The restorative properties of swimming
On the back of my good friend and Hispanic studies scholar Fiona Noble’s blog post about going walking to get the writing juices flowing, I thought I’d chip in with my recent experience of swimming and walking in helping my writing process in tandem with recovering from debilitating mental health issues. Swimming is an activity I’ve avoided for many years due to poor eyesight, not being terribly good at breathing, and body shame. Now that I’m an old has-been of 32 (a dig at my last lot of students who practically said as much), I give less of a damn. Firstly, I’ve had the contact lenses/prescriptions goggles conversation too many times than is acceptable for anyone’s sanity, so spare me. I’m not an athlete, nor a rich person. I never could do head-under-water stuff anyway, largely due to point two, so wearing old glasses isn’t an issue. But the embarrassment of bumping into people was. Secondly, I’m an odd shape. I’m a long, gangly sort of person, but my torso is short,