Learning to swim as a child, or an adult, is no mean feat; it takes courage, and a lot of hard work and dedication to become a swimmer. There can be setbacks and struggles when trying to learn a complex skill set and it’s important to persevere and push yourself to achieve your goals. The lessons learned as a swimmer can lay the groundwork for a happy, fulfilling life. Whether in your professional life, relationships or hobbies, swimming can teach us how to live well.

Persistence

There are no easy shortcuts to success in life, or in the pool. To reach your goals, hard work and dedication are critical. Swimming teaches you that training hard, working on technique and stamina in the water are the keys to becoming a great swimmer. It’s important to keep going, to swim as often as you can, so that valuable skills hard-gained are not lost. To be dedicated, consistent and to push yourself to achieve goals will get you far in the pool, and in general life.

Learning to swim can be hard, and sometimes it might feel like you’ve hit a wall. It’s at times like these that you can feel like you’ve failed in some way, and it’s easy to give up. Learning to process these feelings, and continue to be positive and committed is an invaluable skill that will improve your life in and out of the water.

Self-Discipline

Self-discipline is essential in becoming a great swimmer. Learning to swim takes a lot of practice! You won’t get very far being slack, and not having a schedule in place for swimming lessons. Great swimmers learn that having a routine, and making swimming a fundamental part of that routine is critical to their success. Swimmers are the first to hop out of bed when the alarm goes off, even on cold, dark mornings, because they have learned how important it is to be serious and consistent about training. Prioritising and making time for the things we are passionate about and want to succeed at, are critical lessons that swimming can teach you, which will improve your life immeasurably.

Sometimes, it can be hard to balance things we love to do, with the rest of our busy daily lives. If you lose motivation in the pool, it’s very easy to see the backwards-steps you take in the skills you have worked so hard to develop. Swimmers learn that maintaining a positive attitude is a choice we must all make to persevere with difficult, but rewarding activities in our daily lives. Swimming is a fantastic way to learn how to maintain positive daily routines and habits.

Goal-setting is another important feature of self-discipline that can be learned in the pool. Making goals for ourselves, and putting together a suitable framework to succeed in them is important to having a meaningful, fulfilled life. You have to work hard to achieve your goals as a swimmer, but whether it’s perfecting technique, or stamina, it is obvious when goals in the pool have paid off. Learning to cope with advice, criticism, failures and setbacks are all important lessons that swimming can teach us.

Confidence

Swimming is a wonderful confidence booster. It is a skill set that opens doors to many interesting opportunities, and has a positive impact on your physical and mental health.

Being fit and healthy, in body and mind, is the best way to build up confidence.  Swimming strengthens all the major muscle groups, enhances flexibility, endurance, circulation, and energy levels. Swimming has also been shown to have a positive effect on mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression.

Achieving goals that you have worked diligently to accomplish will dramatically improve self-confidence and self-esteem. Learning to swim with peers, who can congratulate you on your efforts, and who you can help to teach, mentor and encourage, will also help to build confidence. It is so important when navigating through life recognise your own achievements, as well as those of your peers, and to be confident in your abilities.

Being a team-player

You meet all kinds of people learning to swim. Swimming is for everyone, so people from all walks of life get involved; very old and very young, people from diverse cultural backgrounds and people with disabilities. Meeting people you may not have met otherwise, in private lessons, at the public pool or beach, is a wonderful way of expanding your social circle, and understanding of the world. This will help you have a much richer, fuller life.

Learning to interact with people in a positive way is very important in and out of the pool. The water can be dangerous, so it’s very important for swimmers to accommodate each other, and be aware of each other’s needs.

There are many ways to take your swimming skills to the next level; involving yourself in a swimming squad, training as a lifeguard, or even a rescue diver! Being a team player, and learning to interact with your peers in what can be dangerous, high-pressure environments, is critical for your own safety and enjoyment, and that of those around you.

Enjoying Life

Life should be lived to be enjoyed, and we should all aim to have fun and be happy in our everyday routines. Swimming teaches us to enjoy our lives in many ways. It allows us to access peace and tranquillity amidst our busy and often stressful working lives. It is an outlet that enhances our physical and mental health.

Swimming opens the door to many activities that make life fun and exciting; sports, activities like deep sea diving and snorkelling and spending days at the beach, the pool, or the river with friends and family. Enjoying life, and seeking out the tools to make the most of it, is the most important goal we can set for ourselves.

These are just five important life lessons that swimming can teach you. Learning to swim is a journey, and once that takes dedication, hard work and commitment. The skills and experience this affords you can be utilised in all areas of your life. If you are thinking about learning to swim, jump in! It will dramatically improve your life in ways you wouldn’t have imagined.

Written by: Tess Purling