One of the hardest parts of swimming can be just showing up. Practices are hard, long and physically and mentally exhausting. So the question is, how can I keep a positive mindset while training and racing? If you really want to see results, it isn’t just about swimming more meters, eating healthy, sleeping well, and showing up to every practice, its about the way you think. Your mindset.
A Happy Swimmer Is A Fast Swimmer
The number one thing I remember my coach saying is, “A happy swimmer is a fast swimmer.” This is a good reminder to spend time for yourself. It is okay to take breaks and get rest. Whenever I feel rundown and tired, I just let my coach know and he lets me take the day off. Taking breaks allows me to keep enjoying the sport and it really helps my mindset towards training.
(Image from Sports Illustrated) ➡️
Set Goals!
One thing that can really help any athlete is to set goals. Doing this can really motivate you to keep trying in races and in practices. Sometimes while you are training, you can get discouraged if you have nothing to look forward to or work for. Goals don’t even need to be times! You can set goals to get better at a skill or stroke. Whatever keeps you motivated! My goals for this season is to get really good at underwaters and turns. At every wall I try to do at least 5 underwater dolphin kicks and fast turns.
Positive Self Talk
Sometimes while swimming, you can start to feel disappointed or frustrated. It could be because you aren’t getting a certain time or you aren’t seeing results from the hard training. This can result in negative self talk which can greatly impact your performance and love of the sport in a bad way. A year or two ago I almost wanted to quit because it felt like I wasn’t getting better and I started talking 
negatively to my self. What I find helps is finding a way to include the positive self talk in training. You could write down goals or words of encouragement on your water bottle or kick board. I right down on my water bottle “pain is temporary, pride is forever” which is quote from Lance Armstrong.
(Image from VectorStock)
These are just a few of the ways you can keep a positive mindset while swimming. Not all of these methods work for everyone so try out a few of them and choose the ones you like best.
Here is a super motivational video about swimming. It can also help you understand what swimmers do and experience. It is my favourite swimming video and I watch it before every meet.
January 13, 2022 at 3:07 am
I love the photos in this lol