Cold Water Swimming and Mental Health

‘What are you doing?’ I ask myself. ‘What were you thinking when you agreed to this?’

‘Practice what you preach Leanne’.

My brain is in an argument with itself. The emotional side is annoyed at the stupidity of the logical side who agreed to go wild swimming. Internally I am a bag of nerves. Now’s not a good time to remember that I’m a bit scared of open water!

I’m stood at the end of a reservoir in my wetsuit and a woolly hat. It’s January 1st. I’m looking out over the water as I prepare to go in. I have been dreading this moment for ages, and yet here I am. I take a step forwards, even with wetsuit boots on, I can feel how cold the water is.

I’m inwardly cursing.

I slowly step forwards, the water creeps up to my ankles. My instinct is to get out. My brain is working on a list of excuses about why I shouldn’t go further….

‘I ate a biscuit in the car and you’re not supposed to eat before you go swimming….’

‘It looks a bit dark and stormy, maybe we should wait for it to pass…or come back another day??’

‘I think I left my hair straighteners on….’

I step forwards again and again until the water is up to my waist.

I’m outwardly cursing now.

I’m aware that my toes are cramping a little bit and although my wetsuit is thick, I can feel the cold. Despite this, there’s something that feels good, exhilarating and a bit mad. I keep going.

I notice my breathing change as I get deeper into the water, I focus carefully on taking long slow deep breaths as I acclimatise to the cold.

The last bit is the hardest, it’s the shoulder dunk. I take a breath and go for it. I’m in! I’m swimming!!

I’m still cursing but more out of the sheer ridiculousness of it all. I feel amazing, alive even. I’m swimming in a reservoir in January.

It starts to snow….

This is unbelievable. I bob about taking it all in. I am not thinking about anything else; my to-do list has dissolved like the snowflakes on the water.  It’s magical.

After a few minutes, it’s time to get out. A quick change in the car starts to warm me up. I am shivering but also fizzing with adrenaline. I drive home elated. The feeling stays with me all day…

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and the theme is Movement. We want to raise awareness to lots of different ways movement can be good for your mental health and cold water swimming is just one of those ways.

Research shows that regular 3-minute cold water dips can create feelings of euphoria, a sense of calm and wellbeing and a mental shift away from our daily stressors. People report that the effects stay with them long after they are back on dry land.

One of the reasons why it has such positive benefits is because people report that in cold water, they are entirely present in the moment. You become aware of your body, your physiology and your thoughts as you participate in a completely new, and slightly uncomfortable experience. Everything else melts away. You have nothing else to think about but what is happening right now. The unending to-do list has gone for the moment and this calms down your stress response and gives you head space that you didn’t think you needed or perhaps weren’t aware you could have.

Cold water swimming is a great metaphor for good mental health management. It teaches us that we can lean into uncomfortable feelings, learn to sit with them, observe them and find out that eventually, without much intervention, they will pass. It also teaches us that we can act despite our thoughts instead of in line with them to feel good. Our mind may give us all kinds of reasons why cold water swimming is a bad idea and why staying comfortable is better, but we don’t have to give into those thoughts and they too can be replaced by something more positive when we leave our comfort zones and challenge ourselves with something new.  Lots of mental health struggles are linked to negative thinking patterns so learning different ways to detach from that way of thinking can be really helpful for how you feel.

A lot of people who go cold water swimming often go to lakes or swim in the sea, this has the added benefit of connecting us with nature and The Great Outdoors. It also feels like something of an adventure, and we don’t have enough adventures as adults!!

Please note: We are not cold water swimming experts, so before you give it a go, please check out the following links to learn more about how to cold-water swim safely:

Cold Water Shock - Water Safety Tips - Know The Risks (rnli.org)

OSS Intermediate Tips for Safe Summer Swimming – Outdoor Swimming Society Outdoor Swimming Society

Please remember to seek medical advice if you are wanting to try out cold water swimming and if you do try it, join a group, or go with a friend. It will help you to keep safe but also boost your mental health further by being part of a community and sharing the experience with others.

If you need support for your mental health and would like to chat to us about other support that is available, please click the link below: