January. The month for all check ups that waited until medical aid kicks in again. You probably know the feeling.

So, diary is out and the appointments are made. Well … most of them anyway. The ones that still hold a little energy of fear I’ll leave for last.

As you probably noticed, I am all about pushing away fear and choosing love. And I am! But that doesn’t mean I never feel scared. Of course I do. I am human after all. What I do do though, is give it limited airtime. I let it come in, indulge it for a short while and then park it. A couple of hours before the actual appointment is more than enough time to worry.

I can see some of you shaking your head in disbelief. ‘That’s not realistic,’ I hear you murmur not quite out of earshot. No, really. It is what I actually do.

Help does come in unexpected ways though. I am addicted to swimming in the sea. That’s not really a new thing, but what is quite new is my love of cold water swimming. My cut off is 9 degrees to be exact, and yes I did force a friend to plunge in with me. I have been swimming almost every day this summer and on many days in late winter. So, what has all this have to do with fear and medical check ups? I’m getting there …

Lsst week was the first of my scheduled check ups, and I made my way to the GP’s rooms. I love my doctor, but that doesn’t mean my white coat syndrome doesn’t emerge as soon as I walk through the door. So, we take my blood pressure three times. Instead of this calming me down, it seems to hike up my anxiety to the next level, and I wait with baited breath for the verdict. There is silence after the second attempt. I brace myself for bad news.

“Fantastic!’ my beloved doc. announces. ‘Your BP is fantastic!’

I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.

‘What have you been doing lately? Whatever it is, keep doing it. It’s working.’

‘Nightly cuddles with Archie, my cat … and a bit of swimming,’ I say modestly. ‘Cold water swimming to be exact,’ I add when her face lights up.

‘I knew it!’ She says. ‘I just knew you were doing something different to cause this.’

For the next few minutes, we exchange cold water swimming stories. The benefits are enormous and by the end of the conversation, my doctor has even promised to join me for my sunset swims.

How does all this tie up? Medical examinations trigger my fear response, but swimming in the sea on a daily basis balances my blood pressure and floods my body with the happy hormone. The snatch of sunshine adds to the mix and voila!

In fact, I’ve decided to schedule a swim just before my next appointment. It certainly can’t do any harm.

So, what am I actually saying to you?

I feel your fear. I really do. But nevertheless, make all those important appointments this week, and then dig out your bikini.

I dare you to!