Life Lessons from underwater ...

Lessons I learnt with my underwater experience.

I was fortunate to be part of the National Cadet Corps(Army wing)?in my formative years. It is the biggest youth organisation?of India. One thing it instilled in me is a thirst for adventure .?The opportunity just has to appear and I am ever willing to take them. There is also my quenching of thirst for learning about myself , about mastering inner woes, fears and anxieties the more I participate in them.??As a life/leadership?coach I love coaching/mentoring?my client?wherein I impart?various human skills to ace the game of life -personal and professional. I?help them achieve their highest potential. Of the various sources that are there to enhance my knowledge, my?participation in such activities help me become a better one at my job as a coach.?Back in 2009 I became a qualified solo skydiver. So in 2022 when the opportunity came to participate in scuba diving camp I grabbed it. Thanks to my Indian Navy background I have access to such activities.?We can acquire life skills in a variety of ways and settings.?For me it was an instrument of newer learning.?Water is an unnatural medium for human existence and so it can offer a lot of challenges and facing out of comfort zone situations. Here's what I learnt-

Communication

During scuba diving?you are inside water?and you have a regulator inside your mouth. How are you supposed to communicate ????Well, scuba diving?offers you both the challenge and develop your skill to communicate under water through your body language.?We??use hand gestures to convey the messages. Since there isn't a hand signal for every circumstance, you are forced to think of more inventive methods to communicate with one another. You are compelled to pay much closer attention to your diving partner's body language.??During my camp I certainly have learnt a great deal of body language as to not to miss any signal from my buddy under water. This has translated into me closely observing the gestures and expression more than ever and so has tremendously benefitted my mentees from the corporate.

Self awareness

When you first begin diving, some of the key things going through your mind include self-reflection, emotional state,?breathing pattern,?location in relation to surroundings, and where all of your equipment is. You'll continually evaluate yourself. Since self-awareness ultimately revolves around understanding your own personality and emotions, this is a crucial component.?You learn to control your breath.?The beautiful thing about scuba diving is that you almost immediately pick up this talent without even realising it; you simply naturally start using it while diving since it's necessary for you to have pleasurable and safe diving experiences.

Stress management

Whether it is skydiving or scuba diving we are taught a lot of considerations and, of course, what to do in an emergency. A lot of dry drill/ practice/simulation on ground is done before the actual dive. This is crucial?so as to avoid any?human error which may result in irreversible issues. Most of these crisis management situations will be practised and evaluated before you are qualified to go diving. Your capacity to maintain composure under pressure and effectively handle challenging situations—or, better yet, to avoid them altogether—are prerequisites for this. You are not only aware and present to your own situation but?able to destress and organise your thoughts in case of any crisis situation along with your buddy.

Do you also enjoy such activities??If so what have you learnt from your adventure.