Sticking to Your Swim Routine

1. Avoid Decision Exhaustion
I'm sure on some level we can all relate to this. At the end of a long day of decisions flying at us from every direction, the last thing you want to do is make more. Which tail do I wear? Where is my swimsuit? Which monofin? Where is my swim bag? You get the picture.

Get all of your gear organized and packed the night before and pop it somewhere easy and convenient to access.

Don't add to your plate if you already know that committing to a swim is hard for you. Help yourself follow through by avoiding decision exhaustion. 

2. Nourish Your Body
Hitting the pool after you have been starving all day or maybe you overate and now feel too full to swim is not going to help your cause.

Eat a balanced meal (protein, carbs, healthy fats) and give your body between 1 and 2 hours to digest.

3. Be Observant
Is there part of the swimming experience that you don't enjoy? What is it and why does it bother you? Now that you have assess the situation, I want you to do a little research for how you could improve the quality of your time at the pool. Maybe you bring extra towels, a thermos with something warm for after your swim, a hair wrap for your wet hair, snacks for afterwards, the list could go on!

4. Swim with a Buddy
Not only is swimming with a buddy a great idea for safety, but it is also a great way to stay motivated and accountable.

Not only that, but meeting up with other mermaids can be a great chance to make new friends and enhance the swimming experience overall.

5. What is your WHY?
If you are really struggling to hit the pool consistently, ask yourself what your main reason is for want to swim more often. If your reason is a strong one, you will be less likely to want to bail on yourself.

6. Count Down from 5
Something a friend of mine told me once is that she counts down from 5, when she has to do something challenging, and then she does it! It sounds simple, but if you build up a trust in yourself that when you hit "1" you are going to go for it, then you will!

7. Take a Break!
If you are genuinely feeling like you need a break, then give yourself one. We can't always be ON and sometimes it's more important to give yourself a break. Have a bath, get snuggly on the couch with a good movie or a book, have a hot shower, or maybe go for a walk. There is no shame at all in being a mermaid who knows their limits and gives themselves a rest when they need it.

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Be sure to listen to this week's podcast for all of the added information on how to stick to your mermaid swimming routine.

Happy Swimming!
​Courtney Mermaid