Freediving and Your Mental Well-Being
By Kristina Zvaritch
Contributor: Patricia Paige Ong
The great World Champion freediver Natalia Molchanova once said, “Freediving is not only a sport, it is a way to understand who you are.”
While freediving looks like a physical activity, it’s really more of a mental workout!
Whether you are freediving on a line to go deeper or off of the line for a taste of life under the sea, all freedivers must achieve a certain set of tools to function well mentally underwater. These tools are not only used for freediving - they can carry over into your life above water and improve your overall mental well-being!
Keep reading to find out how, and stay with us until the end to find resources to reap these benefits in your own life.
Focusing on both mindfulness and presence while diving helps freedivers reduce overthinking, giving them a much-needed break from everyday stressors. Even when their minds stray to anxiety, a fight with their partner, or work issues, they must redirect their attention to the present - to the feeling of water rushing against their face, the sounds of the ocean at depth, or the feeling of the line’s texture in their hands. This redirection can allow freedivers to experience mental clarity and a more balanced mindset - even if just for a short while!
However, it’s important to remember that these positive effects may vary from person to person.
One of the first things you learn in a freediving course is how to breathe - while it seems counterintuitive (freediving is all about holding your breath, after all), how you breathe and take your final breath seriously contributes to your breath-hold!
Freedivers practice diaphragmatic breathing, a relaxation technique used in many practices. This type of breathing may help reduce physical tension, contributing to a relaxed state of mind. Slowing your breathing rate also stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting calmness and reducing stress—all recipes for an excellent breath-hold and a joyful dive!
While not a substitute for formal relaxation therapy, the breath control you learn in freediving may help support relaxation.
Freedivers must build mental discipline, which is a natural byproduct of pushing past their body’s very natural urge to breathe and keeping themselves composed during dives. Working on staying calm while freediving may improve mental resilience, which is a tool you can keep in your toolbox to help you with stress management in daily life. After all, if you can dive to depths other people don’t even dare to dream of (10m / 33ft is intense for the general public), what can’t you do?
While not a formal mental health strategy, the mental discipline gained from freediving can offer a framework for handling challenges, and the skill can be transferred to practice in real-life situations.
Freediving takes us back to nature, drawing us to oceans and lakes and fostering a connection with them. Many freedivers find that the sea calms them, the sense of weightlessness comforts them, and the beauty of marine life soothes them and brings them closer to other living beings.
Being immersed in the water itself can also help people disconnect from their surface life’s pressures, especially since sounds and thoughts of life above the water reduce at depth. Interestingly, ‘blue spaces’ (i.e., water environments) are believed to positively affect mental well-being (formal research is limited, though!). This connection with nature often makes freediving an escape or a form of meditation for those who practice it.
Accomplishing any goal in freediving, whether it’s a longer breath-hold or deeper dive, boosts confidence, self-esteem, and a sense of purpose. And don’t forget that freediving has many disciplines, meaning that new goals can always be set and achieved, spanning over many years! Plus, being successful in freediving can enhance your self-image and feed your motivation, giving you a positive outlook on life.
However, it’s important to remember that the concept of ‘success’ is dictated by you and you alone - personal growth in freediving is purely individual, and progress should be approached with realistic expectations.
Freediving isn't just about exploring ocean depths; it's about discovering your own mental capabilities. The mindfulness, breath control, and resilience you develop underwater can become powerful tools for navigating life's challenges on land. As you progress, you may find the calm focus you cultivated while freediving surfacing in your daily life, improving your ability to manage stress and push beyond perceived limitations.
And the learning never stops - no matter how deep you go. Each dive offers an opportunity for self-discovery and growth, both as a freediver and an individual. The pool and ocean become not just a training ground for your body but a sanctuary for your mind.
Not ready to get into the water yet? Check out Foundational Breathwork with Alexey Molchanov, a 3-month training program by a World Champion freediver that’s all about breathing! Program benefits include multiple health benefits like lowered blood pressure and stress relief, plus - increased lung volume for freedivers.
Thinking about taking a freediving course? The Molchanovs Lap/Wave 1 - Beginner Freediving course takes you into the pool and/or ocean water and teaches you the physical and mental basics, including an emphasis on breathing and relaxation.
Already a freediver? The Lap/Wave 2 - Advanced Freediving course covers mindfulness for static, dynamic, and depth disciplines. Check out the Lap/Wave 3 - Master Freediving course, where you’ll learn about attention deconcentration, a technique many freediving athletes use to control their state of mind on their dives.
Contributor: Patricia Paige Ong
The great World Champion freediver Natalia Molchanova once said, “Freediving is not only a sport, it is a way to understand who you are.”
While freediving looks like a physical activity, it’s really more of a mental workout!
Whether you are freediving on a line to go deeper or off of the line for a taste of life under the sea, all freedivers must achieve a certain set of tools to function well mentally underwater. These tools are not only used for freediving - they can carry over into your life above water and improve your overall mental well-being!
Keep reading to find out how, and stay with us until the end to find resources to reap these benefits in your own life.
Mindfulness and Presence
Freediving is mindfulness - when you freedive on a line, you are taught to focus only on the present moment, not anxiety, fear, or adrenaline. It’s also a form of meditation - freedivers concentrate on their breath, body, and surroundings.Focusing on both mindfulness and presence while diving helps freedivers reduce overthinking, giving them a much-needed break from everyday stressors. Even when their minds stray to anxiety, a fight with their partner, or work issues, they must redirect their attention to the present - to the feeling of water rushing against their face, the sounds of the ocean at depth, or the feeling of the line’s texture in their hands. This redirection can allow freedivers to experience mental clarity and a more balanced mindset - even if just for a short while!
However, it’s important to remember that these positive effects may vary from person to person.
Breath Control and Relaxation
Maria Zosa focuses on her breath control during her breathe up for a depth competition @mariazosa__. Shot by @samsulrois
One of the first things you learn in a freediving course is how to breathe - while it seems counterintuitive (freediving is all about holding your breath, after all), how you breathe and take your final breath seriously contributes to your breath-hold!
Freedivers practice diaphragmatic breathing, a relaxation technique used in many practices. This type of breathing may help reduce physical tension, contributing to a relaxed state of mind. Slowing your breathing rate also stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting calmness and reducing stress—all recipes for an excellent breath-hold and a joyful dive!
While not a substitute for formal relaxation therapy, the breath control you learn in freediving may help support relaxation.
Building Mental Resilience
What’s more mentally challenging than pushing past your fears in an unfamiliar environment, managing mental or physical discomfort, and staying calm under pressure while freediving?Freedivers must build mental discipline, which is a natural byproduct of pushing past their body’s very natural urge to breathe and keeping themselves composed during dives. Working on staying calm while freediving may improve mental resilience, which is a tool you can keep in your toolbox to help you with stress management in daily life. After all, if you can dive to depths other people don’t even dare to dream of (10m / 33ft is intense for the general public), what can’t you do?
While not a formal mental health strategy, the mental discipline gained from freediving can offer a framework for handling challenges, and the skill can be transferred to practice in real-life situations.
Connection with Nature
We spend the first nine months of our lives in water - freediving is our way of returning to those first moments.Freediving takes us back to nature, drawing us to oceans and lakes and fostering a connection with them. Many freedivers find that the sea calms them, the sense of weightlessness comforts them, and the beauty of marine life soothes them and brings them closer to other living beings.
Being immersed in the water itself can also help people disconnect from their surface life’s pressures, especially since sounds and thoughts of life above the water reduce at depth. Interestingly, ‘blue spaces’ (i.e., water environments) are believed to positively affect mental well-being (formal research is limited, though!). This connection with nature often makes freediving an escape or a form of meditation for those who practice it.
Photo Credit: @b.blanked
Personal Growth and Achievement
Second by second, meter by meter, freediving gives you opportunities for personal growth by setting and achieving goals.Accomplishing any goal in freediving, whether it’s a longer breath-hold or deeper dive, boosts confidence, self-esteem, and a sense of purpose. And don’t forget that freediving has many disciplines, meaning that new goals can always be set and achieved, spanning over many years! Plus, being successful in freediving can enhance your self-image and feed your motivation, giving you a positive outlook on life.
However, it’s important to remember that the concept of ‘success’ is dictated by you and you alone - personal growth in freediving is purely individual, and progress should be approached with realistic expectations.
Final Thoughts
With all the mental barriers you have to break through to freedive, it’s no wonder the skills you learn while training can positively affect your life above the water.Freediving isn't just about exploring ocean depths; it's about discovering your own mental capabilities. The mindfulness, breath control, and resilience you develop underwater can become powerful tools for navigating life's challenges on land. As you progress, you may find the calm focus you cultivated while freediving surfacing in your daily life, improving your ability to manage stress and push beyond perceived limitations.
And the learning never stops - no matter how deep you go. Each dive offers an opportunity for self-discovery and growth, both as a freediver and an individual. The pool and ocean become not just a training ground for your body but a sanctuary for your mind.
Not ready to get into the water yet? Check out Foundational Breathwork with Alexey Molchanov, a 3-month training program by a World Champion freediver that’s all about breathing! Program benefits include multiple health benefits like lowered blood pressure and stress relief, plus - increased lung volume for freedivers.
Thinking about taking a freediving course? The Molchanovs Lap/Wave 1 - Beginner Freediving course takes you into the pool and/or ocean water and teaches you the physical and mental basics, including an emphasis on breathing and relaxation.
Already a freediver? The Lap/Wave 2 - Advanced Freediving course covers mindfulness for static, dynamic, and depth disciplines. Check out the Lap/Wave 3 - Master Freediving course, where you’ll learn about attention deconcentration, a technique many freediving athletes use to control their state of mind on their dives.
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