Finding Happiness

The power of positive psychology: finding happiness in a cold ocean swim
Kay Cahill Allison
Posted July 27, 2011, 3:31 pm , Updated August 25, 2016, 8:24 am
Kay Cahill Allison, Former Editor, Harvard Health

While swimming in the frigid ocean off the coast of Maine a few days ago, I entered what psychologists call a flow state. It felt like a million bucks.

Here’s what happened: On a hot Sunday afternoon, I walked into the Atlantic off Cape Elizabeth. Although the water was painfully cold, it was sparkling and exhilarating. I began to swim. The activity absorbed all my attention. It completely squelched other thoughts and worries. And it made me happy for hours afterward.