The ability to manage your arousal levels is an important skill for performance management. Arousal refers to both physical and mental activation. Signs of the level of physiological activation include measures of heart rate, breathing rate, muscle firing and skin conductivity. Signs of the level of mental activation include the speed of thought processes (such as racing or sluggish thoughts) and the ability to focus appropriately.

Arousal levels that are too low often result in lack of energy and an activity requiring more effort than usual. Arousal levels that are too high can result in nausea, feeling jittery, poor decision-making and errors. This lesson will teach you how to:

• Regulate your arousal levels for different circumstances or aspects of your training and performance
• Manage your emotional states which can significantly impact your arousal levels and your performance
• Combine arousal control skills and self-talk skills to create a highly effective performance enhancement toolkit
• Manage the ups and downs of day-to-day practice and competition.

This lesson includes a five-minute video and a downloadable document. It can be used on its own or as part of the Power Up performance psychology program that contains six lessons.