Mental cues to overcome urge to breathe

[wladius]

What mental cues or training do you use to overcome those unpleasant feelings while holding breath? (besides training tables, apnea walking ... )

When I was doing static apnea during my course, my instructor told me I wanted to resurface shortly after 2:40 mark, but he was able talk me through it and hold me under water until 3:35. He said he didn't see any serious contractions and let me surface based on the color of my fingernails.

Thing is, when I'm training in the pool with others and we are swimming under water, I keep telling myself "It's only a bad feeling, It's only a bad feeling ... " but most of the time I suddenly just snap: "F*** it, I need to go up!!!". Most of the time (if ever) I don't even make it to the contractions.

 

[Kars]

It sounds like you're focussing on the wrong thing.
It helps to dive with a different focus, like making a nice series of good swim strokes. When the urge to breath comes, ask yourself repeatedly, can I do another nice stroke?

 

[baiyoke]

Agree... It's like the old saying "Try not to think of a pink elephant!"... And then you think of it constantly.

Instead, replace the negative thoughts with a nice or neutral one... It's not easy, but it works.

Think about how to relax your body, where's that relaxing feeling you have during the first minute or two doing static, think of someone you like...

At the same time don't try to deny the existance of negative feedback from your body... because then it suddenly get to you. Rather focus on different stuff...

For me it's a process where I go in and out of the pain and negative feelings, but making the positive stronger is possible... Denying them, but feeling them strongly WILL break you and make you leave the sport... It's just not fun, not having fun... Playing the mind-game using positive feelings can be fun.

So think of fx one or two of these
- Your relaxation, muscles bones, neck, face, everything.
- Relax your mind, it's OOOKKKAAAYYY - this situation is OK...
- think of your girlfriend/boyfriend, your dog, a summer day, the last time you had sex, etc....
- Think of your technique: Push - Push - Glide... Push - Push - Glide... Push - Push - Glide...
- Sing a song inside...
- Some people count - some people count the same over and over (like a mantra 1,2,3,4,5-1,2,3,4,5).
- Etc.

 

[Andrew the fish]

What mental cues or training do you use to overcome those unpleasant feelings while holding breath? (besides training tables, apnea walking ... )

... I keep telling myself "It's only a bad feeling, It's only a bad feeling ... " but most of the time I suddenly just snap: "F*** it, I need to go up!!!". Most of the time (if ever) I don't even make it to the contractions.

I don't know maybe its just me, but urge to breathe is a life-saver, not just a "bad feeling", it is your very basic need to breathe. I believe "mind-over-body" tricks and a competitive drive is what makes this sport dangerous. In other words, urge to breathe must be respected rather than suppressed with some distractions. Better bottom times will come on its own when you are ready.

 

[baiyoke]

I don't know maybe its just me, but urge to breathe is a life-saver, not just a "bad feeling", it is your very basic need to breathe. I believe "mind-over-body" tricks and a competitive drive is what makes this sport dangerous. In other words, urge to breathe must be respected rather than suppressed with some distractions. Better bottom times will come on its own when you are ready.

Apart from the very obvious that we should allways listen to the body and be carefull, what you say does not make much sense to me.

Trying to relax or thinking positive is not simply "mind-over-body" tricks. That is your interpretation.

To me the competitive drive is not the dangerous thing in itself. Only in combination with lack of safety. Competitive diving is in my view quite safe.

Spearfishing on the other hand I personally regard as 100 times more dangerous... With and without competition. So does statistics.

In other words, urge to breathe must be respected rather than suppressed with some distractions. Better bottom times will come on its own when you are ready.

So your training regimen would be to just go up at the urge to breath.... and apart from that just wait!

 

[wladius]

I don't expect to "brainwash" myself and suddenly stay under for 7 minutes, but I need to be able to push myself that little bit further, so my body (and mind) gets used to the feeling and next time, I get take another small step (that's point of progressive overload).

I went into the pool on Saturday and this time, I tried that counting and it really was a bit better (not by much, but I'll take it and try to do better next time )

 

[sanso]

How about an approach to aim for understanding what you feel?
What you are feeling is not an urge to breathe, nor even an urge to breathe out.
You are feeling a mix of

1. increasing CO₂
2. decreasing O₂
3. anxiety / fear
4. water around you and other things

The "urge to breathe" is not on that list, because it is only your interpretation of the above, not the actual sensation.
3. is especially interesting, because you have been telling yourself that what you feel is "bad" (ask yourself: what does "bad" mean?)
Once you understand that an increased CO₂ level is actually beneficial for your diving, as it will increase your dive response (safer, more O₂-efficiency) and allows you to have a good understanding of where you are in your dive (i.e. when to end your dive safely) - once you have that understanding, you will interpret your physical sensations (1. and 2.) in a positive way and 3. will simply not be there any more.

Understanding is the key.

 

[wladius]

How about an approach to aim for understanding what you feel?
What you are feeling is not an urge to breathe, nor even an urge to breathe out.
You are feeling a mix of

1. increasing CO₂
2. decreasing O₂
3. anxiety / fear
4. water around you and other things

The "urge to breathe" is not on that list, because it is only your interpretation of the above, not the actual sensation.
3. is especially interesting, because you have been telling yourself that what you feel is "bad" (ask yourself: what does "bad" mean?)
Once you understand that an increased CO₂ level is actually beneficial for your diving, as it will increase your dive response (safer, more O₂-efficiency) and allows you to have a good understanding of where you are in your dive (i.e. when to end your dive safely) - once you have that understanding, you will interpret your physical sensations (1. and 2.) in a positive way and 3. will simply not be there any more.

Understanding is the key.

Is it the same as the "discomfort"? I think what I mean is the "burning" sensation in the throat and lungs. I'm still very new to freediving, so I still have trouble to name the feelings I get.

Can you suggest some excercise (mental/physical) to get over them?

 

[ONT]

How about an approach to aim for understanding what you feel?
What you are feeling is not an urge to breathe, nor even an urge to breathe out.
You are feeling a mix of

1. increasing CO₂
2. decreasing O₂
3. anxiety / fear
4. water around you and other things

The "urge to breathe" is not on that list, because it is only your interpretation of the above, not the actual sensation.
3. is especially interesting, because you have been telling yourself that what you feel is "bad" (ask yourself: what does "bad" mean?)
Once you understand that an increased CO₂ level is actually beneficial for your diving, as it will increase your dive response (safer, more O₂-efficiency) and allows you to have a good understanding of where you are in your dive (i.e. when to end your dive safely) - once you have that understanding, you will interpret your physical sensations (1. and 2.) in a positive way and 3. will simply not be there any more.

Understanding is the key.

Good ideas! I'll be sure to try it out next time I hit the pool. I do have a question/request, though. Can you point me in the direction of a post/thread/ebook/blog that gives a good, in-depth look at the dive response? I think I know the basic premises of it, but I feel like there's way more to it than I know....

 

[sanso]

Best thing to do is,to find a good instructor and talk to them. There's a high chance that most of your questions will answered (and new ones raised) in an appropriate course.

 

[cdavis]

DR is a complicated subject and one which we don't fully understand(IMHO). Sanso has the right idea. if you want to pursue threads, there are a lot of them. For starters, do an advanced search, titles only, for "Dive response" (beware of april fools) there are lots more, s under "exhale diving"