause high levels of stress and anxiety as you will be conscious and worried to go out as you might see the person or people that are bullying you. Major life events can also cause stress and anxiety. Events such as a death in the family or finding out that a loved one may be terminally ill. The shock and devastation will make you constantly upset, stress will build up over time during the grieving period. This can effect your performance as the thought of the passed or suffering loved one will be on your mind and this will distract you from performing at your optimal best.




Occupational:
Pressures of having high expectations at work can be stressful as you will have good and bad days. Additionally, falling out with your coach or manager can be stressful as you will need to repair the bond that was broken. Anxiety is also a factor as you will think whether the coach will play you or not because of the fall out. Being injured will also cause stress. This is because you will want to take part in training and matches, this could push you to rush your recovery and further aggravated your injury. The stress will build up over time and may start to cause depression.




Sporting environment:
Like occupational stress, different sporting environment cause bring different levels of stress. Playing big games away from your home ground can be daunting as  the supporters will booing and hackling against you and your team. The reverse situation, if you're playing at your home ground, there will be a lot of pressure as the home fans will expect a great individual and team performance.




Personal:
We feel pressure when we what to do well and impress those that we care about such as our family and friends. You feel pressure as you don't want to let them down at anytime during the game or throughout your career. Additionally, there is pressure from the media and even potential sponsors. This can push an athlete to feel stress and this can cause them to be tense during the game.