Feel the fear and do it anyway...
It was a good read a few years ago by Susan Jeffers and I've always tried to follow her thinking on the subject. Today was one of those days. I've always had a fear of water especially the deep end. My aunt taught me to swim (I use that term loosely btw) when I was 13. Despite years of going to group lessons I just couldn't let go the bar. I can pinpoint where my fear started - maybe I was 2 years old or thereabouts and I can clearly remember my mum and dad passing me back and forward in a crowded pool and I knew right then that I had to get out. I just didn't feel safe in the water. At 13 my aunt Marie showed me that I could actually float but it never really got past that stage. I think it's 99% confidence and 1% ability.
So today I drove to the NAC and started my first lesson 'for Nervous Adults'. Doesn't that conjour up the funniest images of grown ups with chattering knees having their hands peeled off the bench and forced into water??? Tee Hee!
Thankfully, it wasn't half as bad as I'd imagined thanks to my wonderful instructor Lynn who let me go at my own pace and didn't let go when I asked her not to. By the end of the 45 minute session I had managed to swim with my face in water maybe 12-15 feet and float a full length on my back unaided. I walked out of the pool 10 feet high. This year for the first time, there is a very high chance of me actually enjoying the swimming pool on my holidays!
Wonder what fear I'll tackle next? Spiders, Snakes, my visa card!???
5 comments:
Well done Lainey its not an easy fear to get over as an adult...I have two friends that need to do the same - must tell them!! Elaine X
oh Elaine! Hats off to ya, well done! that is one of the hardest things to do! What a great class "Nervous Swimmers" I desparately need one of those too and still to this day wont let go of the bar! I can only imagine the high you were on!
Congratulations!
That's a great achievement, they say the first step is the hardest.
I need a class for "panicky" swimmers. I can more or less swim but I am prone to panic attacks. I can't remember it but I almost drowned as a toddler and sometimes the fear comes back.
thats brilliant Elaine -well done! You'll be swimming the channel before you know it.
Well done for facing your fears. You must feel elated. If you ever decide to conquer your fear of spiders, tell me how did it!
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