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Learning from sport burnout and overtraining
Learning from sport burnout and overtraining

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1 The range of strategies

Each reference source you consult is likely to recommend slightly different burnout reduction strategies. Each source may use different names to describe them (e.g. visualisation or imagery – largely the same thing) or different techniques (e.g. progressive muscular relaxation or relaxation breathing – again, the same idea).

In order to appreciate the range of psychological tools available to prevent burnout, examine Figure 2 (adapted from University of Michigan, 2018). Click on ‘View interactive version’ at the bottom of the figure and hover over the eight skills and strategies to read an overview of each. It gives an overview of eight skills and strategies. You will be guided towards further information on each skill or strategy later.


View interactive version
Figure 2 A range of eight psychological tools to prevent burnout
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A rectangular box outline within which are eight smaller boxes each with their own clickable heading which reveals the following text under each.

Relaxation skills and strategies

  • Breathing – using a routine of deliberate slow, deep, controlled breathing to help manage stress anxiety and sleep difficulties.
  • Progressive muscular relaxation (PMR) – PMR involves tensing and relaxing various muscles in the body in a sequential order with contrast between each making relaxation easier. Often used to help manage stress, anxiety and sleep difficulties.
  • Other relaxation skills and strategies (e.g. meditation).

Cognitive reframing skills (or restructuring)

  • This is a skill taught to individuals to notice negative and intrusive thoughts and actively work to change or restructure those thoughts. Often used to help manage a self-critical orientation and the resultant stress created from this. It is related to self-talk.

Self-talk skills

  • This is an internal dialogue through which people interpret their perceptions, perhaps changing evaluations and giving themselves instructions and reinforcement. Self-talk consists of making self-statements and is also used for instructional and/or motivational purposes. It is related to cognitive reframing.

Self-compassion* (or Mindful self-compassion)

  • This involves athletes developing their self-awareness of a difficult time and wanting to do something to help themselves through it, typically with the use of thinking and writing. Often used to help manage a self-critical orientation and stress created from this.

Imagery skills (or visualisation)

  • This is the process of using the senses to create an experience in the mind. It is often used to develop confidence towards goals and/or for relaxation and stress reduction.

Cost–benefit analysis

  • This is the creation of two lists on paper or a laptop that can help clarify a current situation, mood and/or options.

Goal setting skills*

  • Often used to take small incremental confidence building steps and to set realistic expectations to help in, keeping individuals appropriately motivated and increasing their adherence to burnout reduction plans. Those with perfectionistic tendencies often benefit from using goal setting skills.

Social support* (as a strategy)

  • Athletes/coaches are often most comfortable talking first to a friend or colleague due to trust and similar experiences. This involves responding from a place of care, compassion and non-judgemental active listening. Often used to help relieve stress, isolation and confusion.

*denotes covered in more detail later in the session.

Figure 2 A range of eight psychological tools to prevent burnout
Interactive feature not available in single page view (see it in standard view).

Much information about these strategies is available online but there is no guarantee that the resources are reliable. The University of Michigan (shown in Figure 3) is a reliable source because it is an organisation that highly values sport but also has research, academic and medical departments relating to sport and psychology.

A photograph of a stadium packed to the brim with sports supporters at the University of Michigan.
Figure 3 University of Michigan Stadium (107,600 capacity)
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A photograph of a stadium packed to the brim with sports supporters at the University of Michigan. Many of the over 107,000 supporters are wearing yellow. The word ‘Michigan’ is written in huge yellow letters on the green pitch and the sky is a clear blue above.

Figure 3 University of Michigan Stadium (107,600 capacity)

In the activity below you will have the opportunity to find out more about these sport psychology strategies. Note, however, that the information from this activity will not be quizzed.

Activity 1 Find out more about sport psychology strategies

Timing: Allow about 25 minutes

Session 8 focuses on three of the strategies from Figure 2 – self-compassion, goal setting and social support. Each of these has a recognisable evidence-based impact on burnout. This activity is an opportunity to learn more about the other five strategies, plus some additional approaches to supporting mental well-being in sport, from the University of Michigan.

If you want to find out more about:

  • cognitive reframing skills (or restructuring)
  • self-talk skills
  • imagery skills (or visualisation)
  • cost–benefit analysis
  • breathing and muscular relaxation skills

visit the Athletes Connected Skills and Strategies page at the University of Michigan [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] .

Discussion

In this exploratory task, you can see that these five strategies can all also contribute in some way to reducing burnout.

You will now look in more detail at the first of the three intervention strategies that are the focus of this session – the relatively new strategy of self-compassion.