Washburn Athletics is committed to the health of our student-athletes, coaches, and administrators. This page serves as the home of our mental health initiatives, updated weekly. Find resources, skills, and contacts to best help your mental health.
Resources
Summary of March / April COVID-19 Student-Athlete Mental Health
Survey Results
Summary of Responses to COVID-19 Student-Athlete Check #1
Survey Results
Summary of Responses to COVID-19 Student-Athlete Mid-Outreach Check-In
Survey Results
Coping Skill #1: Developing Goals to Create a Structured Daily Routine
Summary | Excel Document
Coping Skill #2: Positive Self-Statements: Reshaping Thoughts and Responding to Situations
Summary | Example Step B | Fillable Step B
Coping Skill #3: Emotion Regulation through Mindfulness, Diaphragmatic Breathing and Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Summary
Please take our survey- it takes less than 5 minutes! Click here.
Skill of the Week
Emotion Regulation through Mindfulness, Diaphragmatic Breathing and Progressive Muscle Relaxation
This is the third and final “Coping Strategy” being offered to you as you continue to manage the challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic. The first week we focused on Daily Structure and Goal Setting, and the second week on Positive Self-Statements. This week we are offering you is a set of strategies that have been described as the “universal antidotes” to stress, collectively referred to as Emotion Regulation.
Whenever we experience stress, our ability to manage our emotions is decreased. As a way to protect ourselves from the perceived threat of an external stressor, our bodies go into “high alert”. We become hyper-aware of our surroundings and attempt to maintain the capacity to react quickly and definitively. You might think of an animal who is being “hunted” by a predator that literally shifts into “survival mode”. While as athletes we train ourselves to perceive situations accurately to make the right decisions that lead to productive actions, outside the athletic arena these skills may be less well developed, especially when the stressors are unexpected and unfamiliar.
The severity of the stressors we experience are determined by three things: intensity, duration, and control. In other words, life events that impact us strongly, last for more than a few hours, and that are “out of our control” have the greatest potential to be disruptive. Research tells us that prolonged, severe and uncontrollable stress not only weighs on us physically and mentally, it can also produce a state of “learned helplessness” where we become apathetic and lose our drive and motivation. In extreme cases, it can even weaken our immune system. Luckily, there are well-supported techniques we can use to combat these negative effects and regain our emotional resilience.
As we consider these approaches, it is important to remember that it takes time to master any new skill. Just like all the skills needed to perform your sport at a high level, to become proficient requires practice. Don’t be surprised if you become frustrated or you don’t feel the benefits the first few times you try, as it can be really annoying when we aren’t good at something right away. But, if you commit even 10 or 15 minutes each day to practicing one of the skills described below, within the next couple of weeks you should start to notice some benefits. So, keep practicing until you’ve really gotten a firm grasp on how to use these new skills!
The first step in using any Emotion Regulation skill is to be able to “check in” on ourselves to notice what level of stress or anxiety we are experiencing. If our stress is at a problematic level, we can use these skills to become more relaxed and bring that stress level down. In other words, it is better to notice and stop our stress spiral early before it becomes out of control. And, as the relaxation skill becomes more well-practiced, we will be able to get into a relaxed state much quicker! And, if practiced on a regular basis, employing these strategies can also serve a preventive function and help us create a “reserve” which allows us to be less reactive to potential stressors when they occur.
The benefits of various forms of Emotion Regulation training are based on the physiological “fact” that we cannot be both stressed/anxious and relaxed at the same time. Our bodies cannot physically be in both states simultaneously. At the physiological level, stress and anxiety activate our sympathetic nervous system (our fight-flight-freeze mode), while relaxation activates our parasympathetic system (our rest-and-digest mode). Whether you use Diaphragmatic Breathing, Progressive Muscle Relaxation, or Meditation/Mindfulness to bring on a relaxed state, they all cue our parasympathetic nervous system to activate and calm us down.
There are three components of stress/anxiety, all of which we discussed for the STE(P)B chart coping strategy. Those components are: Cognitive (what we think), Physiological (what our bodies are feeling), and Behavioral (what we do). While the STE(P)B Chart approached stress management from the perspective of altering our cognitions to change our physiology and behavior, Diaphragmatic Breathing and Progressive Muscle Relaxation are behaviors we employ intentionally to manage disruptive cognitions and calm our physiology. Both approaches have the capacity to produce benefits in all three realms.
More specifically, the physiological component is directly impacted as we influence our bodies to enter a more relaxed state. This is evidenced when our breathing slows down, our heart rate lowers, and muscle tension is released. So, Diaphragmatic Breathing (i.e.; focusing on using the diaphragm to engage in deep and rhythmic breathing) and Progressive Muscle Relaxation (i.e.; systematically and sequentially “flexing” and then “releasing” various muscle groups) can be used to relieve many of the physiological symptoms we experience during stress/anxiety.
The cognitive component of stress can be most directly influenced by implementing Mindfulness or “meditative” tools. Unfortunately, when we try to relax it is common for our minds to start to wander. We may be thinking about something that happened in the past or thinking about all the things we still need to do later in the day. There always seem to be plenty of things we could be thinking about other than the present moment. When utilizing an intentional coping strategy, the important first step is to notice when our minds start to wander. Then, once we have noticed a thought that is not useful or distracting, we acknowledge the thought in a nonjudgmental way. We simply tell ourselves “Yes I had that thought” allow it to “float away” and then gently bring our mind back to the present moment and where we want to be.
Finally, implementing these skills can help us change our behavior. Once we’ve practiced these skills enough to begin using them in-the-moment during times of stress/anxiety in our daily lives, we will be able to enter into and “pass through” stressful or anxiety-provoking situations and tolerate them more effectively. At their essence, Emotion Regulation strategies provide us with ways to exert “control” when we are in challenging situations. They allow us to do the things we want to do and experience the things we have been missing out on because we had been allowing the life stressors to be in control. In other words, we are no longer letting our stress or anxiety run our lives -- we take control back.
Below you will find several options for accessing protocols or “routines” you can follow, practice and learn from. There are links to online videos, apps you can download on your phone, and even some old-fashioned written “scripts” you can read and follow along with. As different people have different preferences, don’t worry too much about which approach you access and try, they can all have benefits. When someone asks “Which strategy should I use?” and “Which one is best?”, the answer is “The one that YOU will practice and use on a consistent basis!”
Resources for Relaxation Videos and Apps
Progressive Muscle Relaxation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86HUcX8ZtAk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyxvL1O2duk
Diaphragmatic Breathing App:
Breathe2Relax
Meditation App:
Calm
Headspace
Oak
Smiling Mind (this app has DB exercises on it too)
Mindfulness Videos:
Mindfulness Meditation for Athletes
https://youtu.be/JQfP989n1Yg
Meditation for Competition - Beginner
https://youtu.be/cxeg9bpCgL0
Progressive Muscle Relaxation Exercise
Get into a comfortable position, close your eyes, and sit quietly for a few seconds, taking some slow, deep breaths.
- Build up tension in your lower arms by making a fist with your hands and pulling up on your wrists. Feel the tension in your wrists. Hold for 10 seconds. Now release the tension and focus on the sensations of relaxation in your hands and arms. Relax muscles for 20 seconds.
- Now, build up the tension in your upper arms by pulling your arms back and in, toward your sides. Feel the tension in the back of your arms. Hold for 10 seconds. Now release the tension and focus on the sensations of relaxation in your upper arms. Relax muscles for 20 seconds.
- Now, build up tension in your lower legs by flexing your feet and pulling your toes toward your upper body. Feel the tension in your feet, ankles, shins, and calves. Hold for 10 seconds. Now release the tension and focus on the sensations of relaxation in your muscles. Relax muscles for 20 seconds.
- Build up tension in your upper legs by pulling your knees together and lifting your legs off the chair. Feel the tension in your upper legs. Hold for 10 seconds. Now release the tension and focus on the sensations of relaxation in your upper legs. Relax muscles for 20 seconds.
- Now, build up the tension in your stomach by pulling your stomach in toward your spine very tightly. Feel the tension in this part of your body. Hold for 10 seconds. Now release the tension and focus on the sensations of relaxation in your abdomen. Relax muscles for 20 seconds.
- Now, build up the tension around your chest by taking a deep breath and holding it in. As your chests expands, feel how the muscles around it are stretched. Now release the tension and focus on the sensations of relaxation in your chest. Relax muscles for 20 seconds.
- Imagine that your shoulders are on strings and are pulled up toward your ears. Feel the tension in your shoulders, back, neck, and head. Hold for 10 seconds. Now release the tension and focus on the sensations of relaxation in your neck and shoulders. Relax muscles for 20 seconds.
- Build up tension around your neck by pressing the back of your neck toward the chair and pulling your chin down toward your chest. Feel the tension in your back of your neck. Hold for 10 seconds. Now release the tension and focus on the sensations of relaxation in your neck. Relax muscles for 20 seconds.
- Build up the tension around your mouth, jaw, and throat by clenching your teeth and forcing the corners of your mouth back into a forced smile. Hold for 10 seconds. Feel the tension around your mouth. Hold for 10 seconds. Now release the tension and focus on the sensations of relaxation by letting your mouth drop open. Relax muscles for 20 seconds.
- Build up the tension around your eyes by squeezing your eyes tightly shut for a few seconds, and then releasing them. Feel the tension around your eyes. Hold for 10 seconds. Now release the tension and focus on the sensations of relaxation around your eyes. Relax muscles for 20 seconds.
- Build up the tension across your lower forehead by frowning, pulling your eyebrows down and toward the center. Feel the tension across your forehead. Hold for 10 seconds. Now release the tension in your forehead and focus on the sensations of relaxation. Relax muscles for 20 seconds.
- Build up the tension across your upper forehead by raising your eye-brows as high as you can. Feel the tension across your forehead and the top of your head. Hold for 10 seconds. Now release the tension and focus on the sensations of relaxation in your forehead and head. Relax muscles for 20 seconds.
Now your whole body is feeling relaxed and comfortable. As you feel yourself becoming even more relaxed, count backwards from five with five feeling more awake. Four, coming out of relaxation. Three, feeling more alert. Two, opening your eyes. One, sitting up.
Diaphragmatic Breathing Exercise
*If you are reading this out loud, you want to speak smoothly, rhythmically, and slowly.*
Sit in a relaxed position. Try your best to sit still throughout the exercise, but you can scratch your nose if you need, shift your position if you become uncomfortable, etc.
Place one hand on your chest and one hand on your stomach.
- Before the exercise begins, take a moment to recognize which hand naturally moves
more when you breathe.
- For this exercise you want the hand on your stomach to be moving, not the hand on
your chest.
Say: Close your eyes, but keep your hands on your chest and stomach. Let’s turn our attention to our breathing. Notice your breathing. Notice the cool air coming in, the warm breath coming out. Feel your stomach gently falling.
Pause for a few seconds
Say: It is normal for your mind to wander. You may begin to judge how you're doing on the exercise. You may notice other noises. When your mind does that, gently redirect yourself and return your attention back to breathing.
Pause for a few seconds
Say: Take a deep breath, filling your stomach for 1….2….3. Then blow out the tension as you exhale for 1….2……3.
Say: As you exhale, I want you to think the word relax.
Say: Sink deeper and deeper into relaxation with each breath for 1….2….3….4…. and exhale for 1….2….3….4.
Pause for a few seconds
Say: Take a smooth, gentle breath in, trying to quiet your mind filling your stomach for 1….2….3….4….5. Now exhale out all the tension slowly and steadily for 1….2……3.…4….5.
Pause for a few seconds
Say: Keeping your eyes closed, begin to come out of relaxation by becoming more alert to your surroundings, your body. Become more awake and finally, open your eyes.
- How was that for you?
*good words to use while going through your practice: slow, steady, gentle, smooth, easy, regular, warmth, calm, relaxation, quiet (the mind), comfortable.
Contact
Brittany Lauritsen
Assistant Athletic Director / SWA
brittany.lauritsen@washburn.edu |
Kristan Todd
Athletic Trainer
kristan.todd@washburn.edu |
Dave Provorse
Associate Professor Psychology
dave.provorse@washburn.edu |
