If you've ever felt like your mental health was in a rut, swimming could be the answer.
Whether it's something you've tried or want to get into, swimming is an incredible way to relieve stress, improve your mood, and relax your mind.
The power of water.
Water is the basis of life. It has healing power, and can be used as a self-care tool to help you relax, sleep and soothe your mind.
In addition to being essential for our physical health, water is also an important part of healing our minds. Water has been called “nature’s psychotherapist”—it offers comfort and relaxation that we can all benefit from in times of stress or anxiety.
Water offers several benefits: it cleanses and purifies; it soothes the soul; it helps calm your mind and body; it helps you sleep better at night; and ultimately, it brings you closer to nature—which in turn makes us feel more connected with ourselves and others.
Sound and vibration can also both be very powerful. The sound of flowing water, the sound of running water, or the sound of waves in the sea or the ocean can reduce stress, relax the mind, and help deal with anxiety.
This is because it helps you focus on something other than your worries. When I'm having trouble quieting my anxious mind, I often think about the sound of waves crashing on the beach.
Sustainable self care.
When we talk about sustainable self care, we mean practices that you can do consistently, over a long period of time.
Sustainable self care is important because it keeps the body and mind healthy. It also provides an opportunity for spiritual growth and development.
Water is powerful and healing. It's accessible for most people which helps make the self-care practices below sustainable.
Let's... dive in!
Swimming and floating both have powerful effects on the mind and body.
Many people don't realize how much stress they hold in their bodies until they get into the water.
As you move slowly through the water, you'll feel tension release from every part of your body—and it's possible that this will be the first time in ages that you've felt relaxed!
Swimming
Swimming is an excellent form of self-care that can help you relieve stress, anxiety, and depression. It's also a great way to stay active in your body and mind.
In addition to helping with anxiety and stress levels, swimming is also a great way to get exercise that doesn’t feel like exercise because you are doing something you love!
Swimming has also been shown to lower blood pressure which means a decreased chance of heart attacks/strokes in people who often get those conditions due to high blood pressure.
On a spiritual level, swimming can be an incredible self care activity. It can help you release stress and tension from every part of your body through movement and relaxation. It allows negative thoughts to dissipate as you focus on your breath and movement in the water.
On an emotional level, swimming helps you center yourself. Your mind can quiet down and focus on just being in the moment as you move through the water. Swimming is graceful, free flowing movement... no wonder it's such a powerful form of self care!
Floating
Floating is also an excellent form of self-care because it can help reduce feelings associated with chronic pain or other ailments such as stress headaches or high blood pressure.
Floating has been shown to lower cortisol levels in some people which may help reduce irritability.
Additionally, floating can also be used as an alternative therapy like meditation as it allows one’s mind to relax while simultaneously giving their body some much needed rest during stressful times.
Floating is a great way to relax and de-stress. It can also help you sleep better because of its calming effects on your nervous system (including your brain). Floating can help you release emotional blockages by helping to clear out stress, anxiety, and other negative emotions that may be causing problems in your life.
Floating has shown promise for people suffering from PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), depression & anxiety disorders as well as those dealing with chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia or arthritis.
Crystals that resonate with water can facilitate meditation and self reflection.
Though most people are lucky enough to find a free body of water to swim or float in like a lake, reservoir, ocean, or river (or even a community pool), for some, getting into the water is not an accessible or sustainable form of self-care.
That's where crystals come in!
Consider these two crystals that each resonate with water and the emotional and spiritual benefits of swimming and floating:
-
Amethyst is a purple crystal that helps to calm anxiety, insomnia, and even nightmares by promoting deep sleep when you need it most! It also aids in protecting against physical harm because of its properties as an analgesic.
-
Lapis Lazuli is known for its ability to improve concentration, increase self-awareness, enhance understanding and enhance creativity - basically making this crystal perfect for any kind of creative project! Use it when you're stuck on something or have writer's block; let yourself get lost in the color blue for a bit before coming back around with some fresh ideas flowing through your mind again (pun intended).
Final thoughts.
Whether you're looking for a new form of self care, or if you just want to relax after a stressful day, swimming and floating are great ways to clear your mind and restore your energy in an accessible way.
Both activities have been used for millennia, and offer similar benefits as yoga or meditation. Whether it's floating on top of water or swimming under it, there are many reasons why swimming is good for mental health!