The Alchemy of Discomfort

The Alchemy of the Cold - Going from a mouse to a lion.

Cold water is a brutal. If you happen to be in the shower and the water somehow goes to cold by accident. It can feel like you have a trauma for life.  So then the idea of taking a cold shower proactively. You would want to be a little tapped in the head to do it. 

In recent years cold exposure has become a lot more fashionable. People like Wim Hof have sought out to shout about the scientific benefits of it. 

And there is some science worth noting

On the mental side, cold showers enhance clarity and resilience by triggering the release of norepinephrine, a chemical that helps the body adapt to stress. Additionally, they might increase metabolism by activating brown fat, which burns calories, as noted in Nature Reviews Endocrinology. They improve circulation and may strengthen the immune system by boosting white blood cell production, as suggested in Medical Hypotheses. They also help reduce inflammation and muscle soreness, serving as an effective recovery tool after exercise, according to the European Journal of Applied Physiology.

What I notice is the utter dread. And the relief when it is over. It feels like an immediate challenge over come. And in time you almost use it like a tool for life. The approach of just do it, get in is used elsewhere. From meeting difficult people to jobs you put off to everything. Just do it. Get in. It will be fine.

Going from warm to cold is a dramatic change. But something happens to us. And the longer you stay in a cold shower, the more you will see this.

Your body simply adjusts to this discomfort. Much like muscles can grow soo too can the ability of your body to survive when it is put under stress. 

I like to say that you go into a cold shower, ice bath, the sea or whereever like a mouse, but you come out like a lion. A friend said something like “You can’t even be depressed in there”.. 

Really you have to try it for yourself.  It is an experience all on its own. From start to finish of deciding to get in, the nervousness, the dread, turning it too cold, the panic, the calm and then its over. 

How to Get Started

Jumping straight into a freezing shower is one way. I like to pull of the plaster. Here’s a simple way to ease in:

Start Warm: Begin your shower at a normal, comfortable temperature.

Go Cold for a Bit: After a minute, switch to cold for 10-15 seconds. Breathe slowly and deeply to stay calm.

Build Up Slowly: Add a few seconds each day, aiming for 1-2 minutes eventually.

Top top. Use your breath. Try to move out of the flight or fight mode into rest and digest. So get your breathing from feeling like its caught, to a focus on it.

Good luck.