From sea swimming to painting, doctors are ‘prescribing’ hobbies – but you don’t need a doctor’s note to get started
In 2020, the year Amanda lost her mother, husband, job and pre-pandemic normalcy, she was diagnosed with major depressive disorder. “My life was just spiraling down and down and down,” she says.
To help with her symptoms, in addition to an antidepressant prescription, Amanda was given a “social prescription”: a referral to a non-medical, community-based activity, typically involving movement, nature, art or service. Amanda lives near Devon, England, and became curious about sea swimming after reading about its health benefits and watching other women do it at her local beach all year round. When she told this to her mental health nurse, she was prescribed a spot in Chill Therapy, an eight-week course that teaches swimming, floating and breathing techniques to build skill and confidence navigating the open water.
Six years later, Amanda turns to swimming in the sea whenever she feels stressed. “It invigorates me and makes me feel I can cope with anything,” she says. “I can’t do without it, to be honest.” She is now down to the lowest dose of her antidepressant, and has made a ton of friends along the way: “I feel refreshed in body and soul.”
