Question Low time, no progress

[Merman Storm]

I have been trying to improve my hold time, off and on for a couple of years. I've never gotten a PB reliably over a minute. (Sometimes, for reasons I do not understand, I get longer, the absolute longest being 1:30. This is better than when I started, with a PB around 0:30). Ive tried tables and table and tables. Ive also tried sessions doing several holds for as long as I can. Nothing helps, I'm stuck.
When I started trainig I would have contractions during a hold, but I seem to have learned to suppress those. Now the hold ends with a growing feeling of pressure and distress. I don't push into that too much, as doing so leaves me feeling absolutely terrible for the next two days. My goal is to have fun swimming underwater in my Mer-tail, or posing for photos, not to feel terrible.

What am I doing wrong, or what should I try?

 

[hteas]

You may wqant to do sessions for up to 30 minutes. Take a breath and hold for as long as you can comfortably. Breathe for a minute and repeat. Keep doing this for the full 30 minutes and see if your times improve. pay attention to relaxing when you do the holds

 

[Leander]

as doing so leaves me feeling absolutely terrible for the next two days.

Perhaps when you hold your breath your mind is in pre-panic about this or the pressure of finally getting a longer hold is preventing you from relaxing.

It might help to stealthly mix some breath holds during the day. Hold your breath while reading an article in the newspaper, when taking out the thrash or when cooking food. There are a lot of post here on DB about people setting a new PB because they got distracted by a beautiful fish.. or mermaid. merman..

Forget about the goal, stop challenging yourself and make the breath holds fun.

Also, don't time them. Why do you want to know the hold in seconds? Why is that important? It only gets you focussed on the number, an artificial goal, instead of on your body and mind.

I think doing tables before you can hold your breath with a smile you would only be torturing yourself. You'll end up hating it.