Stress management and relaxation techniques while diving

Stress management and relaxation techniques while diving

During aimmersione in the sea the organism adapts to depth, the heart changes rhythm, the colors end up conforming to the blue hues of the underwater world, the temperatures are perceived more intensely and the horizon becomes boundless.

The feeling of connection with the world surrounding and with oneself that one experiences during a dive can have important effects on emotional well-being, so much so that some breathing techniques in water are used to treat disorders related to anxiety and stress.

Yet when you are in water, especially if you dive in apnea, dangerous stress situations can arise which risk turning into panic, one of the main causes of diving accidents.

Diving and psychology: stress management

When you immerse yourself in the limitless blue of the sea you experience completely peculiar sensations, which have to do with the feeling at one with the world and which are amplified by physiological response of the organism to depth. According to a recent Italian study, it could be a sort of atavistic feeling which links us to our ancestral past as marine mammals and which "awakens" when we are in the water.

As the great champion said Umberto Pellizzari, "those who go into the water with tanks or to snorkel do so to observe outside, those who dive freediving do so to search inside”. Anyone who has dived while holding their breath knows what that means. It is perhaps no coincidence that Freud used the concept of the ocean to indicate the emotional experience of deep connection with oneself and with the world: the psychoanalyst defined this sensation as all-encompassing and extremely beneficial "oceanic feeling".

The downside is well known to divers, regardless type of diving who practice: the stress management, in water, is essential to avoid some of the most risky circumstances during a dive, first of all panic.

According to the statistics of DAN (Divers Alert Network), panic is the cause of at least the 20% of fatal accidents in water, becoming one of the leading causes of death during immersion. To be able to manage situations and unexpected events maintaining control of one's psyche, therefore, is a fundamental skill for all those who practice underwater activities, even at a recreational level.

Stress management and underwater well-being

During adeep dive, altered perceptions and the body's physiological response create a very particular situation on a psychophysical level: the action and defense mechanisms are alerted, and thecaution tends to focus on the most important details for one's safety. It's a form of “positive” stress which allows you to react promptly to inconveniences and changes in plans that may occur during an outing at sea, for example when visibility conditions change or currents increase.

La emotional and psychological preparation diving is now an integral part of any diving course, and not only for a fundamental safety issue, but also for improve freediving performance: brain activity, in fact, involves a certain energy expenditure, and knowing how to control it is a crucial aspect of the discipline.

Le immersion relaxation techniques refer to Mindfulness and its practices aimed at achieving full and non-judgmental awareness, which in practice manifests itself as the ability to be present to themselves in the here and now.

Stress-free immersion: some relaxation techniques

There are several relaxation techniques that can be used before or during a dive. These are above all short practices borrowed from Yoga and meditation, which aim to establish a direct contact with your body so as to remain anchored to the sensations of the here and now.

Let's look at some of the most effective practices according to Michele Bovo, 3rd level SSI instructor and Yoga instructor:

• il body scan: consists of moving the attention to the various points of the body to tune in to the sensations present in the various areas. It is practiced starting from the feet and moving up to the shoulders, arms, hands, neck and face, paying attention to the most tense areas, on which it is best to linger longer. This short practice (5-15 minutes) helps stabilize attention while keeping the mind calm and relaxed;
• relaxation of tensions: it is very similar to the practice of Body Scan, but involves "breathing into" the various parts of the body when you focus on them. This practice helps improve introspective skills and check the voltagesFurthermore, it is of great help in maintaining attention without getting lost in useless and wasteful thoughts, far from the here and now;
• Jacobson's progressive relaxation: it is a practice widely used in the treatment of anxiety and stress. It always involves focusing on the different muscle areas of the body, but in this case tension must be applied. For each muscle group in the body, the muscles are tensed for 7-10 seconds, then relaxed for about 10 seconds;
• breathing exercises: they help you breathe more effectively and use all the areas involved in breathing, until you reach one complete breathing. Learning to breathe slowly and deeply naturally stimulates a certain relaxation and allows you to benefit from good health oxygenation, essential for maintaining calm and clarity;
• Yoga: it is now an essential component of every freediving course, even with children. It helps to let go of expectations and listen to your body, developing greater awareness and introspection. It is also an irreplaceable tool for connect with your breath.

These practices, which prove to be very useful in managing daily stress, are an integral part of technical training of each freediver. The ability to listen to your body and control your mind allows you to count on the right reactivity in all circumstances, but also to improve techniques and movements, with evident effects on your freediving performance.