I am so delighted that outdoor saunas have become such a thing in Ireland and seem
especially popular throughout Cork. Visiting the sauna and having a dip in the sea is my
single favourite thing.
If you would have told me a few years ago jumping into the Irish
sea would light me up I would laugh at you and go back to hugging the radiator! But I
feel now it's an important piece of my mental health tool kit. I have pushed myself out
to the beach on low mood days and days of higher stress or being stuck in an anxiety
loop and it has always put me in a better place.

Numerous studies on both sauna use and sea swimming have found mood elevating
benefits as well as many other benefits such as improved sleep. When I combine both I
feel like the reset button has been pushed and the kind of nervous system regulation it
provides for me is significant. I have built up my tolerance for the cold water over time
and I feel a sense of achieving something with each visit and also of building resilience
in myself for pushing myself to do it when I often feel a lot of resistance.
If you haven’t already I encourage you to give it a go!
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