It may seem that this topic is only useful for those who swim competitively, however, swimmers self-confidence is crucial for those who are just about to embark on this journey. If you’re living in the UK and are looking for private swimming lessons in London, don’t forget to be prepared mentally and physically as well. If you’re interested in how to get prepared for your private swimming course, take a look at our previous post, it will surely be helpful.
Swimmers self-confidence
Now, let’s go back to one of the most important issues that every person (not only swimmers) will face one day: self-confidence. You may find it surprising, but expert swimmers often have problems as well, when it comes to this skill. You have to learn to trust yourself and your swim teacher.
What can you do to help yourself gain self-confidence?
1. Give yourself credit!
Don’t focus only on the things that didn’t go the way you planned. We all have our ups and down, but it is important to recognise even the smallest things that you did well. Let’s say that you’re a beginner, and in the first days of your private swimming lessons in London you feel discouraged, because you don’t move as fast as you expected. Take a deep breath and think about this: you went in the water, you overcame your fear of water or the fear of the unknown, and you took the first step towards achieving your goal! Isn’t that something that you should be proud of? It surely is, and that is what should keep you going. Having a bad training day doesn’t mean that all of them will be the same.
2. Take notes of your success
For some people, keeping a list of the things they achieved is a great help. You can try this, especially If your brain is wired to focus on the things you missed or didn’t do perfectly. Writing down your positive experiences can be a reminder of what you are capable of. People tend to forget that not everything is just black and white, so help yourself realise that not everything went wrong during your swimming lesson.
3. Set realistic goals
Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced swimmer, you will need to set long-term and short-term goals as well, in order to become better. This is useful especially if you tend to stress out about your performance or progress. Writing down your goals can help you relax and focus on your swimming lesson. Be sure that the things you want to achieve are realistic. Nobody expects from you to master the swimming techniques after only a few classes or learn the correct breathing techniques on your first day.
Depending on your level of expertise, you can start with something you want to achieve long term, such as swimming a certain distance in a given time, or perfecting your front crawl, breaststroke, butterfly stroke or back stroke. When these are set, you can take small steps towards these goals and improve yourself day by day.
Summary of developing swimmers self-confidence
In order to gain self-confidence, you will need a professional swimming coach as well, with whom you can work once or twice a week. Adam from Going Swimmingly London is a great motivator and an experienced coach, so feel free to contact him if you have any questions. Private swimming lessons in London have several health benefits, so choosing this activity is a great opportunity for babies, children, juniors and adults, as well as for the elderly.
Are you interested in more tips and tricks regarding self-confidence? Stay alert, because our next post will continue this subject!