Are you prone to pre-race jitters? The nervousness experienced by swimmers before a race often plays a significant role in determining the outcome. Although feeling nervous is a natural response, it is crucial to learn how to harness and control these emotions to your benefit. To assist you in calming your nerves before a race, here are a few helpful tips.

Focus On You!

Avoid getting caught up in comparing yourself to others or obsessing over the heat sheet. Instead, maintain your focus on yourself and your own race. Concentrate on your pre-race routine and execute your race strategy in the water. By doing this, you will remain composed and prepared for the race ahead.

Leave Your Goals at Home

Avoid bringing your time or place objectives to the competition. The more you focus on your times, the more difficult they become to achieve. Refrain from fixating on the race’s outcome before you’ve even started! By convincing yourself that you are indifferent to the outcome or the time you achieve, and by not fixating on a particular result, you eliminate the doubt and fear of falling short. Concentrate on the present moment, not the future.

Simplify the Occasion

Are you participating in the largest event of the season? Consider it simply as another event. You are engaging in the same race that you have completed numerous times before, one that you are familiar with and excel at! There is no variation, no unfamiliarity. Do not let the significance of the occasion deceive you into believing that you are undertaking something distinct from what you truly are.

Ignore the Competition

During a swimming race, one of the most remarkable aspects is that your opponent has absolutely no power to influence your performance. They cannot impede your progress or hinder your path. You exist within your own realm, completely focused and undisturbed. It is crucial to disregard any thoughts about your competitors, regardless of their skill level or the possibility of them surpassing you.

Your competitor’s actions are beyond your influence. They will act as they see fit, just as you will. No matter who you are up against, your level of commitment and determination in your performance will remain unchanged.

Breathe

If you find yourself getting too nervous pre-race, switch your focus of concentration to your breathing and just simply follow your breath in and out. Close your eyes and allow your focus to gently rest on your breathing.

Breathe in slowly for 5 seconds through your nose, and then exhale for 5 seconds slowly through your mouth. Focus intently on each breath going in and each breath going out. Do this 2-3 times or until you feel relaxed.

Remember, if you get too nervous pre-race, you will waste valuable energy and undermine your self-confidence. Now go out there and have fun!