AFF level 4

[andym148 2]

Hey Kerb,

I can confirm what has been said above. If you do stay in this sport long enough you will see people injured and killed, but thankfully it is very rare.
Without sounding like Yoda, here are a few tips that have helped me down the ages. Have you tried visualising? Sit or lay down in bed or somewhere you feel relaxed, and then mentally take your self to the packing hall. Think about the noises you would here, the smells, and how your rig feel's in your hands as you do your hands on equipment check. Think about putting your kit on, feel the weight as you put it on. Feel the leg straps bite into your thighs as you tighten them up, feel the chest strap securely holding you in the kit. Think about walking out to the plane, feel the prop blast and the smell of the exhaust in the air. Keep going and keep thinking about every feeling you have had as you've been traveling to altitude, keep doing it all the way until the door opens and you can hear the rush of wind and feel the air whipping about, and how you feel as you get to the door.
If you keep doing this, then you will get used to the feeling of getting in and out of the plane. As you feel more confidant in that environment, the easier it will be to relax.

Are you feeling tense due to any part of the jump, from the exit to the deployment and or landing?

My fear was always the opening, would my parachute open? This would cloud my whole jump, and I could not think of anything else on the jump due to my fixation/fear of the opening. So i started compartmentalising the jump, I would not think about anything outside of what I was doing. I basically broke it down to the following phases, 1-Kit on, 2-ride to altitude until i walk to the door, 3-exit and the skydive, 4 - Deployment, 5-canopy ride and landing. By only thinking about what i had to do at each phase i felt more relaxed, and over time the fear of the deployment faded and i could relax more. Try it could work for you?
And never ever forget, everyone has been or felt exactly as you do now. I failed Level 5 three times, i could start a turn as good as anyone, it was stopping it that proved difficult for me.

And I still get nervous, and I would bet most people on here still get nervous if they have not jumped in a while.

Good luck, and relax

Blues

Andy

At long last the light at the end of the tunell isnt an on coming train!!!

[Remster 24]

Quote

Anybody able to help the OP know how to relax?

I think waiting 12 years between jumps probably helped him relax.

Remster

[popsjumper 2]

Remster

Quote

Anybody able to help the OP know how to relax?

I think waiting 12 years between jumps probably helped him relax.

Ooooops.


Point stands or anybody coming afterwards.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[grasshoppergirl 0]

It was my fault for resurrecting an old thread, have been searching for AFF related threads etc.

As noted above, I appreciated the advice.

[aeio540 0]

Zennie

Try clicking your heels.

Works like a charm for me. Also, I had to dig my elbows in a bit deeper to stop turns.

[NorrinRadd 0]

In deep relaxation/hypnosis therapy, the way you fully relax is by starting at your feet. You clench your toes for a second or two, then relax them completely. Then you work your way up your legs, clenching the muscles, then relaxing them. Then into your body, and out your arms. Do your face and jaws, too....you'd be amazed at how much tension they face can hang on to. You could do a similar exercise on the flight up.
Edit: Also remember to BREATHE. Breath with the belly as well as the lungs. Breathing, aside from being something you need to do to live, helps loosen up all the chest and abdominal muscles that clench up in times of anxiety and stress. Especially nice, deep breaths.

Why drive myself crazy trying to be normal, when I am already at crazy?

[popsjumper 2]

NorrinRadd

In deep relaxation/hypnosis therapy, the way you fully relax is by starting at your feet. You clench your toes for a second or two, then relax them completely. Then you work your way up your legs, ....

That's what I sometimes do to get to sleep at night.
\


"Psssst. Hey, Kerb. Wake up it's time to climb out."

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[dthames 0]

While not "hypnosis therapy" we practiced relaxation as you described in childbirth class back in the 80s. I can go to sleep, or very close to sleep, in 2 or 3 minutes pretty much any time I want to.

Instructor quote, “What's weird is that you're older than my dad!”

[NorrinRadd 0]

popsjumper

***In deep relaxation/hypnosis therapy, the way you fully relax is by starting at your feet. You clench your toes for a second or two, then relax them completely. Then you work your way up your legs, ....

That's what I sometimes do to get to sleep at night.
\

"Psssst. Hey, Kerb. Wake up it's time to climb out."


"Somebody wake up Hicks..." ~Apone, Aliens

Why drive myself crazy trying to be normal, when I am already at crazy?