Over the last couple of weeks I have been getting out for a dip pretty much every morning. Yes there have been days when I’ve struggled to get out of bed, but on the whole it’s something I look forward to.
I’ve been cold water dipping for over a year, but I’ve never got into a habit of doing it regularly. When I was in the peaks, it was at least a 30 min drive to get to the water, but now I’m completely spoilt with so many options on my doorstep. This certainly helps make it easier to do it daily.
For me I’ve found several main benefits…community, structure and calm.
Around Newquay there are a lot of groups that go swimming and I’ve joined a few different ones on different occasions and always been made to feel welcome. But sometimes there are just groups where you click. People on the same wavelength who get where you’re at in life. The people I’ve met recently have been some of the most down to earth, supportive individuals, who are following their passions in life and building their careers around them. I am excited about the friendships forming and can’t wait to spend more time with them both in and out of the water. I’ve mentioned it a few times before, but I’ve always found it hard feeling like I ‘fit in’. When I go out swimming with different groups, I have never felt uncomfortable or that I don’t belong. It’s just like minded people, doing something they love.
I love having the opportunity to meet people that I most likely wouldn’t have otherwise have met, from all walks of life with different experiences and views. Cold water swimmings brings people together in a way I don’t think I’ve ever experienced before.
My routine has been a bit all over the place this year as I’m currently working part time with shifts that change weekly. This suits me perfectly right now, but it does mean it can be difficult to make plans. However, it has made it possible for me to go for a sunrise dip pretty much every morning. On the days I’m not working, it’s really helped me to start my day and put me in a better headspace to be productive. There have been occasions where I have come home and done absolutely nothing with my day, but that’s just life. I’m learning that I don’t need to be busy every day and don’t need to beat myself up if I don’t tick off everything on my to do list.
Then comes the calm. We have been so lucky the last week or so and been greeted with the most incredible sunrises and morning light. But that feeling you get when you’re in the water is just impossible to describe to people who have never felt it. Though a dip is never going to cure all your problems, it helps. In that moment you can forget about everything else and I often find that it then helps me to gain enough clarity to process everything in my head a little easier.
Focusing on my breathing also helps me to embrace the cold and clear my head. When I started dipping, it always took me a long time to actually get in the water (with my hands being the hardest part) though with time, I’m finding it much easier to immerse myself. I feel this is a mix of getting used to the cold water, but also being able to control my breathing a lot better
I have been feeling quite overwhelmed the last few days, I’m a sucker for letting all the little things build up until it’s too much for me to keep hold of. But being able to get out, have some peace from it all and feel comfortable enough to open up to people when I’m struggling helps me to work through those harder days.
There is so much evidence out there showing the benefits of cold water swims (check out my friend Nicole’s instagram, she’s all about the research!) but you do also need to think about safety….
- Listen to your body and don’t stay in too long
- Have lots of warm layers for after. My go to is my Seashell’s robe and merino wool beanie and socks!
- Check the tides/rainfall. A spot that was safe and calm one day may not be the same the next
- Go with a friend, or at least tell somewhere where you’re going
The above is from my own personal experience and the safety tips are things I’ve learnt along the way, I am not a professional.
What have you found to be the benefits of cold water dips? Or if you haven’t tried it, what puts you off?
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