How does sport influence our psychological well-being?

How does sport influence our psychological well-being?

Why do people who play sports enjoy greater psychological well-being? If we want to reduce stress, increase our motivation and our self-esteem, as well as improve emotional intelligence, sport can help us achieve it.

The relationship between physical exercise and well-being

Sport and adolescence: a psychological perspective

Sports psychologist: roles and functions

Although we all know that sports are good for our health, still a large part of the population does not perform enough physical activity. Perhaps they are not aware of how sport influences our psychological well-being. Well, although exercising has many physical benefits, it also has them for our minds.

The World Health Organization (WHO) points out that "about 23% of adults and 81% of adolescents of school age do not remain active enough." To change this, it is convenient to discover how the sport acts in our psychological well-being. In this way, we may make the decision to make it a habit.

The motivational climate and the orientation of the task

Both the motivational climate and the orientation of the task are two concepts mentioned in the proposal of an explanatory model of psychological well-being in the sports context. In fact, he talks about intrinsic motivation; that is, about what drives us to play sports because it makes them feel good or because they simply like it. All this is what makes the sport influence our psychological well-being.

The motivational climate can arise whether we practice a sport in a group, competitive or alone. In the first two cases, we will see how our partners improve, how they acquire new skills, which will motivate us to overcome ourselves.

With regard to practicing solo sports, relying on videos that will guide us to perform an orderly exercise routine or have a personal trainer will help us stay motivated. The sport will become a stimulating experience that will have a remarkable impact on our self-esteem.

Both the motivational climate and the orientation of the task will be a reinforcement for our training. In addition, the progress that is a consequence of the practice will give us a sense of competence, mastery and very reinforcing control.

Emotional intelligence in sport influences our psychological well-being

The Proposal for an explanatory model of psychological well-being in the sports context indicates that "emotional intelligence directly influences the psychological well-being" of people who do some kind of sport. This is important since during the practice many emotions usually appear.

Consider the stress that may appear before a competition, the frustration of not overcoming a mark or worry because, after weeks of intense physical exercise, the physical changes are not yet as noticeable as expected.

Emotional intelligence, in this case, allows us to modify our behavior for our own benefit. In this way:

We can transform the stress that appears before a competition into an impulse not to relax and give us all at the moment when we have to compete.

Frustration for not exceeding a brand can be used to continue working every day, setting small goals that allow us to reach that final goal.

The concern that can generate the feeling that results are not produced or that the desired results do not occur can help us take care of other factors related to sports performance, such as diet or rest.

Physical exercise allows us to have greater emotional intelligence and this, in turn, makes the sport influence our psychological well-being.

The feeling of self-confidence, confidence, and learning - derived from experience - impacts self-esteem, allowing us to feel better.

Reduce stress and anxiety

Although in the practice of any competitive sport we can feel stress in certain tests, this does not mean that it is negative. Thanks to the emotional intelligence that we can develop and that will allow us to better manage our emotions, the daily stress derived from work or other worries will be reduced.

Stress is related to anxiety if it is prolonged over time, and with a decrease in the feeling of well-being. For this reason, physical activity has this other advantage that allows us to curb ruminant thoughts, have a feeling of greater control and, therefore, better management and release of stress.

That sport influences our psychological well-being is something we can perceive as we surround ourselves with people who practice it. They seem happier, motivated and energetic. All this can also be achieved by us if we start exercising. The well-being that will have a positive impact on our relationships, our way of dealing with difficulties at work and another set of circumstances that we can experience in our day today.