In our previous blog post about developing self confidence for swimmers we mentioned three important factors in achieving it: giving yourself credit even for the smaller things, taking notes of your success in order to remind yourself what you are capable of, and setting realistic goals both short term and long term. We also mentioned that, those looking for private swimming lessons in London have a great opportunity if they contact Adam from Going Swimmingly London, who not only is an experienced swimming teacher, but also a great mentor.

Did you find the above strategies helpful? Have you tried working on your self confidence or practicing some of those three tips? What are your experiences in this topic?

If you’re still struggling with giving yourself credit and achieving a positive mindset, be sure to work on it with our help, as we have other useful pieces of advice for you.

How to develop swimmers self confidence – part 2

1. Identify & focus on the things that give you self confidence

What does this mean exactly? For instance, you could start this by writing down some things that you do in the pool, either alone or with your private swimming teacher, and think about whether they give you confidence or not. It is important to distinguish the factors that you control as a swimmer, and the ones that you cannot.

For example, you can monitor the ones that make you feel confident and in the same time, are controlled by you:

  • making an effort to go the swimming class,
  • improving your swimming techniques,
  • learning something new from your coach,
  • not giving up after a hard training session,
  • anything else that gives you a boost.

It’s important to acknowledge that these are the things that you can control. You shouldn’t focus on the ones that don’t depend on you, such as other swimmers’ success or others being in better shape than you. There is no need to compare your progress to other’s. Your job is to do your best and work together with your swim coach.

2. Visualisation also helps

Here is a useful guide regarding this topic. Many people, including professional swimmers, use visualisation for achieving self confidence, success, and better performance. Does this sound unusual? Actually, it isn’t, and it’s quite simple: you just have to visualise the technique you are working on, observe the body position with your mind’s eye, and try to imitate just that with your movements. It sounds easy now, right? Well, it takes practice, as anything else. So be sure that you start working on this as well. It may not be for everyone, but giving it a try is absolutely worth it.

3. Work with a professional coach

Private swimming lessons in London are very popular, since the teacher can focus on one student only. This means that the connection is also stronger between them, than in the case of a group swim class. If you trust your swimming instructor, you can work together very well. But it’s important to choose one carefully. Be sure that he or she has experience, can motivate you and bring out the best in you. Your swim teacher can also help you develop self confidence, among other things.

Do you know what traits should you be looking for in a swimming coach? In a recent article you can read about the qualities of a good coach before starting your private swimming lessons in London.

All in all, developing swimmers’ self confidence is achievable, but it doesn’t come easily. Hard work, ambition, and a great mentor are key to getting there. Contact Adam if you want to take the first step towards this!