by Stephen Walker, PhD, CC-AASP, USOC Registry of Sport Psychologists

It was roughly 50 years ago, and I was anointed with a new nickname.  The Cherry Hills Bruins of the Young America League Football organization had just given us a new coach.  Right away I discovered that he wasn’t very good with names.  He “assigned” names obviously based on “the looks” of his new recruits.  Hence, monikers he could remember.  Apparently, showing up on my bike with a baseball cap and sunglasses awarded me the name “Hollywood”…add to that two guys on the team with red hair – one he named “Red” – while he referred to the other as – “Red.”  The tall lanky guy who played wide receiver he named “Ichabod” while the biggest guy on the team was designated “Monster.”  There were others whose names shall go unstated because they were rather colorful or named after a body part with “head” on the end of it.  If a parent came to watch a practice session a whole lotta guys became “Knucklehead”. One guy took an errant kick-off between the legs and so he became “Numb Nuts.”  Even though the names didn’t reflect how we were referred to elsewhere in life, we all seemed to know who he was referring to – especially when it required improvement in our execution.

The coach I’m referring to was “Whitey” a starving young artist with 2 kids at the time and a beat-up ’53 Chevy that ‘magically’ responded to a kick in the rear bumper to offer up the ‘ball bag and blocking dummies’.  Whitey was a piece of work.  He had been a running back for the Cincinnati Bearcats – and he LOVED football.  What’s more – we soon learned that he LOVED US TOO!  He always kept in touch over the 50 years that passed since we met on that football field, and he always had a penchant for telling stories about your ‘great plays’ or anecdotes about the goofy stuff you did.  You always felt important around him.  He wanted to know if you were ‘making your mark’ – leaving things better than how you found them.  When I turned 20 years old he actually made me think about what kind of legacy I was leaving.  None of this “live for the day” stuff for him – he made us want to make a difference.

On the field, he was gruff, gnarly, had a loud raspy voice, and used language that quite well have had me retiring early from football had my mother known.  He would beat us with the ball bag if we cracked wise – or called him “Flower girl” – and – he was FUN.  There was no pretense with Whitey.  He’d stop practice sometimes for no good reason, just to huddle up tell jokes and share a good laugh.  The jokes often stretched the imaginations of the 12-13 year old audience he held court for.  I liked him immediately and realized he “knew” the game and he “knew” kids.  We were going to learn a lot – about football, about life, about girls, about art, politics – and other stuff I never even dreamed I’d care about – until I met him.

He did things differently from get-go.  As a little league coach he had us in two-a-days as the summer waned and fall crept upon us.  We did time trials, strength and agility drills, things I’d later discover were part of the NFL Scouting Combine – only it hadn’t been invented yet.  I liked it because it gave me a chance to show off the fact I was fast, quick and could throw the ball farther than anyone on the team – I just knew he’d use me in the backfield as a Quarterback or a Halfback.  I’d get plenty of touches on the ball.  Having already played a couple of years in pee-wee ball I was used to those positions.  Even though we were 0-12 on those teams, it was still fun and I always felt like a “star.”

That is, until I didn’t.  A couple of days later he called me over after practice – sat me down one-on-one and asked me if I’d consider changing positions.  He said he wanted to put me on the line as a pulling guard.  I readily admit I didn’t know what a “pulling guard” was – but it didn’t sound good.  I whined to him, “YOU WANT ME TO BE A DUMB LINEMAN??????”  He said that wasn’t quite what he had in mind – but he knew that I liked to knock people down – and boy did we need players to knock people down.  I didn’t even hear that part because I was so preoccupied wiping the tears streaming down my face so nobody would see me crying.  He asked me to ‘just’ think about it.  We’d discuss it at the next practice.

I was destroyed – disgraced beyond words.  For a brief moment I had the crazed thought of riding my bike into traffic just so I could just “disappear” in dramatic fashion and save myself from any future embarrassment.  That night I figured I had to quit football altogether.  That was the only way out.  There was only one problem…I didn’t have anything else to do after school, and besides, what would I do on Saturday mornings when all my buddies were getting creamed on game day?  I was totally humiliated.  I was as low as I could get.  As I got older I realized “that” feeling – humiliation – was indeed relative and I “really could” feel worse.  Hooh boy!  It was perhaps my worst personal disaster since dropping not one – but two – half gallons of milk on the kitchen floor a year earlier.

A New Day

Well sure enough – against all hope – the next practice he asked me again….to which I replied “I’ll try it for two weeks – but if I don’t like it I want my old position back!”  He said,  “Alright Hollywood!!  Way to go! You’re my TEAM guy.”  (He always used ‘possessives’ when talking about us – “my guys” – he made us feel like we ‘belonged’ to him and in retrospect, we did.)  He then proceeded to pass out a new playbook, tell us we had until the next day to memorize the new plays and terminology – and – that we were gonna win some ball games.  Everybody cheered – but I was skeptical.  The side note worth mentioning here – is that I ended up playing football for almost 8 years after that….for no less than 6 coaches teaching several systems.   A couple years back I went to the “NFL Coaches Academy” as  I was coaching my own teams – and wanted to use the systems and techniques USA Football is promoting throughout the sport to enhance the caliber of play nationwide.  As it turned out, the blocking schemes I learned and perfected at 12 years of age (cross blocks, traps, pulling in either direction, stunting defenses, ‘called’ option assignments, and multiple sets) were more sophisticated than anything I was exposed to afterward.

It wasn’t always that refined…sometimes it was just plain silly.  We did trick plays and fun plays like the “shitty left or right”….where on the snap EVERYONE would run to the left or right….just to see what might happen.  We even scored once on that play.  Fact is, I really learned the game…and did I get to “knock people down”? – you bet.  We became a machine.  We were good.  We started winning.  We kept on winning.  We stayed together the next year too – now representing our school with pep clubs and a regular “following” of fans attending our games.  I never had so much fun!  WE were ALL stars!

Things came to a head with our stiffest competition late in the season our second year together.  We were playing a team we had never beat.  The closest score in any of our games against this team was 48 – zip….and we were the zip.  These guys were huge – they were tough – they had a coach who had to be the nastiest personality I’d ever seen.  Now-a-days this guy would never make it in little league…if they hadn’t won everything in sight he might have been drummed out of coaching – even back then.

It turned out to be a killer game.  We scored first – and we all thought their coach was going to have a heart attack.  He was screaming and yelling and chewing his guys out…it was bad.  Things got chippy.  They scored and took the lead.  With time running out on our own 8 yard-line, Whitey called a sweep right – which had me pulling around the right side and “Scotty” running the ball following the interference.  I usually took out the defensive end on this play…but there was no end there so I turned up-field.  Here came the linebacker so I took him out… he ended up tripping the safety who was closing fast.  I’m at the bottom of a pile of bodies with dirt blowing into my face from all the heavy breathing and somebody trying to break my leg, but I can still hear everybody going nuts on the sidelines.  Scotty scores.  All I can hear now is this piercing raspy voice of  Whitey cutting through the craziness – “Way to go! Hollywood.”  For a moment I thought – but why?  I didn’t score the touchdown – why would he?…..And in that moment I learned the true meaning of  TEAMWORK.  That was the gift of a lifetime and I am forever grateful….for everything that coach gave to me….lessons, technique, the challenge to ‘get things right’, pride in a job well-done, confidence, praise, joy, laughter, love….It was then – and as I write this now – trulyPriceless!

Fritz White died a couple of months ago – at 80 years of age.  He was a man’s man….an award winning artist, sculptor, husband, father, grandfather, benefactor, friend, mentor, comedian, singer, historian of Native-American tribes, cowboys and culture, the westward expansion, literature, conservative causes, a supporter of his community, hometown and Cowboy Artists of America bretheren.   More than that he was my friend and teacher – a great man.  A COACH who changed my life and a mentor whose lessons I’ll never forget!

One of Fritz White’s most celebrated sculptures is a 26′ tall statue that crowns the Florida State University Seminole Stadium – called “Unconquered.”  A photo archive of White’s available work can be found at Fritz White’s website.

From the Editor: Every athlete that reads Podium Sports Journal will have at least one inspirational coach they feel deeply connected with and feel tremendous gratitude for.  Podium would love to pay tribute to your coach too.  It is through the recognition of champions such as these that we appreciate the ideas, values, methods and  stories we can share with our readers.  Send us your tribute and let us all win through your experience…Keep their legacy alive and thriving by sharing their story and the lessons learned through their inspiration.  Send your story to: Editor@PodiumSportsJournal.com.

by Dr. Rob Bell

Walt Disney passed away before Magic Kingdom was built. At the coronation, an individual stated “It’s too bad that he [Walt Disney] didn’t live to see this.” Someone replied, “He saw it before any of us did, that’s why it’s here.”

One of the most powerful mental skills is imagery, which can be used in a variety of ways. Imagery is most powerful through helping us create a vision. I believe that we have to see and feel what it is that we really want to achieve.

A goal for some is to become a millionaire. So, one imagery activity at workshops is to picture themselves with a million dollars.  Rarely do people actually picture themselves lying in a pool of money, instead, we see ourselves doing specific activities. We picture the types of activities we’re doing, who we’re interacting with, and the feeling of being a millionaire. For instance, perhaps we see ourselves donating the money, which makes us feel special and worthy. It is a fun exercise, but the importance is to help create an impetus for our actions.

The best part of imagery is that it is easy to help create our vision. The more often we practice, the clearer our vision becomes. We can all begin creating our vision by answering three common questions:

• What do we want to do
• Who do we want to be with
• Where do we want to be

Each question should be pictured clear and specific as possible. Envision the type of work that makes us feel competent; the types of interactions we are doing, and what a perfect day looks like. The goal is to create a vision with all three combined. For instance, if we envision traveling, playing golf, or attending the zoo with our family as perfect days, then we should aspire to make this vision our reality.

Creating a vision is the first step in moving toward our chosen goal. What separated Ray Kroc from the McDonald brothers was that he had a distinct vision of creating how masses of people could enjoy fast food. Lastly, the Ball State Men’s Golf team has created a vision of winning the 2010 MAC championship.

-“Vision without execution is hallucination”-Thomas Edison

Rob Bell, PhD, Professor of Sport Psychology at Ball State University, can be reached at (865) 591-7730 or robbell@bsu.edu.

Visit the website at drrobbell.com © 2010

Reframing: A mindful tool during chaotic times

by Dominique Larocque

“Take that which you no longer need, bless it for what it has done for you, and then set it free”. –Virginia Satir

I have always perceived cancer as an unwelcome houseguest. This unwelcome guest found its way in my family in 1969 and brought much chaos.  I was 8 years old. Ironically, a similar kind of chaos was found illustrated in my book ‘The Cat in the Hat’ by Dr Seuss. Like the goldfish, I did not find any humor in the way cancer was creating havoc in my heart and in my home. The story did not offer me much hope because I knew intuitively that my mother was not returning home. Fortunately, the universe works in mysterious ways and my mother was able to work her Dr Seuss’s magic from her hospital bed by making sure there would be after all a ‘crazy cat’ to take care of the mess before her return home in spirit form. This ‘crazy cat’ is now my beloved stepmother.

I learned to reframe at a very young age as a coping mechanism to deal with all the pain and the grief I was suffering adjusting to my life without my mother. Today, as the primary caregiver in my husband’s cancer journey, I turn to this technique often to help me gain control of my emotional roller-coaster ride so that I can assist him with more focus, calm and courage.

So, what is reframing? Basically, reframing is a behavioral process used to change one’s perspective or personal meaning associated to something. We are all aware of how an unattractive frame can make any painting look bad, just like a beautiful frame can make any mediocre painting look good. “Therefore, the central idea of reframing is that there is no good or bad in life. There is only your perception of it”¹.

“If we perceive something as a liability, that’s the message we deliver to our brain. Then the brain produces states that make it a reality. If we change our frame of reference by looking at the same situation from a different point of view, we can change the way we respond in life. We can change our representation or perception about anything and in a moment change our states and behaviors. This is what reframing is all about”².

This points out how two different people may experience the same event, and how they “frame” that event is what really determines the eventual outcome they will have.

There are two types of reframing. One is referred to as ‘context reframing’, which refers to the ability of taking a negative situation, and make it a positive one in another context. For example, the other reindeer made fun of Rudolph’s bright, red nose; but that funny nose made Rudolph the hero on a dark night.³

The second type of reframing is referred to ‘content reframing’, which involves changing what a situation means to you. For example, death is a life event that has different meaning in different cultures. We all deal with death in different ways. Some forever grieve the loss of a loved one, whereas others find immense peace at the everlasting presence of the person’s spirit or the knowing that this person is free of suffering.

Reframing does require a certain amount of practice, self-awareness and self-discipline and you might benefit from the help of a counselor to help you transform the negative situations into constructive opportunities.

Without a doubt, any cancer diagnosis is challenging to reframe but reframing can be incredibly helpful and useful for the family and loved ones journeying the path alongside.

Reframing requires more mental energy and creativity than positive thinking because it calls for you to ‘see’ your negative situation in the form of an image, a story or a symbol and ask you to either change the frame, write a new story or find new symbolic meaning to the negative event. Doing so will offer you a renewed sense of hope, courage and clarity on the path.

For example, every time I would apply gentian violet tincture to my husband’s radiation burn, I would say to him that I was applying ‘gentle’ violet tincture and reinforce the calm and soothing effect its application would have on his burn, thus reducing his anxiety of it worsening.  I used to refer to his Xeloda pills as his pink warrior goddesses since the X in Xeloda reminded me of Zena the warrior princess. I would ask him how many lucky men get to have daily visitation from Goddess Xeloda. Reframing with humor can be a great tool to diffuse bad situations since humor is a great mood changer and triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers which brings a new sense of well being.

In my practice, I have witnessed how a difficult life challenge can be an invitation to experience life in a new dimension. Reframing are the oars necessary to row the boat of life on turbulent waters and remind us that this too shall pass.

¹Website: www.eruptingmind.com

²Anthony Robbins, Unlimited Power (New York: Ballantine, 1987)

³ Sandidge R.L. & Ward A.C., Quality Performance in Human Services (Baltimore: Brookes Publishing, 1999)

Dominique Larocque is a Gestalt therapist and owner/director of LaRoccaXC Mountain Bike School. With the support of her husband, she is developing a wellness centre in Val-des-Monts, 35 minutes from downtown Ottawa. You can learn more about her vision by visiting www.creativewheel.ca

By Stephen Walker, Ph.D.

The Business Problem.

Business, municipal and non-profit organizations all experience costs associated with turnover.  Every position within an organization is expensive to replace, but the cost can be significant when considering a highly skilled technical employee, or astronomical should the loss come at the executive level.  The greater the investment an organization has in the training and productive work of an individual, the more costly to replace him or her.  Whether an individual is terminated for poor performance or lost through a health challenge or death…..costs are incurred.  Succession planning, cross training, and health screenings can be instrumental in reducing the damage done by such a loss, but many organizations fail to consider such things when planning strategically for their future.

Health challenges contribute additional costs which may include medical expenses, short or long term disability costs, and perhaps funeral costs should death take a key employee.  Loss attributable to heart attack and stroke is a common occurrence these days.  It is also one of the easiest to predict.  Heart disease will ultimately be the cause of death for half of us, and for those planning on retiring…it’s sobering to realize that a full 30% of us will never reach the age of sixty five.  Heart disease can be managed effectively if caught in time. Unfortunately the first cardiac symptom experienced by 71% of the population will be a heart attack, and, one out of every three of those will not survive.₁ Because the bottom line drives business, it might be worth considering how much it might cost your organization if you or some other vital employee were lost to a heart attack or stroke?

Assessing the Costs.

A loss will definitely trigger a ripple effect throughout the business. A few of the measurable outcomes can help determine the financial impact on your organization. Some person or position-specific factors will require a closer look, depending on the individual’s role in the organization. Whether technical, administrative or sales oriented every position will have administrative costs, the search for a suitable replacement, recruitment, education, training, and lost productivity.  It is also true that health insurance premiums may be impacted for the coming year since companies are rated based on the collective health history of their employees.  Perhaps the greatest loss is not even measurable.  Nobody can replace an individual whose personality or leadership boosted morale, touched the lives of many, and provided cohesion for the whole.

The Current Approach.

As of this writing, prevention is largely an afterthought for businesses and insurance carriers.  They tend to employ a ‘one size fits all’ approach emphasizing diet and exercise.  Some companies provide optional stress management classes for their employees.  Kaiser-Permanente encourages quarterly lipid profiles.  These efforts may be successful to a limited degree, but are rather conventional and not precise enough to consider the loss of a key person, or the cost of turnover. Basically screening programs and prospective measures neither identify who is at greatest risk nor do they equip them with the tools to help them remedy the problem.

Stress Management programs provide an excellent example. Stress, has long been known as a contributing factor in heart disease, but programs addressing this concern tend to be optional and limited to 1-2 hours once a year for those who self-select to attend.  Ironically, the most stressed employees often ‘trivialize’ the benefits of a stress management program, or feel that they are too busy doing productive work to attend.  Others may be in denial of the stress they are under and fail to understand their personal risk factors.  They view ‘cranky’ behavior as a fact of life and unavoidable.  Some pride themselves in giving ulcers not getting them.  The lack of consideration for their personal health aside, ‘team’ chemistry is impacted by such attitudes.

It is precisely this individual that needs a process for screening, and a personalized assessment of their risk factors….because they are least likely to do it for themselves.  As a business owner, your chief executive officers, highly trained experts and employees whose loss could severely interfere with the operations of your organization are of greatest concern. Are lipid profiles, stress treadmills, and other examples of the ‘one size fits all’ approach for risk assessment enough?  Not likely.

A proper screening for occupational stress would assess the degree to which chronic stress, anger, hostility, anxiety, depression, negative emotions and social isolation play into each individual’s risk profile. Research in this area has revealed a clear understanding as to how toxic emotions alter a person’s blood chemistry contributing to heart disease.₂ Cardiac psychology and effective stress assessments are only part of the solution. The key lies in the use of ‘stratified risk assessments’ and ‘targeted interventions’ which have grown out of the developing specialization of preventive cardiology. Dr. Harvey Hecht, Director of Preventive Cardiology at NY’s Beth Israel Hospital, asserted, “There is no doubt that President Clinton would have been identified as high risk 10 years ago — if he had undergone calcium scanning—and the odds are great that bypass surgery could have been avoided.”₃

‘The Best Medicine.’

A model program has been developed in recent years involving a notoriously high risk population; that of former NFL professional football players.  Although there is agreement that these athletes have a significantly reduced life expectancy, the exact age is somewhat in dispute (estimations ranging from 52 to early 60’s depending on the data source).  One thing that is clear is that heart disease is by far the biggest killer. ₄

This model intervention has been termed ‘The Best Medicine.’  Research supporting this kind of stratified risk assessment and targeted treatment regimen has been accruing over the past several years._5,6 This sample included 100 members of The Denver Bronco Football Club Alumni ranging in age from 35 to 61 years who were provided an opportunity and self-selected to participate in the study. With the support of several doctors lead by preventive cardiologist, Dr. Jeffrey Boone and program coordinator, Toni Standley, researchers, sponsoring agencies, venders and pharmaceutical manufacturers….the Bronco Alumni were provided a state-of-the-art intervention, have been treated proactively and continuously monitored since, utilizing the stratified risk assessment and a targeted intervention for each participant addressing every known indicator for heart disease in that patient. The protocols used in this research included both traditional and more progressive techniques for evaluating and treating heart disease (CAD). The research effort is ongoing.

Traditional patient intake information included age, family history, medical history, lifestyle risk factors, Framingham risk assessment, cardiac symptoms, history of medical procedures, situation specific blood pressure response, medication reviews, exercise patterns, health risk behaviors, smoking and obesity screening. Additional diagnostic testing included:

• Electron Beam CT Scan
• Treadmill Stress Test                     
• Stress Echocardiogram or Cardiac Ultrasound
• NMR, PLAQ test – LpPLa (2) screening
• Carotid IMT
• Aspirin Resistence Test
• Life Stress Assessments

These variables and others were utilized while tracking specific indicators of disease after a baseline heart health status was determined.  For those in good health, very few treatment measures were recommended beyond daily aspirin, exercise regimens, dietary adjustments, nutritional supplements, stress management and additional testing as needed.  Alumni presenting with data suggestive of progressive CAD were treated aggressively with medication management using statins, ace inhibitors, anti-inflammatory agents, platelet coagulation inhibitors and selective nutritional supplements in addition to recommended lifestyle changes.  No extensive procedures such as bypass grafting, angiography, or nuclear perfusion studies were deemed necessary amongst the treatment sample.

Results of this approach using a stratified risk assessment and targeted treatment regimen have been documented and monitored quarterly.  Thus far, at the end of one calendar year, the overall intervention has been significantly effective at reducing symptom indicators of CAD.₇ These interim results demonstrate how risk stratification is cost effective as a screening method.  Even more importantly, the targeted intervention for specific risk factors demonstrated unequivocally that the progression of heart disease can actually be reversed when patient specific treatment guidelines are proactively implemented.

Benefits of Early Detection and Treatment of CAD.

The cumulative research in this field is now able to identify with greater clarity how the disease progresses.  The crucial role is played by each person’s blood chemistry.  Not only is blood chemistry highly variable, it is influenced by diet, emotional reactions to stress, exercise (or lack of), dental health and a number of genetic and environmental factors.  Because the blood serves to transport hormonal messages, nutrients and waste products to and from specific organs in the body, it is also the carrier of other by-products that can be harmful to the cardiovascular system itself. Often referred to as metabolic syndrome, a process is engaged that progressively damages the lining of the blood vessels themselves (endothelial dysfunction).  Once compromised, inflammation sets in, frequently contributing to the coagulation of platelets sometimes causing clots to form.  Any or all of these steps can create unstable plaque and trigger a thrombosis….resulting in a heart attack or stroke.₈

In July 2006 the American Heart Association published guidelines for the early detection and treatment of the physical markers of heart disease through the SHAPE initiative.₉ SHAPE stands for ‘screening for heart attack prevention and education’ which summarizes the body of research and provides guidelines which recommend stratified risk assessments and targeted interventions.  Many of these tests and procedures are not covered by traditional insurance reimbursement formularies.  This reality places even more responsibility on our corporate citizens to take care of their own bottom line.

Unfortunately, our healthcare system tends to respond best to heart disease once a patient has had a heart attack, even though the patient’s quality of life and survivability may be compromised significantly after the fact. Once afflicted, these patients subsequently utilize a larger percentage of the total healthcare resources available.  Estimates in 2004 by the Center of Disease Control indicate the financial costs of heart disease at 396 billion dollars.₁₀ ‘The Best Medicine’ is one of a number of leading programs designed to lower the costs of heart disease by employing a stratified risk assessment and proactively addressing those causative factors.  At the very minimum, this approach saves lives by preventing the incidence of heart attack and stroke.

Risk Stratification as a Business Solution – The ROI.

The CFO of an organization considering this type of screening would likely determine the variables assessing the potential return on investment of a stratified risk assessment such as this. Because no two businesses or municipal organizations are exactly alike this return must be determined on a case-by-case basis. Models for assessing the cost of turnover have rarely been modified for such a purpose.  Even less frequently are they weighed against the direct costs of a prevention initiative.  Models exist for evaluating the cost benefit of sales training programs, or the effectiveness of an advertising campaign, but the process for assessing the ROI of a strategically designed health and wellness intervention requires a more specialized formula.

What to Measure?

One model for measuring costs of turnover was developed by Dr. Michael Mercer, consultant with The Mercer Group, in his book, Turning Human Resource Departments into a Profit Center.₁₁ It is designed for the expressed purpose of evaluating the costs of turnover within an organization.  His model provides a good baseline.  We have modified it to include both the direct costs of a heart attack or stroke, in addition to some variable costs including:

• Separation Costs
• Replacement Costs
• Training Costs
• Lost Productivity Costs
• Lost Business Costs
• Disability Costs
• Costs from Death of an Employee

In situations where key employees have died, been taken ill, or injured on the job there are likely to be additional costs to the organization. Companies that experience the loss of a highly trained employee are not only responsible for the replacement costs for that employee, they may also have to deal with some additional medical expenses and incidental costs. Some organizations, such as fire and police departments, have extraordinary costs associated with the burial, ceremonies, and replacement officer uniform costs. In recent years, higher deductibles and stop loss expense caps allow for the estimation of some of these additional cost factors, but they do little to address them. More responsibility is continuously being placed on the corporations themselves and each employee through ‘consumer driven health care plans’.₁₂ Companies that self-insure have the most incentive to employ stratified risk assessments and targeted treatment regimens.

A Case Study.

In January of 2006 a 55 year old Fire Chief completed his annual physical. The physical was normal except for an abnormal EKG, which was considered not diagnostically significant.  The Chief reported that he felt fine, had no experience of chest pain or any other symptoms of heart disease, and indicated he was unconcerned with the abnormal EKG. A few days later he was seen by a cardiologist who conducted a stress treadmill which also appeared abnormal. It was followed by a perfusion study. Circulatory impairments clearly existed.  The Chief stopped work

immediately and was placed on short-term disability. Subsequent angiography determined that the Chief’s problems were systemic and surgery was required immediately. He then received four coronary arterial bypass grafts, was hospitalized for 5 days and his duties were absorbed in-house by the Deputy Chief of Administration and the Assistant Chief of Operations for the department.

Unfortunately there were complications.  Two of the grafts failed and an additional procedure resulted in the placement of stents repairing the grafts.  After three days, the Chief was released from the hospital and again started phase I rehab. A month later, symptoms appeared requiring plural effusion studies and another hospitalization this time for an infection and mild pericarditis.  Intravenous antibiotics controlled the infection and he has been steadily improving since, first in rehab and now on his own.  Following his 56^th birthday, the Chief decided he should retire and was placed on permanent disability.

The financial aspects of this case-study incorporate the current outcome and costs of the incident as it impacted the organization, the chief, the insurance carrier, the department’s obligations in providing insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, the costs of separation, and replacement costs as of this writing. A search is currently underway for his replacement.  The organization is using a headhunter to identify and recruit properly trained and experienced candidates.

In the eleven months since the ordeal began, the medical expenses realized by the Chief, the department, and the insurance carrier have reached $196,000.  The cost of lost productivity to the department was estimated at $47,420.  The organization anticipates replacement costs for recruitment and hiring of his successor to be between $40,000 and $45,000 depending on travel expenses, moving, and uniform costs. The total cost of this episode to the parties concerned has been conservatively estimated at $277,470 to date.  The stress incurred by those assuming additional responsibilities is not considered measurable, nor is the stress incurred by their families who were required to adjust to these extraordinary demands placed upon them.  The required yet unpaid overtime has not been calculated because those affected are salaried and exempt employees.

The costs of replacing that one employee could have funded a risk stratification screening for every employee and included a Life Stress Interview, EBCT heart Scan, blood lipid particle test (NMR), and a carotid IMT test for all 117 department employees…AND RETURNED $210,000 to the respective responsible parties.  Just the direct costs incurred by the department in lost productivity and replacement costs would have funded the SHAPE guidelines for every career and volunteer employee.  The peace of mind and the benefits experienced by every family, their children, and smooth operations of the organization….priceless.

Copyright  © 2007   Stephen E. Walker, Ph.D.

References:

1)       American Heart Association: Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics – 2006 Update. Dallas, Texas, American Heart Association, 2006.

2)       Rozanski, A, Blumenthal, J, Davidson K, Saab P, Kubzansky L, “The Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, and Management of Psychosocial Risk Factors in Cardiac Practice”, J Am Coll Cardiol 2005;45:5:637-651.

3)       Hecht, Harvey, “Aggressive Testing for and Treatment of Heart Disease and Stroke”, Seminar Procedings, Denver, Colorado, Nov.19, 2005.

4)       National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Study in conjunction with the NFL Players Assn., Proceedings 1992.

5)       Bard, R., Kalsi, H., Rubenfire, M., Wakefield, T., Fex, B., Rajagopalan, S., & Brook, R., Effect of Carotid Atherosclerosis Screening on Risk Stratification During Primary Cardiac Disease Prevention, Am.Journal of Cardiology, Vol 93; 8: April 2004, 1030-1032.

6)       Yusuf S, Hawkin S, Ounpuu S, et al. “Effect of Potentially Modifiable Risk Factors Associated with Myocardial Infarction in 52 Countries (The INTERHEART Study): Case-control Study. Lancet 2004;364:937-52.

7)       Boone, J. and Standley, T. Preliminary data – Denver Bronco Alumni Program to Eradicate Heart Disease and Stroke, September 2006.

8)       Berger, G., Hartwell, D., Wagner, D., “P-Selectin and Platelet Clearance”, Blood, Vol. 92:11, December 1998: pp. 4446-4452.

9)       Screening for Heart Attack Prevention and Education Taskforce – Guidelines published in the American Journal of Cardiology, July 2006.

10)    Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Preventing Chronic Diseases: Investing Wisely in Health – 2005 (Center for Disease Control and Prevention).

11)    Mercer, M., Turning Human Resource Departments Into a Profit Center., Castlegate Publishers, Inc., Barrington Il., 2005.

12)    Herzlinger, R., Consumer Driven Healthcare: Implications for Providers, Payors, and Policy Makers., Harvard University Press, Boston, 2004.

He was doing his best to keep from breaking down, but the tears filled his eyes, the emotions were raw and he was lost. “Whatever I do it’s never good enough”… was what he uttered, but the pain in his body was palpable.  His name was Kyle – Wolfie to his teammates.  He just turned 12.  He was a gifted goalie – rated number one in the state, and he was playing competitive hockey for a AAA team engaged in a travel schedule as busy as the local Division I team.  For him, the pressure was over-the-top.  Not just because the competition was intense, which it was, but he was afraid to let his hero down.

In tonight’s game, he’d let in a good goal on a 2-on-1 breakaway when the save rebounded in the wrong direction.  His team won, and they celebrated, but he’d lost the shut-out and he was sure to hear about it.  The pressure to please his father had even hurt his game because he found himself losing focus on the ice by glancing in his dad’s direction…hoping for a smile or a “thumbs up”…or anything other than the frown he saw much of the time.  But then, the glare was nothing compared to getting reamed.  One time he almost threw up when his dad had screamed in his face like a drill sergeant he’d seen in the movies.  Boy!  He hated that.

Hockey is as intense a game as there is.  Hockey ‘moms’ and ‘dads’ are known to be passionate.  But this behavior is so over-the-top, it’s also risky.

Putting Things in Perspective

Kyle was referred to me by his goalie coach.  He had witnessed some of his dad’s critical behavior, and, he had noticed that Kyle was losing some of his snap… seemed distracted and wasn’t playing up to his potential.

As it turns out, Kyle’s Dad came from a family where much of the pressure to perform rested on his shoulders.  He played linebacker on his Varsity Football team and readily confessed to me an experience that gave me hope for this father-son duo.  The story goes like this:

In an important game he’d played against a league rival, he had registered 13 unassisted tackles, 2 more assists, defended a pass in coverage, knocked down a pass on a blitz, caused an opponent to fumble and generally wreaked havoc on the opposing team’s offense.  At the end of the game he remembered his dad fixating on one play….one where he had taken the fake on a reverse play and lost contain.  It resulted in an 8 yard gain for their rivals.  Geez, a game like that and the only thing his dad could talk about after the game was him blowing that play.

Parental behavior like this is emotionally abusive and it easily runs from generation to generation.  Too many parents from the mold of this scenario consider me one of those ‘touchy feely’ types.  They fail to recognize the impact of their behavior on their children – and – they tend to discount feedback from “others” who might weigh-in on “their” situation.  That often includes coaches, teachers, other parents who witness the abuse….worse still….even when that other person is their spouse.  Parents like this listen to no one, and as such, they often undermine their athletes’ coaches.

Priority One: Becoming Aware – Recognizing Where Passion Stops and Abuse Begins

Truth be told, this kind of situation exists more often than any of us would like to admit.  And those passionate about their sport have not only seen it, but likely been a guilty party themselves once or twice.  The gut check required to get this pattern under control is not for sissies.  And that’s why so many continue to perpetuate the tribulations of abuse.

People who have difficulty with boundaries are at greatest risk.  It’s probably been a factor elsewhere in their life, but when it involves a child learning, and growing and becoming – there is more at risk.  Rather than helping the child athlete discover for themselves what coaches are trained to teach them, these parents tend to take over.  They might not even communicate their thoughts with the coach – but they don’t hesitate to put forward their opinions at home.  What’s worse is that parents like this often don’t have enough insight to recognize their own limitations.  In extreme cases, they treat their child athlete like a possession where they alone control their child’s experiences.

If I were to tell parents like this their kids will likely drop out of sport in rebellion, or find really dysfunctional ways to get by – they’d deny it.  But the fact is: When the fear of reprisal, discouragement and disappointment expressed by one or both parents – outweigh the joy of ‘team’ cohesion, sense of accomplishment and personal pride in seeing your game improve – the formula gets so far out of balance that there isn’t enough to play for. By the time an athlete stops having fun and starts to think that what they do “is never good enough” – they’re in trouble.  It is incumbent on every coach, trainer, manager, league administrator and parent to be attuned to situations like this and do their best to prevent it. Why?  Because they can…and…if they don’t try – they become part of the problem.

The Styles of Parenting Continuum

Imagine six parents, each with a different parenting style, sitting in the dentist’s waiting room with their six children. The kids are running wild, acting out, and getting into trouble. Here’s what the parents might say and do:

• The abusive parent says, “Get your ugly butt over here you stupid little creep!” (smacks, screams, tears).
• The conditional parent says, “I can’t believe you would behave like this, you’re embarrassing me, we’re leaving. I told you we were going to go get ice cream later but I changed my mind. You won’t be having ice cream for three weeks!”
• The assertive parent says, “Sarah, this behavior is out of line. Sit down right next to me. Now please. And now might be a good time to start that homework you brought.”
• The supportive parent says, “Tommy, what’s up? You can’t behave like that, honey. Please sit down now. Are you bored?  I brought your book and some stuff to play with.”
• The indulgent parent says, “Ah, let them run, they’re just kids having a good time.”
• The neglectful parent says, well, nothing. The neglectful parent doesn’t notice his kid; he’s too busy reading People Magazine.

Child Development – How Point-of-View and Experience Contribute

Child development goes through a variety of stages.  Parents will remember the ‘terrible twos’ and other phases their children all went through – and – they will even recognize that cognitive development undergoes a tremendous shift in adolescence.  However, they’re not as good at remembering “how their own point-of-view shifted” as they went through these stages, largely because of so many other “experiences” they had at many different ages, times and circumstance.  The evolving innovation of qualitative research is now beginning to contribute extensively in the developmental and sport psychology literature.

Of course, each person’s genetic makeup plays a huge role in establishing the basic template from which the rest of their development takes place.  Its not just medical history that’s at work here – personality traits evolve from the make up of both biological parents. However, within that template there are thousands of experiences – and – shifts in behavioral emphasis that ultimately form a child’s personality.

Exactly How Does Parenting Factor in?

1)  Kids Learn by Watching their Parents:

Parents will readily acknowledge that modeling plays a role in how their kids turn out.  However, they rarely see it from their child’s perspective.  Kids experience their parents as being generally critical or nurturing…sometimes functional – and – sometimes dysfunctional – in regard to what their child remembers.  How that ultimately influences the child’s developing personality looks something like this:

Critical Parent

Functional –    “Good effort Kyle, but you need to stay with it a little longer to be successful.”

“Stretch a bit more – here – and you’ll reach your goal.”

Dysfunctional -  “No, no, no forget it! You’ll never get it that way.”

“What the heck is wrong with you, can’t you do anything right?”

The functional side of the critical parent recognizes effort, and, specifies the direction and level of work required for success – hence setting standards.  The dysfunctional side is demeaning and attacks the core of the child – intimating that the child is defective and likely never to measure up.

Nurturing Parent

Functional -     “Wow! You took a big hit, that cut is likely to need attention…lets get it looked at so you can get out there and play again. – Alright, you’re good to go. Have fun.”

Dysfunctional – “Oh no you don’t – this is dangerous…I’m not letting you get yourself hurt.”

The functional side of the nurturing parent acknowledges that life can be tough, and you need to recover even as you train…but when you’ve done so… it’s important to get back to your work so you can learn from it.  The dysfunctional side is over-protective and tends to supersede a child’s choice and opportunities to challenge him or herself.

Of course, the greatest challenge in parenting is KNOWING WHAT to do and WHEN to DO IT.  The Parenting Continuum above is comprised of a large number of experiences that ultimately shape the child’s behavior.  This parenting can be consciously focused and deliberately crafted – or not.  A great many parents, even to their own dismay, do exactly what their parents did even though they SWORE they’d NEVER do so.  Modeling is the key.  Our kids observe everything that we do, and their patterns are learned through repetition.

2)  Kids Learn through Their Own Interactions with the World:

It is also true that children learn from their point-of-view interactive experiences with the world at large and not exclusively from our parents’ tutelage.  There are three primary aspects of how the child experiences the environment that can have significant impact on how they develop.  As you might expect, there is a functional and dysfunctional side to each of these developmental centers of personality:

Playful Child

Functional-      “Oh boy, this is really fun!  I get to play until I have to do my homework.”

Dysfunctional- “How much fun can you have?  If a little bit is great, then a whole lot more must be that much better.”

The playful child can and usually does develop appreciation for opportunities, light-hearted encounters and positive experiences…when there is balance in understanding the proper time and place for play.  However, when one’s developing playful child evolves without a sense of limits ….self-indulgent behavior often follows.  In the extreme these kids acquire the inability to set limits and boundaries – and oftentimes they are quite susceptible to addictive disease.

Adaptive Child

Functional -     “This looks like it could be fun. I wonder who the leader is? Maybe the coach will show me how and I’ll find a way to join in.?”

Dysfunctional – “Uh-oh.  This looks scary.  I’d better hang next to the teacher/coach and do whatever they say.  Hopefully they will look after me and keep me safe.”

The adaptive child is really good at fitting in and can master social graces, learn patience and establish really useful mentorships with those who offer them skills and training.  On the other hand, the adaptive child can become a doormat afraid to go their own way or think for themselves, dependent on other people to excess.

Rebellious Child

Functional -     “They want us all to stand in line, but the leaders get to go first…so I’m going to lead.”

Dysfunctional – “So what if I get in trouble, to heck with them – I’m gonna do what I want to do.”

The rebellious child can functionally establish the proper rudiments of independent thinking – or – if dysfunction, become oppositional and, in the extreme, sociopathic.

Thankfully, personalities continue to develop throughout adolescence.  Children tend to integrate thousands of experiences within these parameters over several years.  Significant emotional events, traumas, injuries, betrayals, successes, and both fun and not-so-fun situations contribute to the lessons learned and patterns of response to life’s ups and downs.

The Emerging Adult – “Learning the Best Practices in Life”

3)  Kids Learn through Experimentation:

During the adolescent years, each child’s brain experiences a surge in development. The powers of logic, understanding, recognition of exceptions to the rule, subtleties that can determine the fine line between success and failure – are all established.  The process of integration makes big strides in the teen years.

This process of maturation affects every part of the person physically, emotionally, socially and morally.  The adult part of the personality is the one we hope every child develops through maturity, with the positive experiences and knowledgeable tutelage of great parents, coaches, teachers, team captains and leaders of all kinds.  Ultimately, one can learn to mitigate all manner of experiences in life – and balance the influences from our parents (good or bad)  as well as the lessons experienced through interacting with the universe in a positive way – or not.

If the adult part of our personality develops properly our children will grow to be both capable and lovable – competent people, great partners & teammates and good citizens.  If it doesn’t…our children may mature with an unbalanced personality. Perhaps the dysfunctional side of the critical parent will manifest – driven by anger and unrealistic expectations for what a 12 year old should be able to do.  Hence, we meet Kyle’s dad. Helicopter moms, doormat personalities, good time Charlie’s and all manner of dysfunctional people become that way for myriad of influences both genetic and experiential.  Hence, learning becomes paramount and as the gatekeepers to our children’s early life experiences – parents set the bar.

Skill building is huge and specific training regimens are key to facilitating success.  During these early adolescent years athletes learn to train.  They learn the benefit of hard work and they begin to experiment with every aspect of their work ethic.  Some will go all-out-all-of-the-time.  Some will “fake it” because it looks alright on the outside, but on the inside they feel like they are getting away with being lazy.

It is the internal recognition of effort and execution that registers the true value of training – whether in academics or learning a slap shot.  Malcolm Gladwell illustrates in hundreds of ways how those who succeed and master an endeavor will train upwards of 10,000 hours to achieve that success.  Young adolescents are at the stage where they are learning to train – older adolescents are learning to win.

As parents, coaches and mentors of athletes at every age – how we approach our athletes makes a big difference.  For when we act “in the best interests” of our athletes – we will do the right thing more often than not.  Below are some guidelines designed to help parents do a better job…giving their child athletes a better opportunity for success at every level.

Top 10 List of Things Parents Can Do to Raise a Healthy Happy Athlete

1.)    FIRST & FOREMOST – DO NO HARM!  It can be a pretty helpless feeling when you are watching your kid in the trenches, especially if you’ve got a lot of playing experience yourself.  However, criticism – expressions of anger – negativity – including unsolicited coaching tips are likely to be counterproductive – and can undermine your athletes’ coach.  Yelling, taunting, and intimidation of any kind is expressly discouraged.  Parents who do so are being abusive and engaging in behavior likely to be harmful to their child athlete.

2.)    DISCHARGE YOUR EMOTIONS IN A POSITIVE WAY.  No one expects you to observe without being fully engaged…but what you do with those emotions is important and requires care.  Just as your child athlete has assignments and a defined role on the field they are expected to practice – you have an assignment and defined role as a spectator, and as supportive parent.  PRACTICE BEING A SUPPORTIVE SPECTATOR. I’m a proponent of engaged parents getting in involved productively – keep notes of key events in the game, find an official way to help…keep stats for the team, etc. If you’ve got something productive to do during a contest – your thinking will be channeled in a positive direction.

3.)    WRITE A GAME SUMMARY after the contest.  Keep it positive.  Remember, these athletes are developing skills at EVERY level.  Key events, clock usage, reviews of stats, productive assessment of the competition, productive assessment of your team’s strengths and weaknesses can help. These are to be provided to the COACH.  Remember to make them as objective as possible.  These are observations of what happened. (If you make an interpretation – put the notes in parentheses and label them as your personal point of view.)  You can show this to the coach and ask them if this type of summary is helpful.  If it is, you now have a job supportive to the coach AND the team.  If your son or daughter wants to see the summary – it should be neutral enough for every player on the team to benefit from.  If your child WANTS you to write a summary of THEIR play – ASK them what they would want you to include in it.  Then it will truly be a resource FOR them.

4.)    IN PARENTING an athlete CONSIDER THEIR ABILITY LEVEL & WILLINGNESS TO LEARN.  If your athlete is not sure how to do something – ask the coach if they have a drill, video, or recommended mentor your athlete can work with on developing the skills in question.  If your athlete has ability but isn’t willing to put in the training time to master a skill – you can not do it for them.  You can support them by playing with them…offering practice opportunities…look for position coaches who specialize in those skills…show highlights of pros YOUR athlete admires who put in the time and got the results.

Rule of thumb:  If your athlete wants to learn but doesn’t know how – they need direction. If your athlete is able but not willing (lazy, poor practice habits, inattentive) – they need support.  Think FUNdamentals: If they aren’t having FUN they won’t want to learn.  If you are on their case about it, they may become even LESS motivated (remember the rebellious child and adolescence.)  Others are likely to be able to encourage and restore the FUN in mastering those skills – AND – Once that momentum is established in your athlete’s training regimen – you can rest a bit because your child’s motivation has been tapped.  Intrinsic motivation is huge – and – it is the birthplace of our love of sport.

5.)    BE POSITIVE FOLLOWING COMPETITIONS.  Emphasize the effort. Emphasize the fun.  If your athlete is upset, it is likely best to WAIT awhile before talking about at contest.  When the timing is right you can empathize and compassionately acknowledge how it’s sometimes hard to put in a great effort and not get the desired outcome…but always positively recognize the EFFORT and any other positives you can offer up.  A great game is a great game even if your team comes up short.  We tend to learn more when challenged to the max.

6.)    LONG AFTER a contest (hours) you can ASK YOUR ATHLETE if they would like some FEEDBACK.  IF they DO – ASK THEM WHEN. Make an appointment.  They will have had time to process it some, and, so will you.  This will take much of the emotion out of the exchange….so the focus can remain on lessons learned, skills applied, and highlights to feel good about. BE POSITIVE – Very important.

7.)    PICK NO MORE THAN 1-2 POINTS TO REVIEW.  ALWAYS START WITH POSITIVE OBSERVATIONS (both general and specific.)  Ask your athlete how they experienced the contest in the trenches.  What did they notice?  What were they focused on doing?  Did they have a specific emphasis or skill they were working on?  What was the game plan?  These kinds of questions allow you to collaborate with your athlete and understand THEIR EXPERIENCE of the contest.  If they get defensive at all – drop it immediately – because you will lose and your child will lose the gains you’ve made in establishing a collaborative exchange.  If they are confused about something, make a note to tell the coach…or better yet…if your athlete is developing the kind of confidence and personal motivation to be successful – let them experiment with you on HOW to ask the coach for extra help.

8.)    LOOK AROUND FOR WAYS TO SUPPORT YOUR ATHLETE.  If you are reading this you have already done so.  If they need help with conditioning – strength training – or speed and agility – give them the opportunity to train with an expert.  If they are unfocused or experience anxiety and you can see that it interferes with play offer them a consultation with a sport psychologist. Consider a nutritionist, take them to a clinic or talk, let them see what adult athletes do to better prepare themselves for competition. Look for readings that will help your athlete learn and grow.  These things will help you both – and – reinforce the collaboration you are developing.

9.)    TREAT INJURIES WITH COMPASSION AND TAKE THEM SERIOUSLY. When dealing with an injury of any kind – be earnest about it.  Examine the part of the body your athlete is complaining about. Look for swelling, make sure the joint is articulating properly, clean cuts and abrasions, and, do first aid if there is no trainer available.  Find a trainer if you need one.  No matter how old the athlete this piece is important. Even if you think your child is exaggerating – this might be an important learning opportunity for them – or – they may be expressing a symptom of over training and under recovery.  Be thoughtful.  Ask questions.  Yes, we all want to learn mental toughness, but NOT when an injury needs to be checked out.  The important part is focusing on the recovery, being positive and encouraging proper self-care.  Balance is key and remembering the functional side of the nurturing parent can help.  The goal is to properly evaluate the problem, provide the best practices in recovery, and get back to the fun part – playing.

10.) PLAY WITH THEM WHENEVER YOU CAN.  Remember to play – not necessarily to compete – but because it is FUN for them and you.  FUNdamentals are mastered through this kind of practice.  Not only will it help your family bond, but your athlete will appreciate your attitude – learn to love fitness – and enjoy the fact that you are proud and interested in helping them develop their skills and talents as far as they can go.

I hope that this article has been helpful and provided some good insights into athlete parenting.  Look to www.AdvanceMyAthlete.com for further applications of the best principles of applied sport psychology for you and your child.  Further information on this and other sport psychology topics are available at www.PodiumSportsJournal.com or at the web site of the author: www.drstephenwalker.com.

References and Resources:

1)                  Fraser-Thomas, J., Cote, J., Deakin, J. (2008) Examining Adolescent Sport Dropout and Prolonged Engagement from a Developmental Perspective, Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 20:3 pgs 318-324, Routledge Press.

2)                  Davis, N., Meyer, B.B., (2008) When Sibling Becomes Competitor: A Qualitative Investigation of Same-Sex Sibling Competition in Elite Sport, Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 20:2 pgs 220-236, Routledge Press.

3)                  Berne, E., (1992), Games People Play, Ballantine-Random House Books, NY.

4)                  To take a survey on parenting styles to see where you might land on the continuum click here: http://pediatrics.about.com/cs/quizzes/l/bl_prnt_style.htm

5)                  Gladwell, M., (2008), Outliers, The Story of Success, Little Brown & Co., New York, NY.

6)                  Mecklenburg, K., (2009), Heart of a Student Athlete, All Pro Advice for Competitors and Their Families, Booksurge Press, Denver, Co.

7)                  Vealey, R.S., (2005), Coaching for  the Inner Edge, Fitness Information Technology – Division International Center for Performance Excellence, Morgantown, WV.

8)                  Ripken, C., Wolff, R., (2006), Parenting Young Athletes the Ripken Way, Ensuring the Best Experience for Your Kids in Any Sport, Gotham Books, New York, NY.

9)                  Smith, R.E., (1989), The Parent’s Complete Guide to Youth Sports, AAPHERD Publications, Waldorf, MD.

10)              Perconte, J.S., (2007) Raising an Athlete, How to Instill Confidence, Build Skills, and Inspire a Love for Sport, PositiveParentinginSports.com.

11)              Links:        http://www.asep.com/parents/index.cfm

http://www.educ.msu.edu/ysi/forparents.htm

http://www.podiumsportsjournal.com/parenting-competitive-kids

The founder of the movement – yes, there is a movement – is a man named Juan Mann and his story is compelling.

Click here to view the embedded video.

by Stephen E. Walker, Ph.D.

Have you ever thought about having a heart attack?  Well, maybe not directly, but your emotions and thought habits are probably effecting your health a lot more than you think.  Research is accumulating in medical journals that explain the relationship of emotions to blood chemistry, both good and bad, as doctors learn more about preventive cardiology, who is at risk and who is not.  In 2004, the cost of heart attacks and stroke assessed by the Center for Disease Control was set at $368 billion, on figures that included actual health care expenditures and the valuation of lost productivity from death and disability.

Negative Emotions – More Than Just a Bad Feeling

In a major review of research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2005), Alan Rozanski summarized developments that have implications for cardiologists and psychologists in the emerging specialization, cardiac psychology.  Rozanski offers a pervasive review of the literature that demonstrate how depression, anger, anxiety, marital stress, occupational stress, and certain personality characteristics serve as emotional catalysts that can hurry us along toward a heart attack¹.

This research does not make poor diet, smoking, or obesity any less precarious as William Roberts, editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Cardiology blames the diets of most Americans and him a proponent of cholesterol lowering medications and a supporter of EBCT heart scans to detect and track CAD years before someone experiences symptoms.²

Rozanski’s most compelling argument provokes a shift in how Doctors view the most common risk factor of heart disease, which is family history.  The research calls for a more comprehensive analysis of the “nature vs. nurture” origins of the disease and evidence is mounting that emotional reactivity sets the process in motion at a much younger age than was once thought.  How much of this disease process is attributable to a hereditary imprint?  How much comes from learned behavior? The implication of this research is remarkable when one considers those who try to limit their intake of meat, exercise regularly and otherwise maintain a healthy lifestyle.  Stress is the X factor, and one that implores us to manage our emotions as conscientiously as we might train physically and try to modify our diet.

The research explaining the mechanisms of this process has evolved over many years.  In summary, no one questions the fact that we often experience booms and crashes in our disposition.  But few understand how this process causes stress hormones to surge into our blood, prompting inflammatory agents to trigger swelling in the tissues of our coronary arteries.  This pattern is made worse when our blood thickens as platelets become sticky when emotionally stressed.  For diabetics this condition is already dangerous, but even those without diabetes should realize the process does damage.  It may go on quietly for many years until a little piece of unstable plaque ruptures resulting in a cardiac event in some unsuspecting victim.  In the United States every 4 minutes someone dies experiencing their very 1^st cardiac symptom.

Having practiced psychology for the past few decades it is clear to me that no one has a monopoly over the “negative emotions” marketplace, and that virtually all of us have a “bad day now and then”.  The problem becomes more pronounced when one examines research published by the Surgeon General in which mental illness was second only to cardiovascular conditions in a measure of years of life lost to premature death and years lived with a disability³.  It is sobering to think that there are many among us who have ‘never’ had a good day as far as emotions are concerned.

Personality Plays a Role – Wellness Vs. Illness

There is no controversy over the presence of a “genetic set point” we inherit from our blood relations.  There is no question that family history is a primary risk factor for heart disease, as well as many other disorders.  There is an emerging number of researchers that recognize how certain emotions trigger chemical shifts in the blood harmful to arterial walls ultimately contributing to injure the endothelial layer of the vessels.  Whether people have a family history of heart disease or not, it makes sense to consider how stress may impact our health.  It is incumbent on each of us to understand what we do or don’t do that helps to keep our heart healthy.

How many times have you heard people tell you to “relax” when you have appeared stressed?  What we do to relax can be quite telling because sparse relief exists in many of our diversions.  The most popular television shows in every market are the local news followed by no less than ten primetime crime dramas.  The family practice of watching television ‘to kickback and relax’ has exposed us to a nightly display of murder and mayhem that may have actually become the news in our neighborhoods, or dramatizations of it on every network.

A person’s prevailing psychological state is revealed through their “self-talk”.   This internal dialogue is significant in that it is likely to be ongoing and characteristic of how we actually experience emotion in our life.  It is sensible for us to examine the characteristics of that inner dialogue and the degree to which the chatter is encouraging, supportive, or optimistic as opposed to angry, caustic, blaming or negative.

Years ago cardiologists Meyer Friedman and Ray Rosenman began researching what was termed the “Type A” personality⁴.  Hundreds of research studies have examined this behavioral pattern and its component parts in the past 30 years.  Just when “anger and hostility” appeared to emerge as the most deleterious of the “type A” characteristics, other studies of depression, anxiety, and the absence of social supports made their mark in psychosomatic medicine as scientists continue to connect the dots.

Most recently a psychologist named Johan Denollet, from Tilburg University in the Netherlands, has given us an instrument that delves into emotional predispositions.  His research follows a line of investigation that examines both the physiological and psychological impact of negative emotions.  In addition, he is exploring the effects of social isolation ⁵.  This body of research has resulted in a characteristic profile called the “Type D” or distressed personality.  Try answering these questions for a brief examination of how negative emotions might factor into your own life.

Do you often make a fuss about unimportant things?

Do you often feel unhappy?

Are you often irritated?

Do you take a gloomy view of things?

Are you often in a bad mood?

Do you often find yourself worrying about something?

Are you often down in the dumps?

Reviewing your answers to these questions will reveal patterns in your own self-talk.  If you answered “yes” often, your emotions and corresponding behavior fits the negative emotions profile, and you are probably producing more stress hormones than are healthy for you.  Furthermore, if you tend to keep to yourself, not use social supports, and have difficulty making social contact or communicating with others, your risk is increased. This line of investigation indicates that a prevalent experience of negative emotions and the tendency toward social isolation intensifies your risk of heart disease. 

Choices – Sources of Help – Wellness vs. Illness

In my opinion, it is less important to determine whether these patterns of thinking and behaving are genetically inherited, because it is far more vital to focus on the choices we actually make to either avoid or proactively attend to the stressful triggers in our life.  Once we are aware of our patterns, it is helpful to “catch ourselves” making a negative choice.  If we tend to give in to the pattern, we might then “beat ourselves up over the mistake”, another interesting choice….and one that contributes to destructive though habits and routine over-reactions.

The making of conscious choices requires us to stay anchored in the “now” so that we can begin to practice a more positive attitude.  It’s important to exercise our  “thinking” in such a way that we begin to rewire our assumptions and to reconsider the degree of balance we see in our emotions.  The process of changing one’s emotional patterns is not only possible, but likely when a few basic principles are applied.

Dr. Douglas Jacobs, a Harvard psychiatrist who started the National Depression Screening to raise awareness of the disease reports that 6.3 million people received outpatient treatment for mood disorders in 1997.  Those taking antidepressant drugs had more than doubled from the decade before, while those receiving psychotherapy fell by more than 10 percent.  Jacobs attributes the shift to more PCP’s prescribing rather than actually counseling for depression, and added,  “These statistics don’t show that, still, over 60 percent of people who suffer from depression aren’t getting treated, nor, do the findings suggest patients are better served by medication, as opposed to psychotherapy.”  “One size doesn’t fit all.  For some patients, medication is effective.  For others, psychotherapy is effective.  And for the majority of patients, a combination is clearly the most effective and recommended treatment.”⁶

In many cases antidepressant medication is called for, but because these patterns may be so long standing, even genetically imprinted, psychotherapy may be a critical component to “consciously” reverse the trends in our thinking.  Cognitive-behavioral therapies are specifically designed to help one effectively shift both their focus and their behavior in a desired direction.

More recently “life-coaches” have appeared on the scene and are becoming more prevalent.  They offer Americans a variety of choices for obtaining helpful input.  Imagine a personal trainer whose purpose is to offer productive and helpful suggestions to keep one motivated and focused.  Supportive hypnotherapy, acupuncture, & massage can be valuable adjuncts, as well.

Short of turning outside for help, what else can we do?  Meditation training and prayer have been proven to reduce cardiovascular reactivity and help people achieve an overall sense of calm.  Prayer, contemplation methods and practices are one key transformative process for deepening our understanding of what’s meaningful in our life and how to pursue success.

I liken the mental discipline we use in preparation for a job interview as quite fitting when you consider a fresh look at skills we might use to structure our thinking more productively.  For example, we take the time to tailor our resume focusing on our strengths.  Concentration enables one to craft a good cover letter.  We are likely to dress well to make sure our appearance is good.  We think positive thoughts, we rehearse answering questions, we focus on the positive attributes we can bring to the job…..and we probably deemphasize personality characteristics that are less helpful during the interview.  We have to work at it, but like any other life skill…practice helps us develop in the desired direction.  The more we practice the better our performance.  Physiologically our nervous system adjusts to the routine, and our “characteristic” responses become patterned like any other habit.

Learning how to drive a car is a good example.  Initially we feel anxious, clumsy and uncoordinated, and we may or may not have confidence in our ability to learn.  In the beginning, it takes tremendous concentration and focused awareness to learn the motor skills involved in driving.  Over time and a significant number of repetitions we become more familiar with a variety of driving conditions and our experience of anxiety begins to subside.  By trusting the process of learning, and continuously practicing the skills involved, what was once frightening becomes routine.  Unfortunately, over the years driving becomes more second nature and lapses in concentration begin to cause concern.

The Protective Effects of Positive Emotions

Harmful thought patterns can be transformed in many ways but almost always a practice and disciplined focus will be required to be successful at shifting decades of programming.  Cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy, life coaching, personal ‘attitude’ training, hypnotherapy, acupuncture, massage, daily meditation, prayer, and contemplative practices are a few of the validated techniques available to us.

Left to our own devices, many of us don’t pursue such opportunities because we tend to highlight the low lights.  People have become expert “victims” and incessantly focus on how they’ve been done wrong by somebody or everybody often perseverating on who might do them wrong next.  The outcome of these routines have resulted in epidemic numbers of mood disorders, anxiety disorders and heart disease that has impacted virtually all of us in some way or another.

Mark Twain once said, “I’ve been through some terrible things in my life, and some of them actually happened.”  In my experience as a clinician, people sometimes embellish the details of a disaster more than they will seek “the gift that comes from the wound”.   Wounds require extra effort to process, examine and understand.  With this understanding comes the opportunity to consciously choose a positive interpretation from the experience.  I’ve been told, “Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want.”  So, it indeed holds true that if we become skilled at how to emphasize the “lessons learned” and “corrective actions taken” from a tragedy or failure, we can realize an optimal understanding of the encounter and minimize our misfortune.

The body of research in sport and performance psychology is full of scientific articles that illustrate this same process applied to motivation, concentration training, stress management, and sport specific skills acquisition.  These things are guaranteed….if you practice a good attitude, you indeed will develop one.  Your genetic set point may not favor you as the ‘life of the party’, but the skill sets you learn and practice will aid in a shift of attitude and a lowering of your risk for disease.

Karen Mathews was recently honored with the American Psychological Association’s award for distinguished scientific applications in the literature of cardiac psychology.  Her research offers substantive data supporting the conclusion that “optimists are less likely to exhibit the common progression of CAD disease over time, than are pessimists”⁷.  This work is exemplary of a new direction in medical research that focuses on positive psychology.  Research of the protective effects positive emotions and the role effective coping skills might play in reducing your risk of heart disease is already underway.

Studies of professional, marital, interpersonal, and life enrichment activities are emerging as well.  Instruments in this research explore specific activities people employ that require effort yet promote joy, engage their curiosity and contribute to meaning in life.  Outcome measures suggest participants have more vitality and demonstrate greater flexibility on a variety of indicators. Traditional epidemiological research protocols and now meta-analytic research methods attempt to quantify and measure the protective effects of positive coping skills⁸.  Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert, who is a leader in this field wonders why scientists would want to study anything else?⁹

Want to give it a try?  Think about who you currently spend the most time with.  Put together a chart of those you consider the most positive and encouraging influences in your world and make it a point to get together more often.  Notice people who are kind, loving, competent leaders, avid students of something, those who show persistence, creativity, are open-minded, are likely to savor a beautiful scene or have a blessing to share.  They are in your world for a reason so take the time to discover all the good that can come from their contribution to your life.  Oh, and continue to practice, practice, practice.  These things are guaranteed….if you practice a good attitude, you indeed will develop one.

The most encouraging steps are currently being taken in the field of Positive Psychology as research investigates how “optimism, hope, joy, humor, love, laughter, curiosity, flexibility, warm & engaging relationships, kindness, beauty, open-mindedness, time spent with nature, “flow” states, contemplation, prayer, vitality, the ability to ‘savor’ an experience and other positive emotions contribute to potentially protective effects as monitored by blood chemistry and traditional epidemiological research.  Just as ‘how we think’ contributes to the development of patterns and habits, ‘who’ we interact with on a frequent basis is likely to have an influence on how we think.

The top 10 list of things you can do right now, to begin shifting the “emotional” momentum in your life:

1.  Log on to Dr. Martin Seligman’s Positive Psychology website: www.authentichappiness.org and take 2-3 inventories that measure your signature strengths & current level of happiness.

2.  Monitor carefully what you watch on TV and notice how you feel afterward.

3.  Go to a comedy club, or a funny movie and laugh out loud.

4.  Find a comic strip that you like to read, and follow it everyday.

5.  Listen to music that is relaxing and inspiring  (Chopin, Schubert, Bruce Springsteen)

6.  Make a list of the most “important” things in your life.

7.  Make a list of the most “important” people in your life…..tell them so.

8.  Think about the last time you were so captivated while doing something, you lost your sense of time completely.  Do it again.

9.  Intentionally gravitate toward folks who are curious, have a zest for life, are thankful, hopeful, optimistic, & loving.

10.  Practice modeling these same virtues for yourself, your coworkers, and your children.

Special bonus suggestion:  Take the time to meditate for 20 minutes everyday on your life’s blessings and those things you are thankful for.

Hence, the protective effects of positive psychology poses some interesting and difficult methodological concerns, yet the practice of these techniques and principles have had an undeniably positive effect on those subjects who employ them.  Won’t you give these methods and techniques a try?  The odds suggest you will feel better and you will encourage more positive patterns in your relationships as well.  At the very least, it will be more fun.

Copyright 2006 SE Walker

References:

1)       Rozanski, A, Blumenthal, J, Davidson K, Saab P, Kubzansky L, “The Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, and Management of Psychosocial Risk Factors in Cardiac Practice”, J Am Coll Cardiol 2005;45:5:637-651.

2)       Roberts, W, “Aggressive Testing for and Treatment of Heart Disease and Stroke”, Seminar Procedings, Denver, Colorado, Nov.19, 2005.

3)       Murray, CL, & Lopez, AD (Eds.) (1996).  The global burden of disease. A comprehensive assessment of mortality and disability from diseases, injuries, and risk factors in 1990 and projected to 2020. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University.

4)       Friedman, M, & Rosenman, R., Type A Behavior and Your Heart. New York: Fawcett Crest Publishing, 1974, 85.

5)       Denollet, J, DS14: “Standard Assessment of Negative Affectivity, Social Inhibition, and Type D Personality”, Psychosom Med 2005; 67:89-97.

6)       Jacobs DG, ed. (1998). The Harvard Medical School Guide to Suicide Assessment and Intervention. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publisher.

7)       Mathews, K, “Psychological Perspectives on the Development of Coronary Heart Disease”, Am Psycholgst 2005; 60:8:783-796.

8)       Gross JJ, “Antecedent and Response-focused Emotion Regulation: Divergent Consequesnces for Experience, Expression, and Physiology.” J Pers Social Psychol 1998; 74;224-37.  (and)   Bonanno GA, Papa A, O’Neil K, Westphal M, Coifman K, “The iImportance of Being Flexible; The Ability to Enhance and Suppress Emotional Expression Predicts Long-term Adjusment.” Psychol Sci 2004;15:482-7.

9)       Gilbert, D, Stumbling on Happiness, Knopf A, NY, 2005

Copyright 2006 SE Walker

Stephen E. Walker, Ph.D.

“My Goal is to help you achieve a more enriching and joyful life

Through better health and improved performance.”

Dr. Stephen Walker is a licensed healthcare professional who has served as a therapist, health psychologist, athletic & personal performance consultant for the past 31 years in the Rocky Mountain Region.  His research at the University of Colorado brought together the fields of psychology, integrative physiology, biofeedback and human performance in response to stress and recovery. His counseling practice focuses on the effective treatment of stress disorders, cardiac psychology and cognitive behavioral psychotherapy.

As a personal coach, Dr. Walker consults with individuals hoping to achieve peak performance utilizing the same methods employed by America’s best athletes, their coaches and sport psychologists. He has assisted many top performers in developing their use of mental conditioning skills in both sports and business. Outside of his consulting work, he is an accomplished public speaker and facilitator of clinics and workshops.

He is available by appointment with offices in Boulder and Denver at Colorado Heart Imaging in Cherry Creek and for consultations in your office, home or practice/training facility. Learn more at: www.drstephenwalker.com

Dr. Walker also serves as the Editor-in-Chief of Podium Sports Journal: The Journal of Mental Conditioning – www.podiumsportsjournal.com

You can contact him at:

Phone: 303.530.4439      Fax: 303.530.4643

Email: walker544@comcast.net

Stay tuned!

–Chris Carmichael

Athletes in every sport will from time to time lose focus, become self-conscious, have self-doubts to contend with and worry about things. It happens especially in cycling, which can be grueling on the best of days. Emotions with strong physical components are the worst because they have what’s called an attractor field – an energy field that can be quite intense and can affect the senses such as sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste. Often the result is a closed thought loop and corresponding mood that can be beyond upsetting, and the resulting anxiety, anger, disappointment, confusion and self-doubt can really hurt a racer’s performance.

These disruptive thought patterns may be transitional or long standing. Some represent concerns that pop-up unexpectedly, serving as an annoying distraction. Others may have assaulted your confidence for several years, and relate to a dreaded experience that got traction in your young mind many years ago. These troublesome cogitations may have nothing to do with racing but nevertheless, they do test your poise. Whether incidental or enduring, they can cause you to lose focus and make mistakes.

Imagine how potent a really disruptive pattern might be. You might say, “I never perform well when it’s windy” or “I always have trouble with this track.” This early in the season, it’s important to be thorough in working with your thought habits and take into account those triggers that have the potential to throw you out of your optimal performance zone.

Good habits in thinking are essential to building confidence, a positive self-expectation and focus. Cycling is extraordinarily challenging because performing well requires you to maintain concentration in the midst of both internal and external stress, as well as changing race conditions. Consider a thirty minute mental conditioning session, 4 times each week as a solid investment in your overall race preparation.

Thought Pattern Interrupt

The thought pattern interrupt (TPI) is a technique first developed by the renowned hypnotherapist, Dr. Milton Erickson, and has been used widely in cognitive-behavioral work and neurolinguistic programming (NLP). The TPI involves a four-step process that is designed to shift the flow and neutralize negative thinking. The four steps are:

1) Recognize and explore the thinking pattern getting in the way.

To do this properly, sit alone and think about your situations containing disruptive thought patterns and the associated feelings. Take enough time with this to examine them in detail, exploring the original experience if possible, but at least the most frequent and common situations that trigger the pattern. Journal this process and explore as much of the attractor field as you can, including all of the physical senses you encounter during the experience.

If you are not sure where to start, think about a competition you didn’t perform well in. We all have at least one in which we feel we psyched ourselves out. Consider what disruptive thought pattern or race condition you hold responsible for interfering with your focus. Anything that has the ability to take you out of a good mindset for performing is fair game. Windy conditions, heat, arriving late to the event, even an unwanted bib number can do it. The best racers perform well in all kinds of conditions. Their ability to neutralize a disruptive train of thought in favor of cool concentration on the task at hand can make a huge difference, not just in how much you enjoy the competition but in how well you perform.

2) After reviewing these situations, consider what you would like to have happen instead.

Talk with your coach about the situations you are most likely to experience again in upcoming competitions. Explore them until you are clear about how you want to deal with them. Discuss ideas for alternative responses you might want to employ.

There are some strategies for crafting these alternative responses. For example, Erickson suggested enlarging the possibilities. If riding in wind is a mental challenge, then enlarging the possibilities might include a clear focus on maintaining your form in race conditions that involve wind. Your focus goes to what is “possible” to accomplish, even in conditions you don’t favor.

Another strategy taught by Erickson concentrates on reframing your sensory focus. Once asked how he might confer with someone feeling guilty about a pattern of eating too much, he replied, “I hope you really enjoy lunch today. Enjoy it thoroughly and well. You know, it’s as easy to enjoy a small portion as it is a large portion. In fact, a small portion can be enjoyed even more than a large one. And you really will enjoy it more because you won’t have to feel guilty about that small portion.” In this case, Erickson reframed the thought pattern around food. You might be able to do this for yourself but it requires noteworthy concentration. You must purposely craft your internal dialogue the way you want it to go, and repeat the process until you’ve established an efficient neural pathway.

Don’t hurry. Think about how these alternatives might look and what replacement pattern you will employ for the results you want to achieve. Consider the attractor field and how the replacement will feel different. When you are crafting the script for the alternative, always give yourself a positive self-expectation and include a goal, an encouraging outcome, or perhaps a waking ‘dream’ to visualize your success. A practice session will naturally include the distraction, followed by your systematic and routine shift in focus to the desired concentration goal. Multiple practice sessions will be rewarded by good thinking habits and a positive self-expectation in a variety of conditions.

3) Occasionally, we get surprised by an intrusive thought pattern, one that we haven’t planned for. In such a case, you can prepare a designed response for the moment the disruption occurs, with the intent to ‘change the channel’ of your thinking.

In these situations, the plan should involve a quick recognition of the problem, a physical gesture to snap you out of it, and a rapid shift in focus. One particular athlete who was accustomed to this experience wore a rubber band around his wrist. When he noticed the intrusion, he’d snap the rubber band on his wrist and repeat an inspiring quote he favored. Then he’d play a specific set of songs from his iPod. (Curiously enough, there’s an Aussie rock band named Pattern Interrupt who has some music that just might do the trick.)

I knew another athlete who would jump up and do a couple of jumping jacks and consciously take a deep breath to shift from an unwanted thought pattern. Of course, he freaked people out now and then but he wasn’t worried about that. He knew he couldn’t control their reactions. He just felt better being able to control his own.

4) For a TPI to be successful, it must be practiced and rehearsed repeatedly.

Consider the number of times you have practiced racing moves and tactics, done sprints, or picked the line going into a turn. You think nothing of practicing the same move repeatedly. Set aside practice sessions several times a week to practice your mental conditioning skills. These practice sessions will reinforce your ability to focus, control stress and maintain concentration when you need it most.

In conclusion, the TPI is but one method for proactively addressing those emotional glitches that can interfere with racing performance. More than that, it can help you enjoy the competition more, and feel better about your overall training program.

Mental preparation makes all the difference in the world between being a good rider and a rider who wins.

–Leonard Harvey Nitz

Glossary of Terms:

Attractor field – a thought energy field that can be quite strong and can affect the senses such as sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste.

Enlarging the possibilities – Ericksonian method of expanding one’s perception of what’s possible and establishing a positive self-expectation that the new target is achievable. Breaking the world record seems to be an impossible feat, but one who has been close can enlarge the possibilities to perform five tenths of a second faster, which may be more than enough to break the record. The athlete’s perception of what is possible stretches to accommodate the goal.

Neural pathway – Thought patterns pass through circuitry in the nervous system throughout the brain and body. At first, this pathway may be cumbersome circuitous and inefficient. As a neural pathway is used more frequently it becomes better organized, requires less effort and is more effective.

References:

Beilock, S. & Carr, TH. (2001). On the fragility of skilled performance: What governs choking under pressure? Journal of Experimental Psychology: General (Vol.130, No.4).

Budman, SH & Gurman, AS; (2002). Theory & Practice of Brief Therapy; New York; Guilford Press.

Furman, M & Gallow, FP. (2000). The Neurophysics of Human Behavior: Explorations at the Interface of Brain, Mind, Behavior, and Information. Boca Raton, Florida. CRC Press.

Gould, D; Dieffenbach, K & Moffett, A. (2001). Psychological talent and its development in Olympic champions. Unpublished final grant report, Coaching and Sport Sciences Division, US Olympic Committee, Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Grove, J. & Lewis, M. (1996). Hypnotic susceptibility and the attainment of flowlike states during exercise. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 18, 380-391.

Jackson, S & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1999). Flow in Sports: The Keys to Optimal Experiences and Performances. Champaign, Ill., Human Kinetics Press.

O’Hanlon, WH, O’Hanlon, S & Bertolino B; (1999). Evolving Possibilities: Selected Papers of Bill O’Hanlon; Philadelphia, PA; Taylor & Francis Publishers.

Rosen, S. (1982). Utilization of the “Teaching Tales” of Milton Erickson, MD , New York, WW Norton & Co.

Read Dr. Walker’s Bio.

Top of Page

To best understand the importance of the “Centering” breath it’s valuable to know a little about the physiology of our nervous system. There is no doubt that the brain is indeed a master computer. Its interaction with the network of nerves, muscles and organs within the nervous system represents both the miracle of our existence and the key to our creative musical and athletic capabilities.

Literally billions of nerve cells link together in a multitude of ways and tie every function, sensation, and conscious choice we make to an incredibly complex yet synchronized pattern of impulses which serves our every need and desire. Most of these impulses we will recognize as voluntary actions, as sophisticated as a Chopin nocturne played on the piano, to the “Ahhhh” uttered from our lips after our first sip of coffee in the morning. Although we recognize the importance of many ‘unconscious’ functions, we don’t often appreciate how digestion, cardio-respiratory, or neuro-endocrinological functions are executed.

Biofeedback Research and Self-Regulation

For our purposes, I will keep this explanation as simple as is necessary for you to get an adequate understanding of how valuable the “Centering” breath can be to controlling arousal. For years I researched and practice biofeedback with sophisticated equipment designed to help people self-regulate certain functions in their body. As a specialist in the treatment of stress related disorders it was important to understand each person’s neurological and psycho physiological responses to stress.

Practitioners with this training study blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory patterns, electrodermal response, regulation of blood flow throughout the body and muscle tension in different locations. They identify a baseline measure under a relaxed condition with quiet music and soft lights, later shifting the environmental stimulus to trigger a startle response, a series of mental tasks and the visualization of a stressful event one might remember. Finally, reinstating the relaxing lights and quiet music measurements are taken to determine how long it takes for an individual to recover or get back to that relaxed “state” again.

Research protocols often call for relaxed – arousal – recovery – arousal – recovery repetitions to see how capable an individual might be at “centering” themselves following the exposure of a stressor.

This process engages two different nervous systems within our body, voluntary and involuntary. It is the involuntary nervous system that is of primary concern because the triggers and cascade of arousal, nervousness, and anxiety reside primarily within this domain. “Fight or flight” is the term commonly used for this type of experience and although a sense of panic is viewed as an extreme response most will recognize mild stress, excitement and nervousness on a continuum of arousal. Our goal is to control this experience of arousal so that we can think clearly and perform our best under stress or ‘in the clutch situation’ competition often presents.

Body, Mind & Purpose

One of the largest concentrations of both voluntary and involuntary neural pathways converges in the diaphragm muscle in the torso. Not only does this system allow for us to breathe unconsciously in our sleep, but it also enables Pavarotti’s meticulous voice control, or Kenny G’s virtuosity on the saxophone. Control of the diaphragm muscle is synonymous with management of arousal.

The skill requires our mind to focus attention on a specific muscle group and physiological function in the body with intent. Just as good fortune comes when preparation meets opportunity….arousal control comes when the mind focuses on our body with a specific purpose. This process not only provides an opportunity to get emotions under control, it enables the taming of an unruly imagination.

The Process

The “Centering” breath can be performed in any position, standing sitting or lying down. Although it is possible to do, I recommend limiting movement during the process so as to enhance concentration. To begin with, take a comfortable seat and if possible one that will support your head and neck as well as your upper legs and torso. Close your eyes and settle into the support beneath you until you feel ‘settled’. It is helpful to relax a few specific muscle groups in preparation for the “centering” breath.

Step 1. Relax your jaw, tongue, pelvic floor, shoulders, hands and feet. Sometimes we’re so wound up it’s a little difficult to really sense the level of relaxation we might carry in these particular muscle groups. For example, we don’t often pay attention to the pelvic floor and we might not realize the degree of tension carried there. One method for making sure it is relaxed is to alternate tension with relaxation. After childbirth, women will often practice “Kagel” exercises to realign and tone the muscles of the pelvic floor. Tightening the sphincter muscle and surrounding muscles to a point of contraction and following that with a relaxation of the pelvic floor is a “Kagel.” To be sure of the level of relaxation systematically tense and relax first the jaw, then the tongue, pelvic floor, and so on until you feel more relaxed in the chair.

Step 2. Begin a long breath in through your nose and fill your lungs to about 50%. Now take a deeper breath to 80%….and finally take a deeper breath and inhale to a heavy sigh out your mouth. Remember to take your time, this is not a quick process….it is best if you can take a brief pause at the end of the exhalation before you start another breath.

Step 3. On the “heavy sigh” breath pay particular attention to your exhalation. Most people will experience a sensation that drops down into the abdomen during the “letting go” of the breath. Follow that sensation down to the end of the breath and notice where that spot is. Ideally, you well feel that at the navel or lower. You will notice that if you do this exercise after a stretching session, your finishing point will be lower in your torso. Again, remember to emphasize the pause at the end of the breath.

Form Points

Hopefully, this breathing process will employ only the diaphragm muscle and a few surrounding paraspinal muscles. If you find that your shoulders have crept up during the inhale, do your best to keep them relaxed because our goal is to engage only the muscles recruited for the technique. Also, remember that the “pause” is designed to punctuate the end of the exhalation, nothing more. Do not hold your breath.

Frequency and Duration.

Early on, this technique should be practiced several times a day and under different circumstances….waiting at a stop light, in bed before you start the day, at work before a group meeting. The circumstances should include relaxing ones as well as stressful ones. I’ve known people who have mastered this skill to employ it hundreds of times a day. They have put post-it notes on their computer screens, telephone, refrigerator door, and their neighbor’s foreheads to remind them to “breathe.” Repetition and practice lead to mastery.

Why the “Centering” Breath Works

The average human being breathes between 12 and 24 times per minute. While practicing the “centering” breath that number of respirations is likely to be reduced to less than 5 per minute. What’s more, the process engages a ‘parasympathetic’ neural pattern that slows the nervous system and sets in motion a “calming” response. These physiological explanations are only part of the story.

The process of concentration on our breathing changes the focal point of our attention. Oftentimes this means we take our attention away from a stressor and direct it where we have a locus of control. Not all stressors are physically present when we experience arousal. A good many stressors tend to reside in our imaginations especially as we “anticipate” a stressful event. This technique calls upon our ability to specifically direct our attention to a physiological process or function. Both memory of an unpleasant event or anticipation of a stressor loses traction when this focus shifts both our focus to the “Now” moment and to a physical skill we’ve practiced for control.

Finally, because even marginal success may reduce the level of arousal we experience, pre-competition nervousness might feel more like excitement….more like the sensation we feel awaiting something we look forward to. We can engage this process anywhere, at most anytime and almost no one will know what we are doing. For those competitors seeking an edge of calm before the storm, consider this method for SSC – stealth stress control.

Read Dr. Walker’s Bio.