Coping: stressors and coping strategies

· Stressor = something that causes psychological strain.
· Stressors can be positive (for example, anticipating an opportunity) or negative (for example, fearing an outcome).
· Coping strategies = ways individuals try to manage stressors and reduce their impact on performance, health or well-being.
· In exams, always link the strategy to the type of stressor, the individual, and the situation.

This diagram shows how a person appraises a stressor, evaluates available resources and selects coping responses. It is useful for linking stressors, psychological strain and coping strategy choice in exam scenarios. Source

Problem-focused coping

· Problem-focused coping aims to alter or remove the stressor.
· Best used when the stressor is controllable.
· Examples: problem solving, removing the source of stress, information seeking, planning tactics, asking a coach for technical advice.
· Sport example: a swimmer anxious about starts asks for specific technical feedback and practises block-start routines.
· Exam tip: describe how the athlete changes the cause of stress, not just how they feel about it.

Emotion-focused coping

· Emotion-focused coping aims to regulate the emotional response without changing the stressor.
· Best used when the stressor is uncontrollable.
· Examples: relaxation, seeking emotional social support, self-talk, breathing control, mental imagery, thought control.
· Sport example: an athlete cannot control the crowd or weather, so uses relaxation breathing and positive self-talk to manage anxiety.
· Exam tip: explain how the strategy reduces negative emotions, somatic anxiety, or cognitive anxiety.

This model shows the decision pathway from environmental demand to strain and coping response. It helps students understand why problem-focused coping targets the stressor, while emotion-focused coping targets the emotional response. Source

Avoidance-focused coping

· Avoidance-focused coping attempts to prevent the negative impact of a stressor by physically or psychologically distancing from it.
· Examples: ignoring, procrastinating, quitting, mental withdrawal, physical withdrawal.
· Some avoidance may reduce distress briefly, but it often does not solve the cause of stress.
· Disengagement strategies such as withdrawal, venting unpleasant emotions and self-blame are usually maladaptive.
· Exam tip: do not automatically call every avoidance strategy effective; evaluate whether it helps the athlete reach their goal.

Self-talk as a coping technique

· Self-talk = a simple coping strategy using internal or spoken statements to influence thoughts, emotions or actions.
· It can be problem-focused if it directs action or technique, for example, “drive knees”.
· It can be emotion-focused if it regulates anxiety, for example, “stay calm”.
· Unintentional self-talk may be positive or negative.
· Practical mechanisms include: recalling positive past experiences, using an acronym of helpful phrases, or describing a physical movement in a simple cue word.

This diagram shows how athletes can develop simple cue words for self-talk. It directly supports the syllabus point that describing a physical movement in a simple word can be a practical self-talk mechanism. Source

Relaxation and physiological control

· Relaxation skills help athletes gain greater control over heart rate and physical activation.
· Relaxation is usually an emotion-focused coping strategy because it manages the athlete’s response to stress.
· Useful when anxiety causes excessive arousal, muscle tension or reduced attentional control.
· Examples: slow breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, calming routines, pre-performance relaxation.
· Exam link: relaxation can help athletes return closer to their individual zone of optimal functioning (IZOF).

Applying coping to exam scenarios

· Identify the stressor first: competition pressure, injury, selection, crowd, opponent, poor preparation, fatigue or environmental conditions.
· Decide whether the stressor is controllable or uncontrollable.
· Choose the coping strategy category: problem-focused, emotion-focused or avoidance-focused.
· Use the athlete’s context: ability level, personality, mental toughness, support network and sport demands.
· Evaluate effectiveness by considering whether the strategy improves performance, emotional regulation, health, or goal achievement.