Sarah’s Story | Mental Health Swims Blog Series

I’ve always been a water baby and get so much joy from swimming but it’s only in recent years that I've started swimming and dipping regularly outside. In that time, cold water has become invaluable to my mental health.

A number of years ago I left a job that was making me miserable and decided to take some time out. My mental health was shot to pieces and I needed some time to breathe and pick up the pieces of myself that I’d lost. It was February and I was visiting family in mid Wales and early one morning I was out running on the beach. It was bitter and the sea looked calm and cold. Next thing I know, I’m stripping off and running in. It was painfully cold and took my breath away. I sat down in the shallows, dunked my head, then stood up and ran back out. It was over in moments, but I was elated. I felt more alive in that moment than I had in years and a feeling of calm remained with me for the rest of the day.  

I’ve always been a water baby and get so much joy from swimming but it’s only in recent years that I've started swimming and dipping regularly outside. In that time, cold water has become invaluable to my mental health.

A number of years ago I left a job that was making me miserable and decided to take some time out. My mental health was shot to pieces and I needed some time to breathe and pick up the pieces of myself that I’d lost. It was February and I was visiting family in mid Wales and early one morning I was out running on the beach. It was bitter and the sea looked calm and cold. Next thing I know, I’m stripping off and running in. It was painfully cold and took my breath away. I sat down in the shallows, dunked my head, then stood up and ran back out. It was over in moments, but I was elated. I felt more alive in that moment than I had in years and a feeling of calm remained with me for the rest of the day.  

That’s when my cold water journey began. Since then I have dipped, splashed and swam in so many different places and with many wonderful people. The cold water community is special to me; I’ve met some of the kindest people, made friends for life, learnt a lot and accepted myself along the way. I’ll always get out of bed to go cold water swimming; I’ve been up a 3.30am in the summer to go for ‘swimrise’ and I’ve been out of bed and off to a local lake when we had snow. During the lockdowns I was determined to get my shivery fix, so I cleaned out my garden wheelie bin, filled it with water and dipped every day for more then two months.

When I've been struggling with my mental health, getting into cold water instantly changes my mood, it’s a reset button and it helps clear my mind and makes me focus. When I am in the water I am focusing on my body and my breath and the beautiful surroundings. Anxiety is frozen out. Uncomfortable thoughts disappear and I’m very present. I still struggle with my mental health and I’ve recently lost my grandma and the feelings of grief are very new and raw and something I am learning to navigate. Cold water won’t erase everything, but it sure does accept you as you are and give you permission to be the unfiltered, beautiful version of yourself.

If you’d like to try cold water dipping, but feel a bit anxious about how to go about it, then I’d highly recommend joining a group first. This way you can talk to others about what to expect and learn more about your local spots; it’s important to remain safe and build up your knowledge. Mental Health Swims hosts swim meets all over the UK, they are inclusive and welcoming and would love to meet you.