By SwimSwam Contributors on SwimSwam
Courtesy: Amy Cory, M.ED., NCC
Is there one swimmer you secretly dread racing? Maybe it’s a teammate or a rival from another club—the one who makes your stomach drop the moment you see their name on the heat sheet.
The second you spot them in the lane next to yours, your mind spirals, your heart races, and your shoulders tighten. You replay the race where they out-touched you last season. Worst-case scenarios flood in, along with ready-made excuses for why today “just isn’t your day.” The race hasn’t even started yet, and without any effort on his part, your competitor just hijacked your confidence. He already has an advantage, and you let it happen.
New York Times best-selling author Mel Robbins put it perfectly in her book Let Them: “Other people hold no real power over you unless you give it to them.”
Every time you fixate on what your rival is doing—or might do—you give away your power. Instead of mentally rehearsing your own race, your brain is busy worrying about someone else’s race. You shift from process to outcome—from what you can control to what you can’t. And just like that, your confidence sinks.
How to Take Your Power Back
The antidote is simple but powerful: focus on what you can control.
You can control your warm-up. Your technique. Your race strategy. Your effort. Your mindset. And yes—you can even control your thoughts, but it takes practice.
When doubt and negative self-talk creep in, use the THINK acronym to interrupt the spiral and get back on track:
Step 1: Catch the negative thought. Example: “I can’t beat him.”
Step 2: Run it through the THINK filter:
Is it True? (No—you don’t know the outcome yet, and you’ve likely beaten him before. There is no validity in this statement. It is based on feeling, not fact.) Is it Helpful? (No. It is never helpful to limit yourself or tell yourself what you can’t accomplish) Is it Inspiring? (Absolutely not.) Is it Necessary? (Nope.) Is it Kind? (No again.)Step 3: Reframe it. Replace the toxic thought with a statement that is True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary, and Kind.
The easiest way to do this is to start with a statement that is True and Helpful. Most of the time if you get these first two filters right, the rest will follow. Instead of “I can’t beat him,” try one of these:
“I am going to focus on my own race and be proud of my effort today.” “I am a strong competitor.” “I am rested for this meet and prepared to swim fast.”Step 4: Check the new thought against the THINK filter again. Make sure it feels believable and empowering, not just empty positivity.
Step 5: Redirect your energy. Lock in on your race. Your start. Your turns. Your breathing. Your race strategy. Stop watching the swimmer next to you and start swimming your swim.
The difference between healthy competition and unhealthy comparison is where your focus lies. Healthy competition ignites your competitive drive to touch the wall first. You focus on controlling all aspects of your own race in order to have your best possible swim. Unhealthy comparison, on the other hand, steals your focus and drowns your confidence.
Next time that familiar rival shows up on the heat sheet, remember he only has power if you give it to him. Let him swim his race. You swim yours, tackling it with full confidence, full focus, and full power.
ABOUT AMY CORY
Amy Cory is the founder of Fluid Mental Performance, LLC. She provides mental performance coaching for competitive swimmers who are struggling with self-confidence, performance anxiety, motivation, comparison, and a host of other obstacles. Amy is a National Certified Counselor, former NCAA All- American, and USA Swimming coach who has led athletes to compete at the National level. Visit www.fluidmentalperformance.com for more information.
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