It’s easy to live our lives on autopilot without stopping to reflect on what actually makes us happy; what experiences make us feel good and why.
When we make choices that honour our values and what is important to us in life, we are likely to lower our stress levels, feel more confident and assertive, be more compassionate and make more aligned work and life choices.
When we have an awareness of what our values are, we are likely to want to spend time with people who have complementary values to us or adjust our lives to incorporate what’s important to us. The result being a more harmonious and purposeful life.
Yesterday I did my first ever cold water swim; strange decision seeing as I hate being cold and I hate cold water! I love being in or near water but I like the weather to be about 30 degrees and the water to feel like a bath.
So, an even stranger decision seeing as it was November and only an hour or so before, I had been scraping ice off my car!
But I agreed to go with some of my seasoned cold-water-swimmer friends, as it was the last swim (at this location) of the year and it felt like a last chance saloon and the kick up the bum I needed, as I’d been thinking about taking the plunge (literally) for about a year now.
Last month I’d bought myself a cold water plunge pool, which is more of a human-sized bin full of ice-cold water than a plunge pool, which would imply it’s somehow glamorous.
It sat in the box for about 2 weeks before I plucked up the courage to actually put it up but once it was up, I knew I’d be disappointed if I didn’t persevere and see what all the fuss was about with regard to cold water therapy.
So I committed to use it every day for a week to see what happened.
And I’m not going to lie, the first 3-4 times were hideous! I am a regular meditator and am very aware of using my breath to calm my nervous system but those first few times were a battle to breakthrough the resistance of wanting to get the hell out of there, as I was surely going to DIE!
But using all the techniques I knew to stay calm and relaxed, a big chunk of determination and stubbornness, together with a bit of swearing, I persevered.
And then after about a week the strangest thing happened. I started to look forward to getting in it and the swearing stopped. After a long, rainy run one day, I got in it and felt my body completely relax into it. My mind went quiet and I tuned in to the sights, sounds and sensations of being submerged in water in the rain, and how cleansing that felt for my mind and body.
So 3 weeks later I found myself climbing into a sub-10 degree lake…with a wetsuit on, mind you. I’m not quite as crazy as my friends in their swimsuits!
Once I’d regulated my breathing and got into a rhythm with my swimming, fairly satisfied that my fingers hadn’t fallen off, once again my mind went quiet. All I could hear was the gentle sloshing of the water, as I slowly breast-stroked my way around the course. And I noticed how beautiful the water looked with the sun glinting off the surface, as a graceful procession of red and orange swimming caps bobbed their way around the course.
And then it was time to get out.
With immense satisfaction and pride in myself I climbed back up onto the jetty and attempted to walk back to the changing room, only to be met with legs that didn’t seem to be responding to my request to walk in a straight line and fingers that apparently had actually fallen off!
Regaining a connection with my legs, I enlisted the support of a complete stranger to help me remove my wetsuit, as my fingers clearly still weren’t attached to my hands. After I’d piled on lots of layers of clothes and had one of the best tasting coffees I’ve ever had, the feeling slowly started returning to my fingers and my friends and I chatted and laughed and shared stories about our experience.
So am I now a lover of cold-water swimming? Not really.
I’d still rather be on a beach in 30 degrees, floating in crystal clear sea with a cocktail in my hand, if I’m honest. But the experience honoured so many of my values; looking after my physical and emotional health, sharing an experience and connecting with like-minded people and people I love, pushing myself out of my comfort zone and gaining a sense of pride and achievement as a result of that. And having lots of fun as a result of all of that…oh, and learning that a tow-float has a ‘w’ in it and has nothing to do with making your toes bouyant!
So will I continue to do cold-water swimming? I probably will, yes. If it is combined with lots of other values that I hold close to my heart.
Will I be doing cold-water swimming by myself. Absolutely not! But I may well sit in my human-sized bin, submerged in ice-cold water, with a cocktail in my hand in the rain, and see how that feels. I’ll keep you posted.
Get in touch if you’d like to learn more about how Transformational Coaching can support you to live a more purposeful life, aligned with your values.
With love Sarah xx
Great article, but was disappointed not to have video evidence of you actually jumping/inching in! 🙂
Well done and a great piece! I think I will keep to cold showers and affirming my value by the fire!