DON’T SWEAT GAME-TIME STRESS The Stats on Game-Time Stress • TV T alk: When watching their favorite team pl ay , 71 perc ent of everyd ay athletes admit they talk back/yell at the TV to relieve stress. • Child’ s Play: Sixty-six percent of everyday athletes agree competing in sporting events/competitions is more stressful than watching their favorite team p lay . Howe ver , of adult athlet es with children, 52 percent agree watching their child play competitive sports is more stressful than actually competing. • Bat tle of the Sex es: Female athletes are more likely than male athletes to experience stress from themselves (81 perce nt vs. 73 percen t), wherea s men are more likely to feel pressure from teammates (29 percent vs. 19 percent). • Pre- Game Stres s: Eighty-four percent of athlet es admit they get anxiou s waiting for the sporting event to begin. • Pres sure ’s On: Everyday athletes who play footbal l (61 perc ent) or bask etball (56 percent) are more likely to feel pressure to win than other athletes. DR.COHN’STOPTIPS to Help Athletes Relieve Stress Before the Game: 1. Conc entrat e on your prepar ation for the game, not the out come. Stres s comes fr om worryin g about winning or losing. 2. Trust y our pr actic e and p repar ation. Confi dent athlet es don’ t feel stressed – the y feel well - prepared. 3. Foc us on wha t’ s und er yo ur contr ol, not wh at’ s bey ond y our contr ol. Y ou cont rol yo ur thou ghts and per formance, not what others do or say. 4. Embrace your pre-game butterflies. Y our body is signaling you’ re ready to compete. ECES Whether you’re a member of the office basketball league or attempting your first 5K, preparing for the big event is sure to bring a se nse of ex cite ment . For ma ny a th let es , ho we ver, this experience can be a nerve- wracki ng one as we ll. In fact , one- third of everyday athletes s urveyed admit preparing for an athletic event is more stressful than a trip to the dentist’s office. 1 Add ition ally , prep aring for an athletic event is more stressful for everyday athletes than public speaking and being late to an important me eting, accordin g to a recent survey by Wrigley’s Doublemint® gum. Che w Mor e, Str ess Les s One way athletes are combatin g str ess , both on a nd of f the f iel d, is by chewing gu m. “It’ s common for athletes to experience pre-game anxiety , such as feeling bu tterflies in the ir sto machs. Focusing your mind on the present moment by chewi ng gu m, liste ning to y our favorite music or warming up your jump shot can help you relax and boost your confidence so you can perf orm y our best, ” says Patri ck Cohn, Ph. D., sports psychology expert and founder of Peak Performance Sports. Get the Stats The survey indicates that 67 per cent of every day at hletes who chew gum say they chew gum to relieve stress for a sporting event and 59 percent of everyday athletes who chew gum admit that they do so when th ey need t o focus on a competition. These athletes’ testimonials further emphasize recent research findings that the use of chewing gum can hel p re duce str es s, impr ov e al ertness and relieve anxiety. 2,3,4 With ov er 80 percent of athlete s looking fo r ways to co mbat stres s, Doublemint gum could be just the edge you need when you ’re starting to feel stressed on game day. 1 Wrigley Athlete Study . StrategyOne. September 2008 – Survey of 1,000 every day athletes (adults ages 21-34 involved in intramural or amateur sports organizations, non-professional races, tennis or golf.) Statistic based on those who chew gum. 2 Scholey, Andrew. An investigation into the effects of gum chewing on mood and cortisol levels during psychological stress. 10th International Congress of Behavioral Medicine For more information about the survey and the benef its of chewing , visit www.wrigleygumisgood.com. Four Ways to Help Prepare for the Big Game 1. Catch So me Zzzz’ s: It’ s important to get seven-t o-eight hou rs of sleep the night before a sporting event. This is the perfect amou nt of time for your body t o rechar ge. If you sle ep more than eight hours,your b ody will start another sleep cycle and you’ll wake up groggy. 2. Visu alize Succ ess: Taking two minutes a day to visuali ze your goal ca n gi ve you an edg e by helping you to antici pate the possible outc omes of a few key plays. If you ’re feel ing pre- game anxiety, chew Doublemint gum to help stress les s and rebuild th e confidence you need to succeed. 3. Look Good, Play Well: Dress appropriately for the game to help maximi ze performance; make sure your shoes provide enough support to avoid injury and your attire allows a full ran ge of motion . 4. The Earl y Bird Spec ial: Arrive at the venue early to give you plenty of time to warm-up and review plays so you’re relaxed when the clock starts. This also demonstrates commitment to your team.