Activating Arousal

Friday 4th April,
Week 3, optimising arousal level,
Aim of the week- To improve your arousal levels

Hi Performer M, hope you are well and getting on effectively with the goal setting.

This week we are going to look at optimising your arousal levels, the results show that you are very laid back and chilled out.  Arousal levels will effectively allow you to get into a zone in which you can concentrate highly and also performer well. You need to improve the technique you use for arousal because the low level can affect you negatively.

Arousal is your level of excitement and readiness to perform. Arousal can have positive and negative effects on your performance. Your performance will be best at an optimum level of arousal. After this level, performance gets worse as you become anxious and nervous.

Arousal can help increase performance but you can also be over aroused, this can be explained through the inverted u theory.  The diagram below is the inverted U theory, I will now give you a brief explanation of what the theory is mentioning.

The basic outline from the diagram shows how arousal can be used as a positive for a performers performance. However, it can also affect the performer negatively if the performer is too highly aroused as this causes performance levels to decrease.

The performer can therefore get the best out of their performance by having optimal arousal.  This optimal arousal level is classed as the point of the inverted u or on other words the tip of the n looking diagram. To achieve this level the performer has to continually concentrate on their arousal technique, without getting so over aroused that they forget of the environment around them.


I personally do not believe that there is a threat of you being highly aroused. This conclusion is due to the lack of high scores on the motivation part of the questionnaire. 

The danger of your low level of arousal can cause you to lose focus. The low level of focus can be a catalyst for bigger mistakes to begin. 

By being in the ideal performance state (IPS), the performer will then be able to have a good level of arousal allowing him to be aware of the environment. 

Also when you do gain optimal arousal you will be more capable of better performances. This is because the performers are allowing their mental and physical state to be similar. When the two intertwine they can work together to achieve the full potential. 

The performer is also more able with optimal arousal. This is because how you have suggested before that sometimes you get frustrated. Being aroused to the peak level allows you to stay calm and collected in whatever scenario. 

From the following strategies you can increase your low level of arousal. This is because you do not score higher showing anxiety, you are able to decide from the programme below if it is suited towards you. 

From your first couple of training sessions you should try and figure out how aware you are. This can be conducted for yourself as a right back by mentally noting how many times you switch off and leave your man unmarked. 

Also this is linked with your selective attention but record how many times you missed opportunities to pass the ball. This may have been due to not being aware of your teammates around you.

To begin with you must try to understand what arousal is. This can be achieve through reading the paragraphs at the start of the blog. You should then be able to write down or think how you can improve arousal levels yourself. This can be done through past recollection of achievements, and then think how come you done do well how were you hyped for the game.

This is important because I can only advise what technique you should use. However if you already know a specific technique which can enhance your arousal levels this may help you more than my strategy. 

The strategy which I may enforce upon you to use will be specific. For example when focusing on the technique we should take into consideration the length of the competition. We should also take into consideration the environment which they are going to be in. For example football is a very loud sport where mute voices are very rare. 

Therefore when we chose the strategy we must remember this. Because, pace counting strategy may not work if the environment around you is too loud and demanding. 

A strategy to improve arousal would be to have positive self talk. I think this would work positively with you because when you are on the pitch you always like talking to players. 

Therefore during the game to keep at your optimal arousal level, you should engage to yourself in positive self talk. 

The self talk which you take part in can be accompanied by another technique. For example with self talk the performer may want to use breathing techniques. This is where the performer takes short sharp shallow breaths. This allows the performer to stay focused on the game without having to do another strenuous strategy. 

A contingency for arousal is very important, this is because in certain games they both may be needed. The performer is still under control of his composure ensuring no mistakes are made which could have been stopped. 

By the next season you should prepare a song which will allow you to get aroused. You should then sing along to it using imagery and contain self talk snap words which will pump you up. These words should then be remember for the game so you can remember them to stay on top of your performance. 

For a short term exercise to increase your arousal levels. You should take part in 'confrontational talk'. This is where you psyche yourself up telling other teammates or opponents certain phrases. 

For example as a right back you might tell the left winger that you are going to keep him in your back pocket. This then creates a challenge for yourself but also allows you to get closer to the optimal arousal level. 

All the best with the following strategy and task, if there are any questions be sure to ask me. 

Sign off
Mohammed Yahyah Patel