Skip to content
en English▼
X
af Afrikaanssq Albanianam Amharicar Arabichy Armenianaz Azerbaijanieu Basquebe Belarusianbn Bengalibs Bosnianbg Bulgarianca Catalanceb Cebuanony Chichewazh-CN Chinese (Simplified)zh-TW Chinese (Traditional)co Corsicanhr Croatiancs Czechda Danishnl Dutchen Englisheo Esperantoet Estoniantl Filipinofi Finnishfr Frenchfy Frisiangl Galicianka Georgiande Germanel Greekgu Gujaratiht Haitian Creoleha Hausahaw Hawaiianiw Hebrewhi Hindihmn Hmonghu Hungarianis Icelandicig Igboid Indonesianga Irishit Italianja Japanesejw Javanesekn Kannadakk Kazakhkm Khmerko Koreanku Kurdish (Kurmanji)ky Kyrgyzlo Laola Latinlv Latvianlt Lithuanianlb Luxembourgishmk Macedonianmg Malagasyms Malayml Malayalammt Maltesemi Maorimr Marathimn Mongolianmy Myanmar (Burmese)ne Nepalino Norwegianps Pashtofa Persianpl Polishpt Portuguesepa Punjabiro Romanianru Russiansm Samoangd Scottish Gaelicsr Serbianst Sesothosn Shonasd Sindhisi Sinhalask Slovaksl Slovenianso Somalies Spanishsu Sudanesesw Swahilisv Swedishtg Tajikta Tamilte Teluguth Thaitr Turkishuk Ukrainianur Urduuz Uzbekvi Vietnamesecy Welshxh Xhosayi Yiddishyo Yorubazu Zulu
01225 316199 [email protected]
Mini Cart 0

Your cart is empty.

Bath Mind
Bath Mind
Get Help Now Donate Jobs Blog
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Vision, Mission and Values
    • Strategy
    • Impact Report
    • Our Ambassadors
    • Trustees and Governance
    • Privacy policy
    • Mind Retail
  • Our Services
    • 1:1 Mental Health Support
      • Access Community Mental Health
      • Befriending
      • Counselling
    • Evening Support: Breathing Space
    • For Professionals
    • Supported Housing
      • Residential Care Home
      • Supported Living
    • Wellbeing Groups
      • Eco-Therapy: Greenlinks
      • Food for Thought
      • Football Group
      • Hopespace
      • Radstock Wellbeing Group
      • Online Wellbeing Group
      • Open Opportunities
      • Photography Groups
      • Movement for Wellbeing: Over 55s Sessions
      • Stitch
      • Wellbeing Walks
    • Supported Living
      • Community Support Service
      • Intensive Outreach Support Service
      • Welfare Benefit Service
    • Support for Young People
      • Mentoring for Young People
      • Room 627
      • Safe Space Group
  • Get involved
    • Events
    • Members Panel
    • Work for Us
    • Volunteering
    • Your Stories Blog
  • Support Us
    • Donate
    • Fundraise for Bath Mind
      • Fundraising at home
      • Fundraising Challenges
    • Bath Half 2022
    • Charity of the Year
    • Gifts in Wills
    • In Memory Donations
    • Our Fundraisers
    • 365 Days of Messages
  • Resources
    • Information and Tips
      • Children and Young People
      • Coronavirus and Mental Health
      • Food and Mood
      • LGBTQI+ Mental Health
      • Loneliness
      • Managing Stress
      • Sport and Mental Health
      • Sleep Problems
      • Wellbeing at Work
    • Local Support Services
      • Get Help Now
      • Community Wellbeing Hub
    • Online Wellbeing Courses
      • Connect with Nature
      • Nutrition for Wellbeing
      • Ways to Wellbeing
    • Wellbeing Activities
      • Armchair Travel
      • Breathing Exercises
      • Colouring for Relaxation
      • Craft Activities
      • Gardening
      • Nature
      • Puzzles, Games & Quizzes
      • Recipes & Nutrition
      • Physical Wellbeing
  • Training
    • Wellbeing in the Workplace
      • Book your session
    • Courses and Qualifications
      • Mental Health First Aid
      • Suicide First Aid
      • Upcoming Courses
    • Training for Young People
  • News
    • Blog
  • Shop
    • Bath Mind Annual Calendar
    • Bath Mind Running Vest
  • Contact us
Login
My Account
0 items
Get Help Now Donate Jobs Blog
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Vision, Mission and Values
    • Strategy
    • Impact Report
    • Our Ambassadors
    • Trustees and Governance
    • Privacy policy
    • Mind Retail
  • Our Services
    • 1:1 Mental Health Support
      • Access Community Mental Health
      • Befriending
      • Counselling
    • Evening Support: Breathing Space
    • For Professionals
    • Supported Housing
      • Residential Care Home
      • Supported Living
    • Wellbeing Groups
      • Eco-Therapy: Greenlinks
      • Food for Thought
      • Football Group
      • Hopespace
      • Radstock Wellbeing Group
      • Online Wellbeing Group
      • Open Opportunities
      • Photography Groups
      • Movement for Wellbeing: Over 55s Sessions
      • Stitch
      • Wellbeing Walks
    • Supported Living
      • Community Support Service
      • Intensive Outreach Support Service
      • Welfare Benefit Service
    • Support for Young People
      • Mentoring for Young People
      • Room 627
      • Safe Space Group
  • Get involved
    • Events
    • Members Panel
    • Work for Us
    • Volunteering
    • Your Stories Blog
  • Support Us
    • Donate
    • Fundraise for Bath Mind
      • Fundraising at home
      • Fundraising Challenges
    • Bath Half 2022
    • Charity of the Year
    • Gifts in Wills
    • In Memory Donations
    • Our Fundraisers
    • 365 Days of Messages
  • Resources
    • Information and Tips
      • Children and Young People
      • Coronavirus and Mental Health
      • Food and Mood
      • LGBTQI+ Mental Health
      • Loneliness
      • Managing Stress
      • Sport and Mental Health
      • Sleep Problems
      • Wellbeing at Work
    • Local Support Services
      • Get Help Now
      • Community Wellbeing Hub
    • Online Wellbeing Courses
      • Connect with Nature
      • Nutrition for Wellbeing
      • Ways to Wellbeing
    • Wellbeing Activities
      • Armchair Travel
      • Breathing Exercises
      • Colouring for Relaxation
      • Craft Activities
      • Gardening
      • Nature
      • Puzzles, Games & Quizzes
      • Recipes & Nutrition
      • Physical Wellbeing
  • Training
    • Wellbeing in the Workplace
      • Book your session
    • Courses and Qualifications
      • Mental Health First Aid
      • Suicide First Aid
      • Upcoming Courses
    • Training for Young People
  • News
    • Blog
  • Shop
    • Bath Mind Annual Calendar
    • Bath Mind Running Vest
  • Contact us
Bath Mind

10 Westgate Street 
Bath 
BA1 1EQ 

01225 316199
[email protected]
  • Privacy policy

Website Design © 2022 C27 Media Ltd

Recent News

  • Join us at our Community Unity Day!
  • Making Social Media Content More Accessible
  • Managing the Effects of Loneliness in the Workplace
  • Menopause, Loneliness and the Power of Connection in the Workplace
  • Bath Mind partners with the Toolstation Western League

News Archive

  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • January 2020
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • January 2019
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018

How Wild Swimming Helped My Anxiety: Emily’s story

How Wild Swimming Helped My Anxiety

A blog written by Emily on the power of wild swimming.

Discovering outdoor swimming has been so beneficial to my mental health

In the beginning…

Around 6 years ago, I began feeling very anxious. It crept up slowly and started with a sense of unease ahead of social events or functions, then a reluctance to go to new places, and finally, absolute fear at the prospect of being anywhere indoors that was new to me, or in a space where there were lots of people.

My anxiety manifested itself in irritability and a lack of concentration. When I was pushing myself to try and attend an event or go eat out at a new restaurant, the fight or flight response would kick in and my body would scream at me to get up and leave.

Panic attacks were common and I would experience awful stomach cramps, an incredibly dry mouth and diarrhoea. The panic attacks were incredibly draining physically. I’d spend the days after feeling lethargic with heavy limbs and a sense of disappointment in myself. 

For a long time, I saw mental health illness as a weakness and refused to admit what was happening to me; both to myself and others. Keeping it to myself made the anxious feelings and panic attacks so much worse.

Opening up

In time, I realised that speaking about how you are feeling makes you feel much better. I told my partner and my family how I was feeling, and realised I didn’t need to force myself to do things – I could take it at my own pace while I was struggling.

As well as researching coping mechanisms myself (distraction techniques, incorporating more movement into my routine, and mindfulness all worked brilliantly for me), and alongside a spell of counselling, I discovered the joys of wild swimming.

The first plunge

During the first lockdown, I began swimming outdoors at Warleigh Weir and instantly fell in love. The initial shock of cold, the determination it took to remain in the water, and the beauty of being in the present moment…it was a revelation.

When you’re in cold water, you can’t help but empty the noise in your mind and think only of how the water feels. Wild swimming quickly became the time for myself and an opportunity to be kind to my mind.

Overcoming the resistance to cold water has also helped me to build mental resilience – the sense of achievement after a swim is amazing. While often painful for the first few minutes, I’m left feeling well for hours!

Breathing as it’s best

I’ve previously struggled with any breathing techniques used for anxiety and mindfulness; wild swimming has helped this. The cold can be a real shock and the temptation is to panic and to start breathing very quickly – you have to learn to be calm and to breathe evenly and deeply. This in turn has helped when I feel anxious as I put those breathing techniques into practice.

Falling in love with the wild

Another benefit of wild swimming is the community. It doesn’t matter where I go for an outdoor swim, the people are so friendly and inclusive; we share a sense of achievement and a common appreciation for nature.

Discovering outdoor swimming has been so beneficial to my mental health. I’m more mindful, have an increased resilience and am more aware of carving that time out for myself. So, as lousy as lockdown was, I’m thankful that it gave me the time and opportunity to fall in love with wild swimming.

Thank you Emily for this beautiful piece on wild swimming. If you’re looking to find out more about outdoor swimming, head to the RNLI website.

Posted on: 14th April 2022

back to news

Contact Us

Bath Mind

10 Westgate Street 
Bath 
BA1 1EQ 

01225 316199
[email protected]

Help In A Hurry

  • Contact Us

Get Social

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn

© 2022 Bath Mind
Registered in England 3531040
Charity No. 1069403

Website Design © 2022 C27 Media Ltd

  • Privacy policy
Mini Cart 0

Your cart is empty.