How WTMWTD has helped our users

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"I'd do it every day if I could."

Going back to work under these covid restrictions has been so stressful. My work life balance is shot to pieces and I feel totally frazzled. Doing this on a Friday really does set me up for the weekend and I feel alive for the day. Some days I'm doing 12 hours more by the time I do shit at home too but this really does give me the energy to move. Sounds silly but I get in from work and only have the energy to shower, eat and then sleep. Amazing what a walk and a swim can do.

"Helped with my anxieties."

 Before joining WTMWTD I suffered with anxiety & stress for years due to early menopause, this group & the support everyone has for each other has taught me so much about how to manage and overcome my anxieties.  I feel so alive and buzzing after every walk & cold water swim! I really don’t know where I’d be without this amazing group!! 

"I fell proud of myself for doing it"  

I joined the WTMWTD group in September 2020 after hearing about it through Elaine Jack who become a leader here in Garstang/Preston area. I looked at it, liked the sound of it but thought why would i want to get up so early and make my days even longer ? I am not a morning person. My motivation was pretty much non existent and mental health was starting to suffer due to being on and off furlough since march. My days were empty a lot of the time and i felt i was very much in a rut feeling deflated with everything going on. After reading everyones posts and seeing the positive vibes flooding the page with amazing sunrises & views i got a little more intrigued and thought no harm in going just the once, all these people cant be wrong surely? So in October i did my first 6am walk with Elaine, my friend Izzy and the Garstang lot and LOVED it. (No sea near us so no swim but it is on my list of things to do) From then on i was hooked! My alarms were set and I actually looked forward to it each week. The covid rules kept changing which ment we had to adapt and go virtually with one other person but always had leaders going live in the group which was great for motivation and accountability . We even met in our pairs and did a walk 3-4 times a week some weeks . I loved getting up and out, walking along with a brew chatting away time would fly but most importantly i felt proud of my self for doing it and actually sticking to something. I felt so much happier in my self even when i had nothing to do for the whole day i had got up and done something for me which made me then want to be productive and find things to do. Without joining this group i would 100% still be stuck in the same rut of lazy days, binge watching netflix and feeling down. I have really appreciated that we live in such a beautiful area full of amazing walks, fields, woodlands, canal routes and i can honestly say i have seen more of it in the last 4-5 months than i have in my whole 32 years. There are so many positives i have and still am gaining and I’m so glad i said yes, it really was the best descision. One of my favourite things is that i have formed and strengthened some amazing friendships I wouldn’t now be without. I love hearing peoples stories and seeing their pictures no matter where they live or if i know them it has really inspired me and given me the kick up the ass i needed to make the most and find the positives in these crazy hard times. 

The support from this group is amazing Thank you for starting this up Chris, you should be incredibly proud of what you have built and for the difference it’s making to peoples mental & physical health. #WTMWTD

"It's just pure unadulterated joy in nature"

COMMIT – I like the once a week chance to be held accountable and meet up with like minded individuals in local area with no hidden agenda. Some days are raining, others calm weather. They are early starts. But what it does is kick start your day, and make you feel like you are part of something bigger. You belong. There is a sense of community.

CONNECT – This has been an important one for me especially on the backdrop of lockdown, and working from home. Being deprived of seeing family, loved ones and friends, the chance to take a 2 mile walk and chat to strangers encourages connection and shared stories. I met out of work airline crew, fitness trainers, and open water swimmers all with their own stories. We talked, laughed, listened.

COMFORT ZONE – Cold water swimming has been a new one for me, which has lead  like many of us on am interesting journey, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. It could be just a dip. I like the fact that it never gets easier, or not everyone gets it. It’s a great leveller. And its just pure unadulterated joy in nature. It reminds me that when life gets you down, it’s the simple things that can be the most rewarding.