There are so many ways we can try to help our mental health in midlife and perimenopause – and believe me, I’ve tried many of them. I bet you have, too. I’m on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and I’ve embraced weight training. I try to watch what I eat, adding more protein, for example. But I never expected something as simple as cold water swimming to be a complete reset switch on my menopause rage, brain fog and anxiety.
I usually save trips to my local lido for the summer, but when they opened for a winter season, I decided to give it a go. I’ve always loved swimming, ever since I was a little girl. It’s a pure escape for me, being in the water and pounding away up and down the pool. When I moved to Chipping Norton in the Cotswolds five years ago, I was delighted to discover there was a lido (heated, phew!).
I spent several summers in my happy place, going for swims at lunchtime or after work, swapping my laptop for lengths. It was always a bittersweet day when the lido would close at the end of the summer season. Then, for the first time, the team at the Chipping Norton Lido – aka Chippy Lido – announced that the pool would be staying open throughout the winter season. But there was a twist: the boilers would be turned off, and the water would be allowed to cool down.
My happy place was becoming a cold place! Did I dare try the cold water experience? I’d heard a lot about the benefits of cold water swimming (we’ve all heard of Wim Hof, right?) from friends and on social media. It’s likely you’ve tried the trend yourself, or seen videos of people plunging into icy waters, often jumping in and out of a sauna, too. I’m not a huge fan of saunas, so for the first few trips I just went swimming. I leaned into the sauna after several other swimmers said it would add a new layer to the feeling of getting back in the pool.
Swimming has always been a joy for me – I would frequent the lido all summer. But in winter, in the cold? I was excited, but also petrified. The only attempt I’d ever made was earlier that year, with friends in Liverpool. That was in May, though, so slightly warmer than the October day when I found myself agreeing to take my first cold dip at the Chippy Lido.
A secret weapon for menopause mental health
Cold water swimming has always been spoken about in terms of health benefits, but I’d never specifically heard about it helping with menopause, so I didn’t expect it to help my symptoms in that way. For me, it was more about the challenge of getting in – I never imagined it would help me reset my midlife malaise.
On my first go, I was nervous. Stepping into the water, I felt a prickle, like pins and needles, start to weave its way up my feet and legs. My heart rate quickened and I wanted to run away as fast as possible. But something drew me in and, as I began to breathe calmly, I found myself swimming along. My skin buzzed as if it was being tickled with electricity. It was a sensation that made me feel alive, awake and alert. And then, after the fear and excitement – a thrill of being immersed in such chilly waters!
There has been so much change in my mental health since I became perimenopausal, from anxiety and self-doubt to nervousness and brain fog. In those chilly waters, it all faded away. I was alert and full of joy.
I became one of “those” people I’d often laughed at, spending £40 on special socks to wear in the pool to help the cramp in my feet. As a swimmer, I already had a towelling robe, but a Dryrobe coat is now on my birthday list for this year.
Advice for a cold dip
Now, I’m in a Facebook group called the Chippy Chilly Dippers, and my friends there shared some advice if you’re keen to try a cold dip, too.
One of them is Julie Wood, who I met at the shallow end during a cold dip – one of my earlier attempts. I was nervous, hesitating. Julie kindly talked me into the water, providing a guiding voice.
She advises people to commit to a weekly dip, so you get used to the temperature, as well as urging people to enjoy the social side and meet like-minded people.
“Arrange to meet a friend, so you can’t back out!” she says. “And commit to the challenge of doing the whole season. I looked forward to my cold water dips on a Saturday and meeting so many nice people along the way.”
I’m proud to say I’ve done just that and even bought a badge for my towel, unlocking a memory of childhood swimming badges. So now, I am now officially one of “those women” who took the cold water plunge.
Life lessons
The lessons from cold water swimming are ones we can use in daily life. The mantra of “slowly, with purpose” for getting in the water is one that you could use for everything, from embracing a new project or form of exercise all the way through to work challenges. In a world where I choose to rush, this is a moment of calm, of forced slowing down and of mindfulness.
Perhaps it’s because I have to leave my phone firmly in my bag before entering the pool, but there is a moment, like a switch, where everything else seems to fade firmly into the background. There is nothing in my mind except the focus on getting into the pool. It’s always a moment of calm in the madness of menopause.
