By Dr Maja Jankowska, Clinical and Counselling Psychologist at Expansion Psychology
In our endless search for well-being, we often overlook the simplest solutions. As a Clinical Psychologist, I’m always looking for tools that genuinely help people feel better. One of the most powerful I’ve found requires no prescription – just some courage and a swimming costume.
It’s the increasingly popular practice of cold-water swimming or immersion, whether that’s a bracing January dip in a Scottish loch, an autumn swim off the Cornish coast, or a dip in an ice bath in your garden.
Ok, let’s face it: winter swimming might not be particularly pleasant, and when I mention it to people, they give me that look, you know, the look saying: “Are you mad?”
But please hear me out. There is growing evidence that cold water swimming can bring a plethora of benefits – both physical and psychological. Wim Hof (aka “The Iceman”) is a living example of how cold-water immersion could be turned into a double-edged sword in our hands: from a deadly weapon to a potential non-pharmacological treatment for both psychological and physical issues. Beyond the immediate buzz, cold water swimming offers something profound: it resets your nervous system, connects you with interesting people, and reminds you what it feels like to be truly alive.
Overall, all year-round wild swimmers (yep, that’s what we call ourselves) generally report to have more vigour and energy, their mood is better, and they are more active compared to their blanket-wrapped friends. The science supports these observations too!
The cold water reset: train your nervous system & reap the benefits
When you first enter cold water (anything below 15°C), your body panics. Heart racing, breath gasping – this is your stress response firing up. It’s the same system that kicks in during anxiety or difficult life moments. But we know very well that it is overcoming difficult things that makes us stronger and it is pushing out of the comfort zone that induces personal growth. Professor Michael Easter made a very compelling argument for this in his excellent book titled ‘The Comfort Crisis: Embrace Discomfort To Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self’. He explains that we’re more comfortable than ever before, but our sheltered, temperature-controlled, overfed, underchallenged lives actually cause many of our most urgent physical and mental health issues. He proposes that a solution may be embracing discomfort.
So how does it apply to cold water? Repeated cold exposure appears to create cross-adaptation, meaning your ability to manage physiological stress in the water translates to better emotional regulation on land (Shevchuk, 2008). In psychological terms, you’re building “distress tolerance,” a cornerstone of mental resilience applicable to performance anxiety, difficult conversations, grief, and life’s inevitable challenges.
To stay in the water, you must consciously push yourself to do so and also calm yourself down. You slow your breathing, focus entirely on the present moment, and override the panic. Within moments, you can shift from high alert to controlled calm.
This isn’t just theory. Research has shown that regular cold-water swimming can significantly improve mood and may even help with depression (van Tulleken et al., 2018). The practice teaches your nervous system a crucial lesson: you can face something difficult and choose how you respond.
But there is something even better in cold water swimming for me (this one is what truly got me hooked!). The clarity and sense of calm euphoria that follows isn’t just anecdotal; it’s your nervous system returning to equilibrium, strengthened by the practice. Your body releases endorphins (natural mood boosters), and your mind feels remarkably clear. There’s also evidence of increased beta-endorphin and noradrenaline levels, which may explain the post-swim “high” so many swimmers describe (Huttunen et al., 2004).
For perimenopausal and menopausal women, this mental clarity is particularly valuable. Cold water immersion appears to combat the frustrating brain fog, fatigue, and mood fluctuations that often accompany this life stage (Harper et al., 2022). The combination of improved circulation, endorphin release, and nervous system regulation may help offset declining oestrogen’s effects on cognitive function and energy. Many women report that regular cold-water swimming is one of the few interventions that genuinely helps them feel like themselves again during this challenging transition. Now you know why this midlife perimenopausal psychologist became obsessed with cold water swimming!
Cold water for post-exercise recovery
There is also plenty of evidence that immersion in cold water speeds up post-exercise recovery. Scientists often refer to it as cryotherapy. Athletes have long used ice baths to reduce muscle inflammation and soreness after intense training (Machado et al., 2016). But you don’t need to be a professional sportsperson to benefit – whether you’ve hiked a mountain, run a marathon, or simply spent a day exploring a new city on foot, a cold water dip can significantly reduce muscle fatigue and speed recovery. This makes cold water swimming the perfect companion to active travel adventures. Now you also know why a psychologist who supports performers, jumps into a cold lake after her own run!
The unexpected joy: community and meeting fascinating people
Perhaps the most surprising benefit is the incredible community you discover. In our age of digital connection but real isolation, cold water swimming offers something rare: genuine human connection built on shared courage and vulnerability.
The global “Water Tribe”
From the Serpentine in London to Sandycove in Dublin, from the fjords of Norway to the lakes of Finland, you’ll find communities of cold-water swimmers welcoming newcomers with open arms (and flasks of hot brew). There’s an unspoken understanding – a camaraderie built on the shared knowledge that you’ve all done something slightly mad together.
In the water, all hierarchies dissolve. The CEO and the student, the retired teacher and the healthcare worker – everyone’s equal, everyone’s shivering, and everyone gets it. The ritual creates genuine bonds: the nervous anticipation on the shore, the collective gasp as you enter, the shared laughter, the warm drinks afterwards. I absolutely love how many interesting and utterly unexpected connections I have made this way!
Extraordinary stories and creative challenges
Cold water swimmers are creative, inspiring people who refuse to let life become ordinary. Recently, I met a woman doing “60 swims in 60 locations before her 60th birthday” – traveling across the UK and Europe to tick off everything from famous lidos to hidden mountain tarns. Her eyes lit up as she described swimming in some most wonderful places, often recommended by a fellow swimmer she’d met online.
The community is full of these personal challenges and yes, you guessed it – many involves travelling to new places! Take your pick:
- The Ice Mile: Swimming 1 mile in water below 5°C (the ultimate test)
- Winter solstice swims: Marking the shortest day with a ceremonial dip
- New Year’s Day plunges: Starting the year with courage (often for charity)
- Country collecting: Swimming in as many nations as possible
- Sunrise swims: Chasing the first light in different locations around the world
These aren’t elite athletes. They’re ordinary people choosing extraordinary adventures. And their stories? Utterly infectious.
This brings me nicely to your favourite topic, my fellow travellers. Yes you guessed it! Cold water tourism!
Cold water tourism: swimming your way around the world
Whilst a local swim spot offers daily medicine, traveling specifically for cold water swimming transforms the practice into something more profound – a way of experiencing the world that conventional tourism simply cannot match.
Why cold water travel is different
When you plan trips around cold water swimming, you’re not just visiting places but you’re immersing yourself in them (well, quite literally!). You’re not a passive observer watching landscapes through a camera lens. You’re in the water, feeling the temperature that reflects the latitude, experiencing the environment with every sense heightened.
This creates memories that lodge deep in your body and mind. Years from now, you won’t just remember that you “went to Iceland”. You’ll remember the shocking cold of the geothermal river, the steam rising around you, the feeling of your skin tingling, the Icelandic swimmer who showed you the best entry point. These visceral, embodied experiences create the kind of travel memories that genuinely enrich your life.
Bucket list destinations for cold water swimmers
The global cold water swimming community has its pilgrimage sites – places where the water, landscape, and swimming culture combine to create unforgettable experiences: from the ‘holy grail’ of swimming in geothermal rivers in Iceland, through crystal clear Norwegian fjords, Finland – home to avanto (ice swimming) in frozen lakes, followed by sauna, Scottish Fairy Pools on Isle of Skye and the turquoise waters of the Outer Hebrides, mountain lakes in The Alps (Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia) all the way to Patagonian glacial lakes and rivers.
But fear not, you do not have to travel to the other side of the world to embrace the sold water swimming adventure – active cold water and wild water communities gather around every loch, river and coastline in every corner of the UK.
Finding your tribe while traveling
One of the joys of cold water tourism is that the community is remarkably connected and welcoming. Before visiting a new destination, a quick search on social media or swimming forums will reveal local groups, regular meeting times, and the best spots.
I’ve found that showing up at a local swimming spot is an instant passport to authentic local experience. Swimmers are generous with recommendations: not just where to swim, but where to eat, what to see, the hidden gems tourists miss. You’re adopted into the tribe immediately. I am writing this in the middle of November in cold, dark and gloomy Poland, yet I have just had one of the most joyful plunges in a little lake with a group of welcoming locals who treated me to some delicious hot soup and gave me useful local tips.
Some swimmers I’ve met plan entire trips around cold water swimming events: winter swimming festivals in Finland, the Serpentine Swimming Club’s Christmas Day race in London, or wild swimming weekends in the Lake District. These events combine the swimming challenge with social connection, workshops, and celebration, which I think is a perfect structure for meaningful travel.
Intrigued but nervous? Here’s how to begin your cold water swimming adventure
- Start in autumn: begin when water is around 12-15°C, allowing your body to adapt as winter approaches. You can start later too but I would recommend a lido. My local lido is open throughout winter and the temperature usually doesn’t drop below 10, even when the local river’s temperature drops to close to 0.
- Join a group: search for local cold water swimming clubs on Facebook (Bluetits are all over the country but there are also other groups) or websites like Outdoor Swimmer UK.
- Safety first: never swim alone in cold water. Understand cold water shock, hypothermia risks, and safe acclimatisation
- Kit up: invest in a good changing robe, wool socks, gloves (neoprene for very cold days), and a bright swim cap. Don’t want to invest too much? Now worries – there is a Facebook group called The Bluetit Tit Tat Market, where people sell their surplus gear.
- Start brief: 2-3 minutes counts as a swim. Don’t try to be a hero
Planning Your First Cold Water Swimming Trip
- Research the destination’s swimming culture: does the location have established cold water swimming communities? What’s the water temperature in your travel season?
- Connect before you go: join local swimming groups on Facebook, introduce yourself, ask about meeting points and times (remember safety first – don’t go alone)
- Pack appropriately: your changing robe, swim gear, and warm layers matter more than fashionable clothes
- Build swims into your itinerary: dawn or early morning swims work brilliantly—you’re energised for the day ahead, and you’ve had an adventure before most tourists wake up. But I also love late evening or midnight swims – choose whatever suits you best.
My Transformation
I started cold water swimming three years ago on a whim – or shall I say Wim (Hof), as I liked what Wim Hof was propagating and I also learned the science behind. I thought I’d probably try it once and never return. Instead, it’s become the non-negotiable in my life, the practice that keeps me sane, grounded, and genuinely happy.
More than that, it’s transformed how I travel and added another focal point to each journey – a swim spot that is!
Cold water swimming has given me a global community of remarkable humans, taught me that I’m far more capable than I believed, and reminded me that the best experiences in life often come from doing the thing that scares you (and that also happens to be completely free – a win-win in my books).
The water is waiting. Where will you swim first?
Dr Maja Jankowska is an HCPC-registered Clinical Psychologist specialising in trauma, resilience and psychological wellbeing of stage performers. When not in her consulting room, you’ll find her planning her next travel adventure (always with a stop for cold water swimming).
References
Easter, M. (2021). The Comfort Crisis: Embrace Discomfort to Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self. Rodale Books.
Harper, C. M., Croft, J. L., Massey, H., & Tipton, M. J. (2022). How to acclimatise to cold water swimming: Water temperature and environmental conditions. Lifestyle Medicine, 3(1), e52.
Huttunen, P., Kokko, L., & Ylijukuri, V. (2004). Winter swimming improves general well-being. International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 63(2), 140-144.
Machado, A. F., Ferreira, P. H., Micheletti, J. K., et al. (2016). Can water temperature and immersion time influence the effect of cold water immersion on muscle soreness? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 46(4), 503-514.
Shevchuk, N. A. (2008). Adapted cold shower as a potential treatment for depression. Medical Hypotheses, 70(5), 995-1001.
van Tulleken, C., Tipton, M., Massey, H., & Harper, C. M. (2018). Open water swimming as a treatment for major depressive disorder. BMJ Case Reports, 2018, bcr-2018-225007.
