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.

Some Reflections on The Philosophy of Stoicism

The moment I discovered Mark Tuitert’s book, Drive: Train Je Stoïcijnse Mindset (Drive: Train Your Stoic Mindset), was the moment I was introduced to this ancient philosophy called Stoicism. And as someone who writes almost obsessively, I immediately felt at home with this philosophy. In my previous post, The (Stoic) Philosophy of Writing, I demonstrated how writing is closely linked with Stoicism.

But of course, Stoicism is more than being able to assess your thoughts and life through writing alone. It also differs significantly from how we use the word stoic (with a lowercase s) today. In a nutshell, the philosophy of Stoicism is about remaining calm and maintaining perspective in times of setbacks, adversity, and chaos by focusing your time and energy on the things that lie within your sphere of control.

Thanks to Mark Tuitert’s book, this way of thinking and living was introduced to me. This philosophy has helped me greatly in regulating stress and anxiety, and in reshaping how I relate to setbacks.

The (Stoic) Philosophy of Writing

In his article The Stoic Art of Journaling, modern Stoic Ryan Holiday states that “journaling is Stoicism” — the two are intertwined. One cannot truly be Stoic without writing. From this point of view, the act of writing itself becomes philosophy in practice, which is not surprising, given that writing demands retrospection.

Stoicism is a philosophy emerged in ancient Griece around 300 B.C.. The three prominent ancient Stoics we know today are Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, and Seneca. They all share one common habit: journaling.

Thanks to Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations, we can learn so much about this ancient wisdom and benefit from it even today. Modern Stoics suggest that Marcus Aurelius wrote his meditations religiously in the morning, preparing himself for the day ahead. Writing was his way of setting the tone for the day and maintaining focus on what he could control.

It is therefore not too far-fetched to assume that we were not his intended audience — he wrote for himself. And yet his meditations, originally meant to help him become a calm and content person, now serve as an inspiration for all who wish to follow his example.

And I believe this is what separates Stoic journaling from journaling in general. Stoics write to assess their thoughts and actions, to commit themselves to focusing on what they can control (the central tenet of Stoicism), and to engage in a profound and honest dialogue with their inner self.

Becoming a prolific diarist

Queen Victoria is not only one of the most illustrious monarchs in British history, she was also a prolific diarist. Experts estimate that she wrote, on average, between 2,000 and 2,500 words a day throughout her adult life.

A powerful and famous monarch I am not, but like Queen Victoria, I am—although not nearly as prolific—also a diarist. I started keeping a journal as an adult, during a period when I was struggling with a personal crisis.

Journaling helped me get through that crisis, and it still keeps me balanced and focused as I navigate daily challenges. My journal is a friend who does not judge, and a therapist who never sends me an invoice.

Writing for the Sake of Writing: How Writing Can Save You

The desire to be a writer—or more accurately, my desire to write—began many years ago. Even before I stumbled upon a book in a bookstore when I was in my early twenties. The title was Hoe Schrijf Ik Een Boek: Het Schrijven van Non-Fictie (How to Write a Book: Non-Fiction Writing) by Roy Martina and Willem Jan van Wetering. That book became fuel for an already burning desire to write.

As you may have noticed, the book is in Dutch. And Dutch is not my mother tongue. In fact, if we’re being precise, it’s not even my second language. That’s one of the main reasons I felt such elation and satisfaction when I finished reading it. I still remember that feeling vividly.

Finishing a book—and truly understanding it—brings a profound sense of accomplishment. So I often wonder: how would it feel to write a book and see it published? Will I ever experience that moment?

Whether I do or not, nothing can stop me from writing every day. Writing feels like an unrequited love. I love it deeply, even if it doesn’t always love me back. And I ask for nothing in return. How’s that for a metaphor?

Writing 10 Minutes a Day: Building A Writing Habit

 

One of the many reasons I started this blog is so that I can write every day. The goal is to build a daily writing habit, because for someone who claims to have an affinity with writing, I’m not actually writing enough.

And if I have hours to waste mindlessly scrolling through social media, I certainly can spare ten minutes to write thoughtfully. Therefore, having no time to write is not an excuse.

I completely agree with what Wendy Laura Belcher wrote in her book Writing Your Journal Article in 12 Weeks: A Guide to Academic Publishing Success:

“You are not too busy to write; you are busy because you do not write. Busy-ness is what you do to explain your not writing.”

It’s from this book that I learned it only takes ten minutes of daily writing to become a prolific writer — or in my case, a prolific blogger. In this blog, I’d like to put Belcher’s principle into practice.