My love of cold water flows deep. I’ve always been a “water baby” as they say. I love being in, on or around water. It brings a real sense of calm to my being. Here I’m talking about natural waterways; lakes, rivers, the sea. This year I decided to head through my first winter, dipping weekly only in skins. I’ve been open water swimming regularly for a few years now and volunteer at the beautiful Hoveringham LOVE open water lake along with a great bunch of people. But ultimately, I have always swam and played in different bodies of water throughout my life.
I wanted to focus this blog mainly on my own thoughts and feelings around why I do it. To sit and really contemplate the reasons for me doing the things I do. Do we do this enough? I mean really pause and honestly evaluate our actions and processes? We have many daily/weekly/monthly habits we do without a second thought. But what could we learn about the self from taking this time to sit and go within?
Firstly, I guess it’s about getting comfortable with feeling uncomfortable. There’s something empowering about doing something that is not easy. And it never gets any easier. The first few steps in. The shock of the cold water against the skin triggering the sympathetic nervous system to do it’s thing. I guess what does get easier is the controlling of the breath. The checking in with self. Sensing how everything is feeling. Without real judgement. Totally embodied. Feeling.
There’s the green spaces element. Submerging fully into nature. Being held by her, feeling weightless and allowing all those niggly life stresses to be carried away. The expanded visual field. The beautiful hues of the sky as it constantly changes as I watch the sun come up. The birds flying over and the trees bowing in the wind. The frost covered grass. The sound of birds and their various songs. The rain against the surface of the water. The gentle breeze through the leaves and grass. The list goes on.
Then there’s the people (when I say people I mostly mean person - I don’t like crowdsðŸ¤) that I go with. It’s another connection. Expansion of heart and mind. Conversations of routine, dreams, adventure and everything in between. This is my therapy. It’s my time out. It’s one way for me to press the reset button. It’s charging my being to head back home renewed and revived. One of the best things I can do for my children, husband and other relationships is to show up being the best version of myself I possibly can be in that moment. This is always evolving and changing. I am not perfect. I recognise that as a being with emotions it’s not about pretending everything is ok or masking over issues but maybe more about being better equipped in processing of those emotions.
Then there’s ego. Now, I’m well aware that ego is not inherently a bad thing. It can help empower a greater sense of self and motivate us to go for more courageous and adventurous aspects in life. Ultimately providing an inner confidence to achieve our personal goals/dreams. But if I’m to be brutally honest with myself, there is an element of joy brought about by doing something that most people don’t. This excites me and allows me to feel a deeper sense of individuality that I’ve always held but not had the self confidence to fully harness. Cold water allows me to embrace the “crazy” I’ve always been told I am.
Taking a step back to evaluate, I would say a sense of true presence has been the biggest positive to come out of cold water dipping. It brings me back to self. I’m a big day dreamer. Always have been. In fact at school I’d constantly hear “Jolene, what’s the answer?” the sound of my name bringing me back in the room with a crash. “I don’t know” would be my reply. “What was the question?” came back the response. Cue bright red embarrassed face. But let’s face it I disliked being there. I felt suppressed and misjudged. Day dreaming was my escape. It was my world with my rules and aspirations. I have been dis-embodied for huge chunks of my life but I seem to daydream less now. Mainly because I’m happier in general but also due to an awareness of the potential life lessons and experiences I’m missing out on if I’m not always fully present. As soon as I begin to drift back into the daydream patterns this is my cue to up my presence game. The cold water is one aspect that does that.
In addition there’s an element of building a stronger resilience. A mental strength as such. When I translate this into other areas of my life they don’t seem as scary as I once perceived them to be. Ultra runs. Climbing. Talking in team meetings. It has helped me control my over thinking and fear response for a more positive outlook in many aspects. I generally feel more motivated to take on different activities which creates a snowball effect. It was the catalyst that helped lift a fog I’ve held for a while.
There are many reported benefits to cold water immersion. It is stated to improve:
Cold water brings about many physiological adaptations. It triggers the release of stress hormones norepinephrine and adrenaline and the “happy Hormone” dopamine. With repeated exposure an increase in anti-inflammatory and neurotransmitter activity can aid in reducing the overall stress response. If we can adapt to differing stressors then it’s possible we have a greater chance of thriving. There are case studies for the benefits of cold water swimming on depression and anxiety and also enhancing metabolism through the activation of brown fat. In addition to the cold, many studies show the importance of nature and visual landscapes in lowering blood pressure etc.
From the initial shock to the refocus on the surrounding nature my systems are shifting and being tested from one to the other. The scales swing to ultimately come back to balance in my opinion based on research and personal experience.
Ultimately, I enjoy the whole experience. From setting my intentions, getting my gear ready, getting out before most of the neighbourhood are even awake, listening to my favourite tunes on the way down to the lake, meeting like minded individuals, seeing nature in all her glory, letting go, breathing, being present, connected. A fully immersive experience.
I’ll leave you with this little quote from Original Tao, 4th century BCE.
“The vitality of all people
inevitably comes from their peace of mind.
When anxious, you lose this guiding thread.
When angry, you lose this basic point”
Further Reading:
Brenner I K M, Castellani J W, Gabaree C, Young A J, Zamecnik J, Shephard R J, and Shek P N. (1999) ‘Immune changes in humans during cold exposure: effects of prior heating and exercise.’ Journal of Applied Physiology.
Buijze GA, Sierevelt I, Heijden B, Dijkgraaf M, and Frings-Dresen M. (2016) ‘The Effect of Cold Showering on Health and Work: A Randomized Controlled Trial.’ Plos One, NCBI, PMC. PMCID: PMC5025014.
Jansky L, Pospisilova D, Honzova S, Ulicny B, Sramek P, Zeman v, Kaminkova J. (1996) ‘Immune System of Cold – Exposed and Cold – Adapted Humans’. European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology.
Kox M, van Eijk L T, Zwaah J, van den Wildenberg J, Sweep F C, van der Hoeven J, and Pickkers P. (2014) ‘Voluntary activation of the sympathetic nervous system and attenuation of the innate immune response in humans.’ PNAS, NCBI, PMC, PMCID: PMC4034215
Law J M, Chalmers J, Morris D E, Symonds M. (2019) ‘Cold-Water Swimming Activates Brown Adipose Tissue in Humans as Detected by Infrared Thermography.’ Research Gate.
Seymour V. (2016) ‘The Human-Nature Relationship and Its Impact on Health: A Critical Recview’. Frontiers In Public Health.
Tipton M J, Collier N, Massey H, Corbett, J, and Harper M. (2017) ‘Cold water immersion: kill or cure.’ The Physiological Society.
Tulleken C, Tipton M, Massey H, and Harper C M. (2018) ‘Open water swimming as a treatment for major depressive disorder.’ BMJ, NCBI, PMC, PMCID: PMC6112379