THE POWER OF A COLD SHOWER

"When you go into the cold, you cannot think. You have to be. You learn to be.... to be the best version of yourself." - Wim Hof (The Iceman)

Have you ever taken a cold shower?

If you have, it most likely wasn’t intentional. Your water heater probably took a shit or you were camping in a place that didn’t provide warm water. Either way, if you have access to the luxury of a warm shower, you’ll choose it.

So what is so great about taking a cold shower?

Or better yet, why would a person intentionally put themselves through the misery of taking a freezing cold shower when it’s much more comfortable to just take a nice warm one?

The answer is simple… it WILL benefit you.

I’ll start with the physical improvements. Cold showers have numerous benefits for the body. They can help reduce inflammation, relieve pain, improve circulation, lower stress levels, aid in weight loss as well as reduce muscle soreness and fatigue. Why do you think cold tubs have been around in athletic training rooms for years? Because they fucking work. Think of it like icing a bruise or an injured muscle.

From experience, I have personally benefited from all of the above in regards to cold showers. Any inflammation or soreness that I used to deal with from intense workouts have either lessened drastically or disappeared. My resting heart rate has dropped (an improvement) and overall my body feels better.

Not to be overshadowed by the physical benefits, the mental benefits of taking a cold shower are equally as important. Cold showers provide improved energy, alertness, and concentration. In other words, they help your overall mental and emotional wellness.

Again, through my own experience, I have seen huge differences in my own mental clarity. How do I know this? The days when I bitch out and choose NOT to take the plunge are the days I notice the difference. I find myself losing confidence, I experience brain fog and I find myself dealing with mid-morning and mid-afternoon fatigue. The difference between the days when I take a cold shower and when I don’t are night and day.

At this point I have been taking cold showers for over a year. And just to be clear, I don’t kamikaze myself into fucking freezing cold water each morning. I start out with hot water (just like a normal shower). Once I have finished washing up, I turn the knob all the way to cold and spend the next two minutes under the freezing spray to get my day started.

Now before I turn the knob to cold, a couple of thoughts will pass through my mind:

“Why am I doing this to myself?”

“It’s too cold outside today. I’ll do it tomorrow.”

Then as I force myself into the freeze, I cycle that weak voice out of my head and channel in the positive thoughts:

“Nothing can happen today that sucks as much as this cold shower.”

“Who the fuck else is doing this to start their morning?”

I have tapped into my ability to put mind over matter.

I have engaged in psychological warfare with the weak voice inside of my head that has always told me to choose comfort.

Yes, the cold water on my body sucks (especially when it’s below freezing outside), but it helps get my mind right for the day.

Yes, it takes a few seconds to catch my breath when it runs down my spine but it helps me to take control of my breathing (especially as I face stressful situations throughout the day).

But the feeling when I’m done is like no other that day. It is the feeling of accomplishment, as the last thing I want to do is stand under that cold stream for any amount of time.

So here is my suggestion for you….

Try taking a cold shower. Start by timing yourself for 10 seconds. The last 10 seconds of your shower, turn that bitch all the way to cold and embrace it. It will suck. It will not be comfortable. But I promise that if you make this a habit, you will begin to see improvements in all aspects of your life.