In December, Prof. Dr. Jürgen Beckmann held a keynote lecture on the topic of "Embodiment, Well-being and Performance" in Belfast. The Full Professor of Sport Psychology spoke in the capital of North Ireland in the course of the Annual Conference of the "Division of Sport & Exercise" of the British Psychological Society (BPS). Following the American Psychological Association (APA), this society is considered to be the most renowned specialist organization in this discipline worldwide. "In the course of this keynote lecture, I have focused on preventative measures and thereby on one of the central topics of our faculty. Specifically, I have described how the mental health of athletes can influence them positively," summarizes Beckmann.
Stress and the pressure to perform endanger the mental health
In studies, the habilitated psychologist and his team could prove that especially stress and the pressure for top athletes to perform can endanger their mental health. "With a view on stress, the recovery initially plays an important role. Athletes also require relaxation and must hereby learn to truly relax," according to Beckmann, who is also an honorary professor at the University of Queensland. A very promising but surprisingly seldom examined approach to date is to find relaxation in nature. More extensive research is presently being carried out on this topic.
Whether or not stress is problematic for athletes depends in part on their individual personality. Especially so-called "state-oriented" individuals tend to be unable to relax after suffering setbacks, but instead tend to brood over these. Thus, stress can lead to fears, which once again can cause the affected individuals to worry. Beckmann and his staff could prove that embodiment techniques are an effective method for breaking through this negative cycle of thoughts. The physical interventions are at the same time helpful for altering internal emotional and cognitive processes.
An example for short-term help is to ball one's left hand to a fist. Through this action it has been shown that the brain region of the cortex is activated, which leads to relaxation – and which, at the same time, stabilizes the motor performance. Concretely, the technique could be used in competitive situations involving golf players or for penalty kickers in soccer. "In order to achieve long-term changes, it is important to take into consideration the personality of an athlete and to teach him strategies which will help him to reduce his stress and fears," explains Beckmann.
The British Psychological Society was founded in the year 1901 and is the central professional organization of British psychologists. The society has around 50,000 members. The BPS is divided into ten divisions. The Division of Sport & Exercise has about 1,200 members.
To the Homepage of the Chair of Sport Psychology
To the Homepage of the Annual Conference of the Division of Sport & Exercise
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Jürgen Beckmann
Department of Sport Psychology
Georg-Brauchle-Ring 60/62
80992 Munich
Tel.: 089 289 24540
E-Mail: info.sportpsychologie(at)tum.de
Text: Dr. Fabian Kautz
Photos: Private