This week’s Speedo Tip of the Week comes from sports psychologist Christopher Carr. Carr offers some advice for having a good mental routine at practices and meets.

Carr’s Tip:

The ability to have a good mental routine for both practice and meets is essential to obtaining a desired performance. I encourage swimmers to focus on a few basic mental skills to help them with pre-meet anxiety. First, develop a consistent goal-setting routine for practices, but focus on two or three simple goals instead of time goals. For example, “Take a deep breath before each interval set.” When you practice goal setting, it helps to direct and guide your focus. Second, begin practicing relaxation techniques. Anyone can find a relaxation CD at a music store or online. Start to practice relaxation techniques four to five times a week and see if you can learn how to control your anxiety before practices and meets. (Plan on feeling more excited and anxious before a meet). Finally, have a pre-race mental routine that focuses you on the controllables in your race (e.g. your feelings/thoughts when you swim fast). So when you get behind the blocks, take a deep breath, let go of your tension and focus on a cue (one word/phrase) that describes how you feel when you swim fast. Then get the butterflies in formation and go!