Have you ever felt nervous before a big dive? Perhaps you’ve been gearing up for a performance requirement in one of your freediving courses, or pushing yourself to hit a new personal best. Well, if you’re anything like most of the freedivers I’ve met, performance anxiety is something almost everyone experiences at some point. The pressure to perform in freediving comes in many forms—not just at a competitive level. Over the last six years of teaching, I’ve worked with over 500 students and have seen it come in many different ways. I’ve also competed alongside some of the best freedivers in the world and have seen firsthand how top athletes manage performance anxiety and not let it affect their performances. In this article, I’ll share five strategies that can help you manage performance anxiety, both during your freediving journey and in day-to-day life.

1. Breath Focus

You’ve probably heard this one a million times, but breathwork is crucial when it comes to managing anxiety. When you feel anxiety building up, what’s the first thing that changes? Your breath! You might notice yourself breathing faster or more shallow, which can increase your heart rate and cause you to feel more panicked or out of control. But did you know that by focusing on your breath, you can actually calm yourself down?

In freediving, slow, deep breaths help regulate your nervous system and promote relaxation. Before a big dive or a challenging course requirement, take a few moments to slow your breathing. Inhale deeply, hold for a moment, and exhale slowly. This simple practice helps bring you back to the present moment, calming both your mind and body. The best part? You can use this technique for any situation—whether you’re preparing for a big presentation at work or just trying to stay calm in a stressful conversation.

2. Visualize Your Success

Freediving competitions are full of athletes lying down, covering their eyes, and visualizing. But visualization isn’t just for freediving—it works in many areas of life. Many people from different walks of life use visualization to see and feel themselves accomplishing what they want. It’s a way to trick the subconscious into thinking you’ve already completed the task, which in turn makes you more relaxed when it comes time to perform.

A lot of people invest too much energy into thinking their next dive will go wrong and worrying about all the ways it could fail. We’ve all been there. But have you ever considered using visualization to your advantage? By mentally rehearsing your dive—seeing yourself move through the water with ease, hitting your target depth or time, and staying calm—you can prepare both your mind and body for success. Visualization is a technique that elite athletes use to mentally prepare for competition, and it’s just as effective in freediving. It can also be applied in everyday life. Try visualizing yourself succeeding in a challenging situation, whether it’s a job interview, a personal goal, or overcoming a fear.

3. Break It Down

Whether it’s hitting a new depth, covering a longer distance, or delivering an academic presentation, it’s easy to get caught up in the pressure of the big picture. But what if you broke it down into smaller, more manageable steps? Rather than focusing on the entire process, try concentrating on one element at a time. For example, in a dive, maybe it’s focusing on your breathing technique, your equalization, or just staying relaxed. Each small step builds your confidence and reduces anxiety.

You can combine this with visualization to reinforce your plan. Focus on mastering one aspect at a time and picture yourself succeeding at each step, which helps you feel more in control and less overwhelmed.

4. Mindfulness

When you’re preparing for a big dive or a performance requirement, your mind can start racing with worries about what could go wrong. But what if you could silence those distracting thoughts and stay focused on the present moment? That’s where mindfulness comes in. Staying mindful means paying attention to what’s happening right here, right now—whether it’s the feeling of the water around you, the movement of your body, or the rhythm of your breath.

By focusing on the present, you can reduce the mental noise and anxiety that often accompany performance pressure. Mindfulness is incredibly useful outside of freediving, too. Whether you’re dealing with stress at work or facing a personal challenge, staying present helps you manage anxiety and perform better in any situation. The key to mindfulness is consistency. Practice it every day, and you’ll see improvements in both your mental and emotional wellbeing.

5. Prepare, Prepare, Prepare

Being prepared is an absolute must for settling nerves and reducing anxiety. You wouldn’t expect a top athlete to just rock up to a competition with no training and display confidence backed by an amazing performance. Similarly, in freediving, preparation—both mentally and physically—is key.

Take time to create a plan and execute it with full effort. When you know you’ve done all you could to prepare, you can walk into your performance day feeling confident and ready. And if you haven’t put in the work, guess what happens? You’ll start wondering if you’ve done enough, which only feeds into anxiety. So, whether it’s preparing for a freediving course, a personal goal, or a challenging task at work, proper preparation will help you face the day with confidence.

Last thoughts

Performance anxiety doesn’t have to control you. Whether you’re preparing for a freediving course, aiming for a personal best, or tackling life’s everyday challenges, these five strategies—focusing on your breath, visualizing success, breaking tasks down into manageable steps, practicing mindfulness, and preparing thoroughly—can help you stay calm and perform at your best. The next time anxiety creeps in, remember that with a little practice, you can turn those nerves into your greatest ally.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to compete at a freediving competition? Hear from instructors Gonzalo Cortes & Jenna Black about their experiences at the Freediving World Championships.