Advancements in stress management interventions

The topic of stress continues to receive growing attention from scholars and practitioners in the world of sport. Indeed, research focusing on the implications of stress on performance and well-being now extends to include a range of populations, including that of athletes, coaches, parents, support staff, physiotherapists, and sport and exercise psychologists. As such, the effective use of stress management interventions is fundamental to navigating the potential stress experience in sport. Nevertheless, while the current evidence base on stress management interventions has primarily focused on traditional approaches, there has been a growing movement towards adopting new techniques. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is one approach that has grown in popularity among the sport and exercise psychology community. Despite its emergence, it is somewhat surprising that Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as a stress management intervention has yet to receive the necessary attention it warrants. In this article, we start with a brief introduction of the theoretical and conceptual foundations of stress, before providing an overview of traditional stress management interventions. We then seek to discuss the advancements in stress management interventions namely that of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, before concluding with the implications for future research and applied practice.