Your weekly dose of mental sunshine...

This week I tried something new to help with my own wellbeing and I am hooked already.

Open (cold) water swimming at 6am in the morning. 🏊

I've been reading about the mental health benefits of cold water swimming and fancied giving it a go.

Come 5.30 am on Saturday morning I was having second thoughts as I was scraping the ice off my car windscreen. However, the sight of the beautiful sunrise through the mist rising off the lake at QuaySwim in Mytchett that greeted me, soon made me think that this was going to be a great experience.

So I donned my swimming wetsuit, goggles and bright orange swimming cap and took the plunge.

The water temperature was 10 degrees and I was expecting more of a "cold water shock" but was pleasantly surprised. I think the cold showers I’d started having every morning for the last couple of weeks had helped to condition me.

My hands felt the cold most initially, however, as soon as I started to swim the cold was no longer on my mind.

The sheer feeling of being awake and alive was an awesome experience.

I managed to stay in the water for about 20 minutes having swum around 400 meters.

It was not about the distance (which I will build up over time as my fitness and technique improve). It was more about the feeling and I was still buzzing from the experience some 10 hours later.

Needless to say, I’ve already been back for swim no 2 and have booked in for this Saturday at 06.30.

Let me know what new thing have you done recently for wellness that has got you hooked...?