Parents are often discussing the stress in
their every day lives as defined through their
work, money, family and health problems and
concerns. There are many other stresses in our
lives, but those are among the highlights that
most adults face at some point or various
points in their lives. We even lament about
what it would be like to be ‘young again’ or
be as free as a kid. Yet, interestingly, I
rarely hear any adults talk about the very
real stress that junior golfers can feel in
competitive golf.
The definition of ‘stress’ is described as ‘a
mentally or emotionally disruptive or
upsetting condition occurring in response to
adverse external influences and capable of
affecting physical health, usually
characterized by increased heart rate, a rise
in blood pressure, muscular tension,
irritability, and depression.’ My summary of
that very formal definition is a mental
condition which manifests itself in a physical
way.
Since every person is unique including every
junior golfer, it is difficult to know how
each person will internalize the aspects of
competitive golf and react to it. Clearly,
what has a significant impact on one junior
golfer may have little to no impact on
another. However, we do know that young
golfers can feel pressure to perform to their
own standards and expectations, meeting the
expectations of their parents, lots of
practice and travel time, as well as the
stress of trying to maintain balance between
playing golf, doing homework, having family
time and time with friends.
What is most critical is to learn some of the
symptoms and how to manage them, not only to
play better golf, but to create long term
health and wellness. Some of the most common
physical symptoms include muscle tension,
fatigue, headache and upset stomach. Other
symptoms manifest themselves as anger,
nervousness, and lack of energy along with
feeling irritable and often on the verge of
tears.
If you find you suffer from one or more of
these symptoms, there are a few things you can
do to reduce the harmful effects of stress on
your body, your game and your life. Determine
the source or sources of stress for you. Is it
competition itself, being too hard on
yourself, expecting too much too soon?
Recognize your body’s warning signs that
stress is rising. Use healthy ways to manage
stress, such as exercise or seeking help from
family or friends so you can talk through the
challenges that you are facing.
Most people seem to feel that stress is just a
natural part of life. While that may be
partially true, what’s important is how we
deal with the stress we encounter throughout
our lives. Give yourself an edge over stress
by taking care of yourself. Eating healthy
foods, getting adequate sleep, and staying
hydrated and physically active will go a long
way towards managing the stress levels in your
life.
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