The lives of circus artists can be mentally and physically demanding. Circus Psychology: An Applied Guide to Thriving Under the Big Top is an evidence-based guide to nurturing the mental health of circus artists while enabling them to perform at the peak of their capacities.
The book is organised into three accessible sections: mental health in circus, optimising the circus environment to facilitate thriving, and mental skills for thriving in circus. The first section introduces general mental health concepts, provides insight into the mental health of circus artists, the stress process, and the role of psychological resilience and perfectionism in mental health. The second section offers insight into motivation and engagement in circus, the features of a psychologically safe circus environment, and advice on psychologically supportive talent development environment. The final section explains, applies, and provides practice material for mental skills, including goal setting, self-talk, mental imagery, arousal regulation, and visual anticipation.
Written by Dr Fleur van Rens, a circus artist and lecturer in sport psychology, this book is an essential resource for those passionate about the mental health of amateurs and professionals in the circus industry.
Author(s): Fleur Van Rens
Publisher: Routledge
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 150
City: London
Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Table of Contents
List of figures
List of tables
List of boxes
About the author and illustrator
Preface
Acknowledgements
SECTION I Mental health in circus
1 An introduction to mental health
The mental health continuum
Common mental illnesses explained: depressive disorders
Common mental illnesses explained: anxiety disorders
Eating behaviour: disordered eating and eating disorders
Support for people who are experiencing mental health problems
Talking about mental health and providing support
Cultural sensitivity and mental health: a global perspective
Summary
Reference list
2 The mental health of circus artists
Emotional states of stress, anxiety, and depression in circus
The role of psychological resilience in the mental health of circus artists
Disordered eating in circus
(Psychological) predictors of injuries in circus
Mental health consequences of injuries in circus artists
Perfectionism and mental health
The mental health benefits of circus for recreational artists
Summary
References
3 Stress, mental health, and performance in circus
Understanding stress
The Stress Process
The stress process: stressors in circus
The stress process: appraisal
The stress process: stress response and behavioural consequences
Balancing stress and recovery in circus
Summary
References
SECTION 2
Optimising the circus environment to facilitate thriving
4 Engaging circus students
Understanding motivation
Nurturing intrinsic motivation using self-determination theory
Fulfilling the need for autonomy in circus
Fulfilling the need for relatedness in circus
Fulfilling the need for competence in circus
How a circus artist’s attributions affect motivation
Summary
References
5 Creating a circus environment that nurtures psychological well-being
Nurturing self-confidence in circus artists
Body objectification in circus
Clothing and body objectification in circus
Body objectification and social media
Mirrors and body objectification in circus
Coaching circus to nurture well-being
Consent in circus
Summary
References
6 Sustainable talent development in circus
Understanding talent development
The importance of holistic talent development
Skills transfer in circus talent development
Developing mental health literacy in circus
Mental skills training for circus artists
Summary
References
SECTION 3
Mental skills for thriving in circus
7 Goal setting and self-talk in circus
Goal types in goal setting
Effective goal setting using the SMARTS principle in circus
Understanding self-talk
Swapping thoughts in circus
Summary
Exercise answers: are these goals SMARTS?
References
8 Mental imagery in circus
Understanding mental imagery
Purposes of mental imagery for circus artists
Testing and building your imagery ability
Creating effective mental imagery scripts for circus
Example of a motivational imagery script for relaxation
Summary
References
9 Relaxation and arousal regulation in circus
Understanding arousal and arousal regulation
Types of arousal-regulation strategies
Somatic arousal-regulation strategies for circus artists
Mind to muscle arousal-regulation strategies for circus artists
Creating circus shows with the optimum zone of functioning in mind
Summary
References
10 Psycho-perceptual motor skills and visual anticipation in circus
Attention and motor skill execution in circus
The relevance of perceptual motor skills and visual anticipation in circus
Testing and training visual anticipation in circus
The impact of psychological skills on perceptual motor skills in circus
Summary
References
Epilogue
Index
