On being brave - cold water swims

Cold water swimming in my local lido has been a weekly habit of mine for the past few years and I’m not sure what how I’d cope without it. As well as helping me manage stress and it’s taught be a great deal about being brave in the water and also outside on dry land.

Perhaps the best way to think of bravery is to treat it as a muscle. Some people are born stronger than others, but we can all improve our strength through training and practice. Here’s some tips to train for being brave:

Practice going out of your comfort zone
Continuously practising small acts of courage will build your brave habit.

Powerful questions
What’s the worst that could happen? What will happen if I don’t act? These 2 questions allow you to assess the risks of acting / not acting.

Reframing fears
Negativity bias is a thing. As human beings we are prone to focus more on negative than positive outcomes. Spend a few moments thinking through the potential positive results of acting courageously.

What could you do this week to train your brave muscle? What will being braver bring you?