My burnout was causing anxiety-induced chest pains and mental spirals – cold-water swimming twice a week made a huge difference

• The freelancer Lauren Crosby Medlicott was having chest pains when she opened her computer to work.
• A doctor friend suggested cold-water swimming as a possible solution.
• She swims in the river at least twice a week and has seen a marked decrease in the pain and anxiety.
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At the beginning of this summer, I started to experience a pulsing pain in my chest nearly every time I thought about work.

Each time I thought about pitching a story idea, editing a recent article, or what readers thought of a finished piece, I felt a sharp stab in the left side of my chest.

Instead of closing the computer and taking a break, I pushed ahead, eager to advance my journalism career, and the pain just became more frequent.

As a late comer to the profession – just starting out at 32 – I am painfully aware of how far I am behind those who have worked in the field for years.

Over the past year, my ambition to succeed has led me to burnout and anxiety, which in turn has meant I can’t think straight, write well, or edit analytically. At my lowest point, I remember sitting in front of my computer for hours, re-reading rejection letters from editors, manically searching Twitter for story ideas, biting my fingernails to the quick, and coming up with absolutely nothing to write about.

I wanted to give up on this new career.

A doctor friend of mine had been begging me to go swimming in cold water with her, praising its healing benefits. I’d read the purported power of daily blasts of cold water in the shower to elevate mood. And I had heard how Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey reportedly sits in ice baths, which can reduce inflammation in the body.

I wasn’t convinced cold water would work for my anxiety, but I had nothing to lose.

At the start of the summer, after a series of minor panic attacks, I took my friend up on her offer. We drove separately, met at the car park close to the River Taff in Wales, and walked together to the entry point. With only a bathing suit on, I slowly lowered myself into the deep river running through the woods – reassured by my friend that the temperature was supposed to take my breath away.

Within minutes, my limbs felt numb as my body went into shock at the change in temperature. My friend encouraged me to keep moving so that my body would heat and to take deep breaths until my body adjusted. Eventually, although my skin felt numb, I found the chill of the water bearable. We stayed in for only 15 minutes, but when I got out to warm up and walk back to the car, I could take deep breaths – something I couldn’t manage when anxiety took over – and there was no pain in my chest.

After that initial dip, I was hooked. I found The Outdoor Swimming Society website and started researching how to swim safely in cold water. I learned the importance of getting warm and dry as quickly as possible after a dip. While a wetsuit isn’t a must, I knew I would swim more in the colder months with one. I started swimming twice a week in the river close to our house.

I’d either swim with my husband when we had childcare or with my doctor friend. I felt more comfortable having another person with me. It takes nearly no preparation: I get my wetsuit on before I leave the house, throw a towel and warm change of clothes in a bag, and head off. From start to finish, I’m done in an hour.

Recently, the chest pain I’d had before the swims started on a Thursday afternoon, after a series of stressors I couldn’t control. I felt myself spiraling, negative thoughts returning. Sometimes, sleep helps. But I woke Friday morning with the same pain and decided I would swim before diving into work. I phoned around to friends, and no one could make it, so I went alone.

To be safe, I texted a friend to say when I was going and let her know I’d text right when I got out of the water. I dropped my kids at school and headed to the river. Within seconds of jumping in, the chest pain disappeared. I was in for 15 minutes – I’d normally stay in for 30 – but when I got home, I was pain free and could crack on with my to-do list. I managed to write and send two articles that day while the kids were in school.

While I’m hesitant about cold-water swimming in the middle of winter, I’m determined to figure out a way to continue jumping in at least twice a week.

I feel like my mental health, and my work, depends on it.