Sports as a Stress Management Strategy for Young People

Abstract

Stress among the young generation has emerged as a significant and growing concern, further exacerbated by the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, impacting on their mental and physical well-being. The paper delves into a sociological perspective to explore the efficacy of sports and related relaxation techniques as self-management strategies for facing stress in young people. These often encounter stressors from families andacademic pressures, peer dynamics, social expectations, and personal challenges. From this perspective, sports linked with relaxation techniques can represent a way to empower the young generation to manage stressful situations and provide opportunities for skill development. Moreover, a growing body of literature supports the notion that regular engagement in sports and relaxation activities is associated with long-term psychological benefits, including reduced levels of anxiety, improved mood, enhanced self-esteem, and better overall mental health. Despite this evidence, current trends indicate a worrying decline in sports participation among young people, paralleled by a significant increase in sedentary lifestyles. Notably, these patterns persist in many European countries despite the implementation of numerous public policies aimed at promoting youth physical activity (WHO, 2023). It seems necessary for scholars to spread more about the under-estimated benefits of sports on stress and anxiety reduction and to start projects to make sports part of the extracurricular activities of university students and other young people.