This is a common problem for swimmers of all ages. My dad, who ran marathons before trying to start swimming, had the same problem, and couldn’t even make it across the pool because of this panicky problem. I also am currently teaching a 9-year old first-time swimmer, and he has the same problem. So the first thing to know is that you’re not alone.

Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be a magic bullet that works to solve this problem for everybody. I’ll try and give you some of the best ways to solve this problem.

First of all, the biggest way to deal with this problem is to spend more time in the pool. The common thread between everyone I’ve seen with this problem is that they’re just not very comfortable in the water. This doesn’t mean lounging on a float in your back yard, but it doesn’t necessarily mean swimming laps either. If you have kids, that’s a great way to get over this problem. Spend some time with them playing games, having hand-stand contests, or just playing around. Getting used to being in the water in all kind of different positions will help you increase in-water body awareness and decrease the panicky feeling, as well as increase your own self confidence that no matter what position you’re in, you’ll be able to get your face out of the water to get a breath. Plus, it’s a great way to get your kids some exercise, and to involve them in your life.

Secondly, remember that your breathing should not be an independent motion. Your head should simply rotate to the side with your body. So, if you are breathing to your right side, when your left arm is extending, your body should be naturally rotating to your left side, causing the right half of your chest to come out of the water. This means that your face will simply rotate this same direction and it will be much more natural to breathe. See the following video by former Olympic coach Bob Bowman with video demonstrations by Michael Phelps and Katie Hoff to get an idea of this.

Beyond this, I do have a few other suggestions. Some of them seem a little goofy and unintuitive, but I’ve seen them work, so just go with it.

1. 1: Make sure you’re taking long strokes in the water. Some new swimmers take really short strokes, and this can contribute to the feeling of not having enough time to breathe. Stretching out your strokes will give you a bigger “window” to breathe into. Your body should always be rotated to the side of the hand that is out in front, and your stroke should finish all the way back by your hip, with your hand coming out of the water with your palm facing upwards. This will also help improve your stroke efficiency as an added bonus.
   
   
2. 2: Swim corkscrew. Corkscrew swimming is well-known to summer leaguers, but for those who have never had the joy, I will describe it. Corkscrew is where you swim a stroke of freestyle, a stroke of backstroke, a stroke of freestyle, and so on. Basically you’re spinning the whole time. Don’t spin the same way the whole way down the pool though, or you’ll get dizzy! This will serve the purpose of getting you used to turning yourself to breathe. And it’s fun!
   
   
3. 3: Try and breathe more often to start. When you get more comfortable with you’re swimming, then you can worry about breath control, but when you’re still getting used to breathing, it should make sense that if you hold your breath as long as possible, then you’ll be more likely to panic when you are trying to get a breath.
   
   
4. 4: Blow your air out before you turn to breathe. This will probably be a little scary at first, but when combined with #3, this will be a big help. Don’t worry, blowing your air out underwater won’t cause you to drown immediately, as it takes a while for your blood to circulate through your body. Then, when you go to breathe, your longs will be empty and ready for more air. This separation between the exhale and inhale can also help prevent swallowing a lot of water in your breaths. Ideally, you want to breathe out through your nose, and breathe in through your mouth. This will further separate the two actions and prevent swallowing of water even more. A good way to practice this in a controlled situation is to hold onto the wall, put your legs out behind you kicking, and practice blowing your air out underwater. Doing this for 2 minutes at the beginning of each workout will help a lot.
   

Generally, the goal is to just relax (I know, easier said than done), take solace in the lane rope, and just take it slow at first. Just like everything else, you have to walk before you can run, and so it would probably be good to start every practice with really slow swimming, concentrating on long, smooth, relaxed strokes, and long, smooth, relaxed breathing. Even once you think you have it down, keep trying these things in warm-up for a few weeks, until you feel totally comfortable in the water. Patience will be your friend, it will get better with time.