I learned how to swim at the age of seven and mastered the breaststroke within a week. I swam intermittently during the summers, sometimes going years without swimming.
Two years ago, my passion for swimming was reignited. I enrolled in a class to learn the crawl stroke and after ten sessions, I only halfway mastered it. However, this didn’t deter me; I developed a habit of swimming regularly.
Now, I swim twice a week, and the consistency of this practice has brought me not only physical benefits but also mental ones.
You’re stronger than you think
Babies naturally have the ability to swim. We are born to be swimmers. However, we often unlearn this skill ourselves. The more we tell ourselves that we cannot swim, the more difficult it becomes to learn. I couldn’t swim 50 meters without stopping at first. But now, I can swim 1 km continuously without a break. You’re much stronger than you think you are. The recipe for becoming stronger is simple: consistency, deliberate practice, and the attitude of never giving up.
Your biggest enemy is yourself
As I mentioned in a previous article, when I go jogging, I often feel tired because I convince myself it’s time to get tired. The same applies to swimming.
Sometimes, I could swim another 200 meters, but then I tell myself I should feel tired now. And inevitably, I do.
Autosuggestion is a double-edged sword.
When you set positive expectations for yourself, you’re more motivated to accomplish tasks. Conversely, when you convince yourself that you’re tired, your body aligns with your mind, and exhaustion sets in almost instantly.
Finding out this deficiency in myself, I realized my biggest enemy is not anyone else but myself.
I’m my best friend and my biggest enemy at the same time.
I fight against my biggest enemy by setting no limits for myself, listening to other people’s experiences as references, and making plans based on my own judgment.
I silence the negative inner dialogue, opting to ignore it. Although it’s challenging to quell such voices, particularly when they originate from within, I recognize that I possess the power to control my thoughts and actions. I can consciously choose to disregard them and persevere.
I tell myself to go one step further. When the urge to quit arises, I push myself to go beyond my current limits. I challenge myself to swim an extra 50 meters, and then another, until my body truly requires rest.
Me-time makes me stronger
Swimming is a great chance for meditation. You feel nothing but the water on your skin and your breath. You hear nearly nothing underwater, fully immersed in a world just for you.
You feel how powerful you are to move yourself against the resistance.
You feel how smart you are to coordinate your body to move forward.
You let the noises in your mind flow away and concentrate solely on the current moment.
You find your strength within in the blankness of your mind.
You realize life is just a game and you are not only the player, but also the designer.
Me-time just makes me stronger.
Rely on yourself
First things first — survive.
Many people fear swimming because they cannot breathe underwater.
There is nothing to rely on except yourself.
You need to fully trust yourself: have faith in your body’s innate ability to survive. Have faith in your brain’s capacity to make the best judgments and coordinate effectively.
Rely on your partner (water)
Water is your only partner in this game. It can either float you or sink you.
In the beginning, I felt tired and out of control. I always wasted a lot of energy fighting against the resistance of the water. Soon, I became exhausted, and my autosuggestion told me to stop.
I persisted in practicing, and one day, I felt that swimming became effortless. It doesn’t mean it’s easy or indeed effortless, but the feeling that swimming is a simple thing. Why? Because water is my partner, and I allow it to assist me. It supports me. When I move, it moves with me and propels me further.
Rely on water and utilize it to move, to breathe, to float.
Allow water to massage you, and marvel at how effectively you conquer your fear.
Don’t panic
We often hear that when you fall into water, don’t panic. Panic kills.
The best approach is to relax your body, and then it will float to the surface.
Isn’t water similar to the environment we live in?
When we panic, we sink into bottomless despair, thinking that we have no way out.
Calm down, delve into your thoughts. Every question has an answer.
Resistance can be assistance
Water can float you, but it can also drown you.
When we swim, water creates resistance to slow us down. However, when you move efficiently, it can also assist you.
The key is how you utilize it. Let it be your partner, believe in it, but most importantly, believe in yourself.
Consistency is king
As I mentioned earlier, I didn’t always swim consistently. It’s only been two years since I started taking it more seriously, and it was only last year that I committed to swimming regularly.
I don’t have a grand goal, all I aim for is to keep swimming and improve upon yesterday’s performance.
I don’t follow a specific training plan. I simply swim 1km and then stop.
Even with this simple routine, I’ve noticed progress. I can feel myself becoming a better swimmer. I have more energy throughout the day, and I view things more positively.
Swimming brings me happiness, and swimming consistently ensures that I remain consistently happy.
Practice makes perfect
No one is great from day one. The secret to success is practice, practice, practice.
Do you like swimming, and does swimming teach something as well? Share your experience in the comments!
