Sitting among hundreds of customers, the lifeguard chair can be a lonely place. The rigors of the job require you to sit for long periods of time and focus while ensuring the safety of the guests you are observing. Not only do you accept a heavy responsibility, but you might also feel the pressure of responsibility. It’s common to tell someone in your situation to “don’t let the pressure get to you,” but when it comes to life-or-death situations, it’s normal to have some stress. The best thing you can do is learn to deal with your stress. Follow these tips to reduce your stress and be more confident in the lifeguard chair.
- Talk to your supervisor: One of your supervisor’s many jobs is to make sure your employees are performing at the highest level possible. Anytime you feel unsure about your job, you should tell your supervisor. Not only is it in their best interest to help you find a way to deal with your stress, but it’s likely that they’ve been in the same situation. Often times, it is the outstanding lifeguards who are elevated to the position of supervisor. Supervisors have shown management that they are excellent leaders and have excelled as lifesavers. That’s why your supervisor is your best source of advice on how to deal with the pressure you’re feeling.
- Eat a balanced diet and stay hydrated: While eating a balanced diet and drinking enough water won’t automatically eliminate stress from your job, it can keep you from becoming more stressed. How is that? Well, a common coping technique to deal with stress is to overeat and when your body feels stressed it usually craves junk food which is not good for your body. While these foods may make you feel better in the short term, they will affect your body over time in the form of weight gain, immune system problems, and blood sugar imbalances. One way to prevent these problems is to eat a balanced diet and stay hydrated.
- Increase your stress factor: The human mind is an amazing thing. It allows you to push your body beyond any limit you set for yourself. It can also be your biggest inhibitor. Letting negative thoughts invade your mind will lower your confidence and make you cautious at the lifeguard station. The next time you doubt your abilities, try to magnify that doubt. Expanding your doubt involves exaggerating your fear and proving to yourself that your fear is nonsense.
Not sure what we mean? Explain your doubts like this: “What if I see a man struggling in the pool and asking for help? So I jump into the water to save him, but my entry is very sloppy. I catch up with the man and can pull him to safety, but not before from a little struggle by swimming with him to safety. When my manager witnesses this, he decides to fire me for my faulty entry and fights by saving the man. Eventually, my name gets to every aquatic facility in the world and I’ll never be able to get another lifeguard job. Being kicked out of the lifeguard circle, I have no way to pay for college and I’m destined to grow a big gut and live in my parents’ basement forever.” Using this example, you can see that your doubts are probably wrong. Rather than fire him for using careless technique, his supervisor will most likely praise him for saving a life. Use this technique to allay any doubts or fears about the job.
- Practice: If you are new to lifeguarding, it will likely take some time for you to develop comfort in the lifeguard chair. Comfort develops as you gain more experience and practice your skills. While you won’t be able to time travel to a later date when you’re more experienced, you can control how much you practice the skills you doubt the most. It is additional practice that will help you develop the confidence to perform these skills at any time in an emergency situation. Set a goal to practice the skill you doubt the most for an extra 15 minutes each day. As you get more comfortable with that skill, move on to the next skill you are most hesitant about.
Dealing with life or death situations among the many distractions makes lifeguarding a very difficult job. Not only do you need to stay in peak physical condition, but you also need to train your mind to be in top mental shape. Stress is likely to be an important component of the mental aspect of work. Whenever you encounter stress, be sure to use these tips to deal with it.