7 Ways Swimming Phenom Anastasia Pagonis Manages Her Mental Health at the Paralympics

.....Shortly before a big swim race, when the pressure of competition looms, Paralympic gold medalist Anastasia Pagonis likes to go into a different room. Not a physical room, but a mental room—a place where stress, expectations, and fear of failure morph into something positive, something fun.

This strategy isn’t about escaping reality. After all, “there’s no way you’re going to get rid of the pressure,” the 17-year-old athlete and rising social media star tells SELF. Rather, it’s about reframing negative thoughts.

“I think about the pressure not [as], Oh my gosh, the whole world is watching me, what if I fail?,” Pagnois says, but instead as, “the whole world is watching me, and they want me to succeed.”.....

   ...more

Bethany`s Notes: Pagonis shares seven strategies she uses to manage her mental health when she is competing.