As a psychologist I have spoken at great lengths of the need to take a break, get away, find your happy place and often use the example of going and getting some “Vitamin Sea”. Often I suggest that even an hour at the beach, half a day, a full day, whatever you can squeeze in, is beneficial for some rest and repair. The medical term for going to the ocean and using the seawater for medical benefits is called “thalassotherapy”. The ocean has been touted as having rich properties because it has higher amounts of minerals which include sodium, chloride, sulphate, magnesium and calcium.
Below is link that discusses the benefits of not only being at the beach, and wading in the water, but swimming in the ocean for having powerful effects on mental health, which is another form of thalassotherapy. However, with this can come problems especially if you suffer “thalassophobia”, which is a fear of the ocean, and swimming in the ocean. If this is your fear and you would like to overcome it then seeking therapy is the first step, and as with any form of phobia ‘exposure therapy’ is extremely important. Exposure therapy should be completed, as the woman in the video below discusses, with a trusted coach who understands the fear and will gently guide you through it. I hope you enjoy watching the link provided by Gold Coast based ocean swimming coach Phil Clayton & Co.
“A mini-documentary showing the link between mental health and sea swimming. Katie swims off the rocks of Penzance, UK nearly every day of the year. Open water swimming has helped her overcome some of the struggles that life all too often throws our way. The hope is that her story may help others who are faced with similar challenges.”
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