Arousal regulation is the use of physiological and cognitive components to manage arousal/anxiety (Gano-Overway, 2024). Arousal regulation in the context of relaxation is the process of intentionally reducing physical and mental tension to lower high levels of arousal. 

Many students experience anxiety before or during physical activities. This survey will help students identify symptoms of anxiety that they might not be fully aware of. By understanding their anxiety levels, students can learn strategies to improve focus and avoid distractions. Students can use techniques such as positive self-talk or visualization to focus their mind and reduce negative thoughts. By using the CSAI-2R, the students can monitor their anxiety is becoming excessive and take steps to calm down before performance. Physical education isn’t just about physical skills, it’s also about developing mental toughness. This survey will help students develop awareness about how anxiety affects performance and guides them to use arousal regulation relaxation to cope with these emotions. 

https://forms.gle/xTUgNSjve3yQyrDG8 

How-to video and a step-by step to follow along on Progressive Muscle Relaxation:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/cjfFuRsINXQ

1. Lie down or sit comfortably and allow your body to relax completely. Take five deep breaths.

2. Start by lifting your toes upwards. Hold, then release. Next, point your toes downwards, hold, then release.

3. Tighten your calf muscles, hold, then release.

4. Bring your knees together, hold, then release. 

5. Squeeze your thigh muscles, hold, then release.

6. Clench your hands into fists, hold, then release. 

7. Tense your arms, hold, then release. 

8. Squeeze your glutes, hold, then release. 

9. Tighten your abdominal muscles, hold, then release. 

10. Take a deep breath in, hold, then exhale. 

11. Lift your shoulders, hold, then release. 

12. Close your eyes, hold, then release. 

13. Raise your eyebrows, hold, then release.

The study examined the role of relaxation and imagery techniques in managing stress and optimizing arousal for improved athletic performance among NCAA Division I athletes. It highlighted that relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, muscle relaxation, and meditation, combined with imagery, help athletes regulate arousal, enhance focus, and build confidence. Findings revealed that individual sport athletes and team sport athletes differ in their use of relaxation techniques, with team athletes engaging more in stretching, muscle relaxation, and eastern relaxation activities. Despite these differences, both groups found relaxation activities pretty relevant for deliberate practice, focusing on enhancing performance and coping with competitive anxiety. The research underscores the importance of frequent and deliberate practice of these psychological skills to maximize their effectiveness in both practice and competition settings. This can relate to arousal relaxation in physical education because using deep breathing, stretching, and other strategies like yoga, really help the mind to relax, especially after a energizing and tiring activity that was performed in class.