What helps you keep consistent with your swim or dipping practice?
I have lost my mojo many times. I have worked hard to develop a consistent practice and begin to see results only to let it all go. I have done it enough times and journaled about it enough, to be able to see the patterns- from the things that help me stay consistent, to the triggers that lead to my downfall. Be it my swim training, journaling and meditation, eating well, my artistic passions, the patterns remain unchanged. What is incredible, is that the more I share this with those around me, the more I realise how our struggles look similar.
There are some practical daily tools I have realised help me and others on either side of the ‘mountain’, but also and most importantly, I have realised we share patterns in our mind state, beliefs and values that contribute to digressions and adherence.
Here are some of the most common things that come up for me and others:
Daily practical ways:
A good morning routine starts the day before. My best mornings start when dinner the previous night is early and wholesome. I am more likely to feel good in the morning when my body’s digestive system has had time to process and rest.
Get organised the night before. If my things are not ready to go, I am more likely to drag my feet about getting up. Having my swim bag and gear packed, my swim parker, bathers, UGG boots easily accessible (especially in winter), my keep cup and tea bag ready to be filled, my podcast lined up for the commute, all make the 5am alarm seem less daunting and the morning go more smoothly. These actions also seem to internalise, solidify the plan for the next morning.
Prioritise good sleep. I am as religious as possible about sleep hygiene. Never thought I would say it! As someone who did not value sleep in their younger years, I now find it to be a critical pillar in my well being and ability to be consistent in the things I love.
Mind state, beliefs and values:
Overthinking is the silent assassin of all endeavours. The minute my mind entertains the one million possibilities, options, tasks that need or could take place, I am dead in the water (excuse the pun). It is like I exhaust myself before I am even out the door, tediously visualising each minuscule outcome, from how cold it will be, to how long the commute is, to the traffic, the weather. Now, as soon as I realise I am down the overthinking tunnel, I literally say to myself : “I know you are worried, it's ok, I will be ok“, give myself a metaphorical hug and keep moving. It works most times.
Commit to a friend. I don’t like letting people down and especially my loved ones. So not showing up is so much harder when I have made a promise to meet someone at a specific time. Community and friendship bring fun and joy but they also bring accountability. When I struggle with keeping myself accountable, this is a great way to commit to a practice with more consistency.
Too many times when I am on my game and doing well, I allow the comparison trigger to throw me off. A comment by someone, a post on social media, a dress that won't fit as comfortably anymore and I am down the rabbit hole of comparison. If overthinking is a silent assassin, comparison is the thief of joy. It wisps me away from being present and enjoying whatever stage of the process I am in; and takes me to a place where I feel ‘less than’, ‘not as good as’ , ‘not as fast as’….add whatever adjective comes to mind. When I find myself in this place, I feel like giving up, like my efforts are futile. These days, I am able to catch myself more often when this trigger takes place and re-orient to a perspective that helps: In a planet of 8.2 billion people, there is always going to be someone doing something better in whichever field I look at. Do you want a life that is lost in this never ending minefield? Do any of these 8.2 million people worry about you? And more importantly how presumptuous of you to think of their life as any better when you only see the veneer and have not walked in their shoes. You have really no idea about how their perceptually ‘better’ life actually feels to them. How do you know they are happy? Maybe they are also trapped in the endless comparison game. And what has that go to do with how good you feel right now…..” . This helps me bring my focus internally and reinforce the more empowering belief that my journey and pursuits are my own and how deeply I experience life is of value in it's own right without requiring any further validation.
This may sound absolutely ridiculous but it is true for me. The closer I get to achieving and maintaining a practice for myself and feeling good about it, my inner dialogue starts to sabotage me with a narrative that runs deep. One that pulls on the strings of self worth and it goes something like this: “ Why do you think you deserve to feel this good, do you think you are worth the love and good energy? Especially when others around you are suffering?”. In the past, I didn’t not recognise how much this undermined my efforts and capacity to feel comfortable with self care. Now, many moons and journals later, I can give this a name which means I can move it from feelings of overwhelming guilt and undeserved self love to what it actually is: generational and societal conditioning. And this makes me more determined to keep going!
The above is not a full proof approach for consistency. I know I will fall over again, but maybe not as often. And I know how to get back up a little bit quicker each time.
Here’s to more swimming I say!
What works for you?