• Obsession with failure and hunt for perf

    From ScienceDaily@1:317/3 to All on Fri Apr 22 22:30:48 2022
    Obsession with failure and hunt for perfection linked to burnout, sports
    study uncovers

    Date:
    April 22, 2022
    Source:
    University of Essex
    Summary:
    The hunt for perfection and obsession over tiny mistakes are
    strongly linked to burnout in athletes, a new study has found.



    FULL STORY ========================================================================== Athletes who strive for perfection and fixate on their mistakes risk
    burning out, a University of Essex-led study has revealed.


    ==========================================================================
    More than 250 sportspeople -- across individual and team sports -- were examined and it was discovered hyper self-critical competitors who react negatively to even minor failings are at risk of psychological difficulty.

    It was discovered perfectionistic concerns -- an obsession and excessive reaction to perceived failure -- were strongly related to athlete burnout.

    This fixation on failure may see them view any achievement as inadequate
    and upcoming competitions, as disproportionately stressful, and create
    a self- fulfilling performance prophecy.

    It is hoped the study led by Luke Olsson, from the University's School
    of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences will help shine a light
    on burnout.

    He said: "Most people have come across the term burnout, with a lot of
    research focussing on the reason why it develops.



    ========================================================================== "There are many studies that have shown if an individual pursues
    perfection, whether that be in work, sport, or school, it can lead
    to burnout.

    "However, our study was able to determine one potential explanation
    as to why this is the case in sport, which suggests that the stresses
    of pursuing perfection can lead those to mentally disengage with their
    sporting activities." Mr Olsson worked with academics from York St John University on theJournal of Clinical Sport Psychology-published study
    which examined those competing or training in the UK.

    All men and women in the study had been competing for more than eight
    years and were on average 21 years old, spanning levels from university
    to international.

    They were measured for levels of stress, burnout and perfectionism.

    The athletes competed in a variety of sports -- including athletics,
    golf, weightlifting, football, netball, and hockey.



    ========================================================================== Burnout is defined as athletes having a reduced sense of accomplishment, prolonged exhaustion, and falling out of love with their sport.

    Cognitive behavioural therapy, mindfulness and developing a kinder
    mindset are all thought to reduce perfectionistic concerns and potentially prevent burnout.

    Mr Olsson added: "There is a need to prevent athletes from experiencing burnout.

    "In the case of our research, the athletes themselves should be wary
    that pursuing perfection and being overly self-critical is likely to be
    doing more harm than good.

    "I believe athletes may be better served by being less self-critical
    which should allow them to celebrate successes in performance and
    embrace failures as an opportunity to reflect and improve rather than
    beat themselves up."

    ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Essex. Note: Content
    may be edited for style and length.


    ========================================================================== Journal Reference:
    1. Luke F. Olsson, Michael C. Grugan, Joseph N. Martin, Daniel
    J. Madigan.

    Perfectionism and Burnout in Athletes: The Mediating Role of
    Perceived Stress. Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology, 2021;
    1 DOI: 10.1123/ jcsp.2021-0030 ==========================================================================

    Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220422094337.htm

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