10 Tips to Avoid Anxiety as a Mermaid

Hey guys Courtney Mermaid here with Nerdmaid Faith (from Faith on the Bass) to talk to you guys about 10 Things you can do to avoid anxiety when swimming in public pools in your mermaid tails! Let's get started!

1. People are more concerned with themselves than they are about you.
Though you are likely to encounter the odd weird look/comment from people you meet at the pool, it is important to remember that people are typically way more concerned about themselves and what others think of THEM that they really aren't that concerned about what you are doing in a mermaid tail.

2. Be matter-of-fact when answering questions that skeptics ask you.
Be confident or "matter-of-fact" when you are answering questions. Sometimes it helps to rehearse your answers ahead of time so you can answer common questions with ease and less stress or anxiety.

3. Bring someone with you.
While you should never swim alone in your mermaid tail anyway, it can be really helpful to bring along a friend, fellow mermaid, parent, sibling or what have you. Be sure it is someone who you can easily talk to and that you are comfortable sharing your mermaid adventures with. These people make wonderful distractions and can make the whole experience seem more "normal" to onlookers.

4. Start off small.
If you don't feel prepared to deal with people's inquiries into your full mermaid tail, you can always start off small by wearing just your monofin or your monofin with leggings.

5. Swim during the off hours when the pool isn't super busy.
Call ahead and ask your local pool what the least busy swim times are and choose to schedule your swims around that. The fewer the people, the fewer the looks/questions.

6. Don't make assumptions. Stay in your own head.
This one cannot be overstated. Never assume you know what other people are thinking. This goes for more than just mermaiding, but let's stay on topic for now... People may be giving you a funny look and inwardly wishing they could do what you do. Never assume or put words/thoughts into other people's mouths/minds.

7. Have a goal for what you want to accomplish during your swim.
This is an excellent thing to do to help give you focus and to keep your mind in your own business. Knowing what you plan on doing or working on during your pool time will help you feel more confident.

8. Have a positive conversation (in your head) with yourself.
This is hugely important. Please, if you take anything away from this, this is it. Do not feed your negativity with negative thoughts. Catch yourself when you say things in you head like, "I bet that person thinks I look stupid" or "I suck at dolphin kick" or one that I catch myself on from time to time, "man I must look fat." Turn your negativity into something positive by changing the conversation. I know it sounds silly, but any time you think something negative, find something positive about yourself or the situation to counteract it. It takes practice, but this will make a huge difference in your experience, I promise.

9. Remember to be respectful of others and the pool environment.
Do your best to be respectful of the people swimming around you. It will help your overall experience and how people react to you if you aren't hogging all the lanes or flipping your fins in their faces or leaving a huge mess of sequins, hair clips etc.

10. Leave extra time.
The stress of the time it can take to set up and get in and out of your tail can add to the feeling that people are watching/judging. Leaving yourself extra time (and not rushing) will keep you calm and relaxed. I have a little trick that I use, if I'm getting worked up, I breathe in for the count of four, hold for the count of one and then exhale for the count of four and repeat. Repetitive, evenly spaced breathing will help calm and slow you down.

And those are 10 things you can do to avoid anxiety when swimming in public pools in your mermaid tails! A huge thank you to Nermaid Faith for doing this collab with me, be sure to check out her channel for the next portion of this collab where we talk all about mermaid tail safety! If you enjoyed this video please feel free to give it a thumbs up and don't forget to hit that subscribe button for more mermaid adventures!

Thanks for watching and I look forward to seeing you all in the next video!