Wim Hof believes that embracing the cold has the ability to change anyone’s life for the better. In this blog, we learn more about how cold exposure has enabled him to advance scientific understanding of the human body. Plus, accomplish extraordinary feats of human endurance, including 21 Guinness World Records. 

It’s no secret that cold water swimming has a huge number of health benefits. Many people in the UK have been using it as a means to regulate physical and emotional health for some time, which begs the question – why isn’t it offered on the NHS as an alternative to prescription medication and therapy?

Quite often the things we fear the most are the things we need to address the most. Whilst it can be overwhelming to even consider tackling these areas of our lives, wild swimming provides us with the opportunity to develop the skills we need to be able to do so, before we’re ready to face them head on.

Ben Ford is a Cornish Psychotherapist and Eco-therapy retreat leader, who now resides in North Wales. His training and experience has given him a broad understanding of the human mind. We’re fascinated to hear his thoughts on a subject we’re all familiar with – resistance.

Next week is Mental Health Awareness Week and we've been working with NHS Cornwall to promote the mental health benefits of wild swimming. We've decided to launch our #selfcareswims campaign during October to try and raise money for Mind UK. We'd like to ask you to help us by completing the challenge and having a bit of fun, all whilst investing in your own self-care!

Getting myself to the beach and going in the sea has been a tonic to my turmoil and I feel like it has the power to have this effect on others as well. When I enter the water the cold heightens my senses and brings my mind forward into this present reality surrounded by nature, the weight of land is eradicated and as I float through the blues and greens I know that as long as I have this I will be okay. 

It’s the act of stepping into an uncomfortable situation that I find beneficial. I’ve used cold water to train my willpower, which has allowed me to also step into uncomfortable social and personal situations too. There’s no doubt that sea swimming has played a vital part in my recovery, cold water has the magical power to cure. It’s a powerful tool, one that’s helped me rebuild the foundations of my confidence. 

After struggling with my mental health from the age of nine and spending years trying various talking therapies, prescription medication and substance abuse, wild swimming has been an instrumental part of my journey to becoming a healthy and functioning adult.