The 365 Day Swim

Hey Legends!

Tomorrow is the last day of my 365 days of swimming.

Anyone out there want to join me or have any cool ideas for what we can do for it??

I started this little challenge one day because it made me feel good, gave me some mental clarity and most importantly helped me become present in the moment for at least one part of my day! Something that I have really struggled with. (I also was given a little nudge/challenge from someone very close to me to do something for myself)

Some people have asked me why I started it and I never have really given much of a straight answer. But here we go!

If you don’t already know, I often find myself caught up in my own thoughts and at times feel like there are a million things going on at once up there! Which can get overwhelming at times.

Jumping into the ocean every day has really helped to clear up my headspace in the last year and has really helped me to maximise my days, weeks, months and this last year!

The cold water shocks you back into the present, makes you take a huge breath and helps to reset you! I’ve found that adding this little trick into my day has really lifted my mindfulness, allowed me to stay in the present moment and stopped my thoughts from racing away from me even if it’s just for the 10 or 20 minutes I take out for my swim, boosting my happiness 10 fold!

There's been some tough days, from diving into Lake Lyell in the Blue Mountains, countless night swims, a frantic search for a pool in Auckland as well as multiple cuts to feet that have taken ages to heal! But there have been some absolute pearler days just across the road in our own backyard at Bulli with pristine conditions that stick with you forever.

Some of you guys might think I’m crazy but I’m a huge believer that this has really helped me out and I want to be able to share it with you and hopefully the rest of our little community!

Mental health is sometimes a taboo subject and can be really complex but something so simple like a catch up or a chat with a mate and even taking a minute out of your day to practice being mindful and present can really do a world of good!

This leads me to HEAD FIRST! On Thursday’s at around 6AM I’m going to be heading down to the beach to continue my little ritual and hopefully let it rub off on some familiar faces, no matter the temperature, weather, sunlight or lack there off!

So if you feel like this is something that might benefit you or someone you know in some way, shape or form or even if you think I’m nuts I challenge you to at least try it once, no matter how hard you think it might be. I promise that you will feel a million bucks after it!

If I can do it, why can’t you?

So who’s with me?

Ash Nisbet