Remaining Stoic When Swimming

 

Swimming has many benefits for both our physical and mental health. That is quite clear and beyond debate. For me, however, I want to take the benefits of swimming one step further: it provides me with an opportunity to train my Stoic mindset.

It was only in my adult life that I developed an affinity for swimming. In fact, just a few years ago, I did not know how to swim at all.

Deep water was an object of fear for me. But after gathering my courage, I decided to face that fear and began taking swimming lessons. Even now that I can swim decently, the familiar anxious feeling of possibly drowning still sneaks up on me from time to time.

Despite my fear of deep water, however, I have gradually developed a genuine affinity for swimming. It has become a passion of mine — so much so that my swimming sessions often determine my mood.

If a practice goes well, my mood is lifted. But if, for some reason, the session does not go as I had hoped, I cannot help but feel deflated. In any case, I remain determined to work hard so that my swimming skills continue to improve.

In both respects — conquering my fear and improving my skills — the philosophy of Stoicism has played, and continues to play, a crucial role.

Dealing with anxiety through the lens of Stoicism

The philosophy of Stoicism helps me manage my anxiety about deep water — and anxiety in general. Whenever I feel anxious or find myself caught in a downward spiral of negative thoughts, I turn to Stoic teachings for clarity and perspective.

In many ways, I see strong similarities between Stoicism and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Simply put, CBT is a form of psychotherapy in which negative patterns of thought about oneself and the world are challenged in order to change unwanted behaviour or improve emotional well-being. In my case: anxiety.

When I examine my fears through the Stoic lens, I often notice that they stem from a desire to control what is beyond my control. Moreover, when I follow the question “What if?” with “So what?”, I begin to realise that the perceived threat is often exaggerated.

For example, there was a time when I worried excessively about my job because I did not yet have a permanent contract. What if my contract were not renewed? What if I became homeless?

Whether my contract would be renewed was not something I could directly control. The only thing within my control was to do my best. The outcome itself was not.

And even if my contract had not been renewed — so what? It would not have been the end of the world. I could look for another job, and I had enough savings to support myself for quite some time. When viewed objectively, there was little reason for such intense worry.

This same approach — challenging negative thoughts — has helped me deal with my fear of deep water. Public swimming pools are safe environments. Lifeguards are present. Help is always nearby. And most importantly, I can swim. So what exactly is there to fear?

Being Stoic while learning new skills

After learning to swim reasonably well, I decided to take the next step: mastering the freestyle technique. In one of my previous posts, I mentioned that freestyle appears easy at first glance. Reality, however, proves otherwise. Swimming freestyle properly requires full-body coordination — something that cannot be mastered overnight.

At the beginning, it was frustrating. Some swimmers at the public pool made freestyle look effortless. But each time I tried, I struggled. I began to feel that I was not good enough and that I might never learn the technique. It is difficult not to feel discouraged when your best effort does not seem sufficient.

Gradually, I developed mixed feelings about swimming in general — and freestyle in particular. There was a fear of confrontation: confronting what I believed to be true — that I would never master the technique. In other words, I was afraid of failure.

Stoicism taught me to redirect my attention toward what lies within my control. I cannot control the outcome of a training session. Whether a session goes well or poorly is not entirely up to me.

What I can control is showing up, putting in the effort, and facing my fear. These are the areas where my control truly lies.

And now, my freestyle is steadily improving. There is still plenty of room for progress, but I am getting there. After all, the goal is progress, not perfection.

And oh boy — how I am progressing!