After many months of cold water plunges in the North Sea, I have noticed considerable changes in my daily life both physically and mentally. And I am not alone – every person who I have dragged along on my early morning swims has reported the same difference. This easy routine has completely changed my life – here’s how:
How I Started
When I moved to St. Andrews to start university, I didn’t spend much time thinking about how I would only be minutes away from the ocean. After all, I wasn’t there to spend my days snorkelling and surfing — I was there to earn my degree. A few months into my first year though, I began to feel a bit sad that I had not even ventured out to the beach since my first week living there. I decided I would wake up a few minutes earlier every day so I could walk to the beach before class. The change was amazing. Looking at the ocean waves rise and crash calmed me for the long day ahead, giving me time to relax and think. I immediately decided I needed to spend more of my time by the ocean.
One morning, I walked by and saw a group of girls my age running into the waves in their bikinis. It was December. I was wrapped up in my largest and cosiest coat, scarf, and gloves as they dove in, splashing around in the waves. I was immediately intrigued. That night, on Facebook, I put up a post searching for people who wanted to go out on sunrise swims together. Sadly none of my friends were up for it at all. But the response on Facebook was incredible. Soon I had a group of 40 students who had reached out, all eager to try it but had never had the opportunity to do so.
A week later, we all met down at the beach, wrapped up in towels and smiles. We shared our greetings and our nervousness promptly before stripping down to our swimming costumes as fast as possible. I was glad to get going quickly — my stomach was in knots at the thought of the freezing North Sea water. In seconds, the girls who I had just been introduced to were neck deep and I was still standing by the shore, goosebumps blanketing my skin just from the cold air. “Come on in”, one shouted, “the water’s fine!”. I knew any delay would make it worse, so I started to drag my feet in the water as fast as I could.
It wasn’t until I was waist-deep that I realised how cold I was. But seconds later, a magical thing happened — the water was so cold, it made me numb. The more I continued on, the less I could feel the bitter iciness of those first steps. And then we were all shoulder-deep, swimming laps and dunking our heads under. On the walk home, I thought, that was great! I can’t wait to do that again! So our weekly meetings began. Throughout those weeks of sunrise swims, I noticed significant changes in my mental and physical well-being. By sharing these benefits, I hope to encourage others to go take a dip.
Feeling Awake
Of course, jumping into the icy sea while it’s snowing outside will wake you up, but the effects last longer than the five minutes you’re in.
I didn’t just feel less tired. I was more alert, could pay more attention in classes, and was easily able to get through tasks on my to-do list which was often a massive difficulty before.
Getting to sleep also became simple. The adrenaline and intensity of the experience were enough to send me straight to dreamland when my head hit the pillow. This was something I had struggled with for years, so it was a welcome change to be able to fall asleep so quickly.
Wild swimming gave each experience, sleeping and being awake, the perfect enhancement. Each became miles easier, and way, way, way more effective.
Becoming Closer to Nature
In the last few years, we’ve all spent a little too much time indoors. When I came to university, I had forgotten the simple joy that being in nature can afford you. Existing in the natural world, bobbing up and down with the waves, toes in the sand, is a happiness I had forgotten.
Maintaining a relationship with the natural world is essential in understanding yourself and how you fit into your surroundings. Especially when you are getting used to a new environment, like I was, it can be the connection that grounds you to your new home. Feeling like I was part of the town by swimming at its beaches every week was a huge factor in feeling like I belonged at the university.
Unfortunately, one of the downsides of spending more time within nature is that I often kept the cold chill of my morning plunge throughout the day. It became habit to bring an extra jumper or heavier jacket around with me to ward off the chills I got, and I noticed I began to sleep with more and more blankets. Ultimately, this didn’t put me off the experience, as I was prepared to deal with this drawback. If you don’t have hundreds of extra blankets lying around the house like me though, you might struggle.
Having Fun!
Having something to look forward to, even if it scared me a bit, kept my mood lighter. The days became a little bit easier to get through, the stress sliding away into nothing. Having a boost of joy in the morning brought happiness to each part of the day.
More than that, it brought a level of motivation to everything I did. I was able to navigate through my day in a more relaxed tone. My thoughts were calmer, and everything suddenly became a lot less stressful. Nothing felt as scary as that freezing dip. No matter what I had going on in the day that I might dread, it paled in comparison. “If I can swim in freezing water at six in the morning, then I can do this too”, I thought to myself on a few too many occasions.
The act of doing something you never thought you could do inevitably pushes you to do more and more. After the first dip, I was able to commit myself to more and more things that had scared me before, simply with the confidence that I had gained.
Making Friends
If you’re lucky enough to be able to meet people through this hobby ( and you should always bring a friend!), then it takes on an entirely different dimension. Swimming becomes a bonding experience, an activity of connection between those with you. Take two sworn enemies, dunk them into ice-cold water, and they will emerge as close companions.
Most areas will have a wild swimming group open to new members if you look hard enough on Facebook, making the hobby a great way to meet new people from all different walks of life. I have met other students doing this, as well as other townspeople, which has made a huge difference for me as I tried to settle into a new town. There is truly nothing better than going for a hot breakfast after freezing your toes off with your new friends.
Focus & Calm
A noticeable difference that the normal stress of everyday activities seems lower, as I gained a new sense of calm for even the most anxiety-inducing moments of the past few months, like going to the dentists or having to do a presentation in class. The stress was not gone – I still felt nervous for all of these things – but it definitely was more manageable. My cold plunge in the morning felt almost like a meditation, bringing me a sense of peace for whatever chaos the rest of the day could bring.
I also feel like I am able to focus more in my classes, I procrastinate less, and I am able to complete tasks on time. This might be because I have started my morning by getting up and doing something, instead of mindlessly scrolling on my phone. By ticking off a task first thing in the morning, it sets the pace for what’s to come for the day.
Overall, if you have the opportunity to wake up in the dark and head to your closest body of water for a swim at sunrise, please, please do it! This hobby has changed my life in so many ways so I encourage everyone to take a dip and see what differences they notice in their day.
I have managed to get a few friends and family neck-deep in the water with me, but I hope the benefits in this article can push a few more people right there into the waves with us.