Cold Showers: An Experiment in Lowering Stress and Anxiety
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Cold showers… what crazy person would voluntarily submerge themselves in cold water as a daily habit? And for the sake of health? Really? The last time I stood under cold water (which typically only happens by accident), I recall it causing me a hell of a lot of stress!
Could that really be good for me?
Well, apparently it is. Hmm.
My husband has been doing weird shit in the name of health since the first day I ever met him.
On our second date he picked me up at 5am, with a smoothie in hand, to go watch the sunrise. The first sip of that smoothie I realized just how much I liked him.
I literally had to chew the damn thing.
But he’s all about function. He loaded as many vegetables into that thing as his little blender could handle (and clearly, the little blender was overwhelmed and called it a day half way through the smoothie blending…). But he efficiently managed to get an entire salad bowl into one little cup…and he’s healthier for it (and so am I now…since most of the things I once thought were weird, I have adopted as my own).
The first time I went to the airport with him, I uncomfortably looked around at passerbyers as he stretched his hamstrings in interesting positions, did a ton of squats as fast as he could, and so on.
A year ago he started fasting for a day here, two days there. Apparently intermittent fasting is good for you too. It’s been heavily linked to longevity. But I just couldn’t understand (or get behind) why you would choose to not eat for a whole day.
…In my defense, I’ve either been pregnant or breastfeeding for the last 5 years… so I’m going to give myself a mulligan on that one.
Lastly, if you read my post on voluntary hardship you remember me talking about the crazy sounds that come out of the bathroom on the mornings that my husband “feels called” to take a cold shower. And yes, “feels called”…if the thought so much as enters his brain, he HAS to do it.
It’s comedy, I tell you. But I couldn’t possibly love who he is more.
When The Light Went On
Last night, as I was folding laundry I turned on the new Netflix series, The Goop Lab, with Gwyneth Paltrow.
The series is fascinating.
Basically she’s picking topics that people have heard of but may feel intimidated or afraid to try themselves. So Goop tries it for them and covers the topic.
I ended up watching two episodes. The first was on the topic of psychedelic drugs used in a therapeutic setting… super interesting. Almost sold me on packing a bag and heading to Jamaica to try it out…but alas, no thanks.
The second episode was on cold water therapy with Wim Hof who is lovingly known as the IceMan.
My poor husband jokingly asked me if I was going to start taking cold showers because of what Wim Hof had to say even though he has been nudging me to do it for years now.
Okay…GUILTY. But in my defense here…
The biggest motivator for me after watching the episode last night was that cold water therapy has massive influence on how we handle stress. Basically, it teaches you how to handle stress by stressing your body the hell out.
The Science Behind Cold Exposure Therapy
Jillian Michaels says in her most recent book “The 6 Keys”, “Studies show that exposure to short term, mild stress – both physiological and psychological- can actually have an anti-aging affect by strengthening your cellular responses to stress. Theoretically, short term stress promotes longevity by activating defensive molecular mechanisms and stimulating DNA repair.”
Wim Hof states ” Frequent exposure to cold is linked to a number of different health benefits. For example, scientists have found evidence that exposure to cold speeds up metabolism. Another benefit of exposing your body to cold is that it reduces inflammation, swelling and sore muscles. Furthermore, cold body therapy is also linked to improved quality of sleep, more focus and even to an improved immune response.
Cold is an important component of the Wim Hof Method, which is applied in the form of cold showers and ice baths. Participants of the WHM report health benefits that range from higher energy levels to relieve of symptoms caused by autoimmune diseases.”
Wim Hof continues by saying, ” Proper exposure to the cold starts a cascade of health benefits, including the buildup of brown adipose tissue and resultant fat loss, reduced inflammation that facilitates a fortified immune system, balanced hormone levels, improved sleep quality, and the production of endorphins— the feel-good chemicals in the brain that naturally elevate your mood. “
What’s Taken Me So Long?
So going back to why I never really got into it when my husband nudged me to do it…
My husband is one of the most even keeled human beings I have ever met. He doesn’t ever get really all that overly excited (which feels really awkward by the way when I am either laughing my ass off at something that he doesn’t find that funny, or I’m hormone-crying my face off at the final scene of Dirty Dancing…)…
…but he also doesn’t ever get really down, either.
So last night as we were getting ready for bed I said to him, “well sorry babe, but you don’t ever struggle with stress or depression (I do)…so I didn’t think that one of the side benefits of putting myself in cold water would have anything to do with improving that!”
And in true Nick fashion, he turns his sweet face over his shoulder with a sly grin and says, “or is that the exact reason I don’t struggle with those things…?”
Grrr.
Maybe not! But maybe…
It’s enough to look into anyway.
The Experiment
So, I’ve decided that for the rest of the month of February, I’m going to do a little experiment…
…I’m going to take a cold shower each morning and see how it changes my ability to handle stress.
And let me tell you…this is a tall order to fill. I’m lucky if I get a shower everyday (if I’m being totally honest)… and when I do, the last thing in the damn world I want to do is take a COLD damn SHOWER! I am a true comfort seeker in a lot of ways. I’m pretty sure I was a cat in a former life (all curled up in a ball basking in the warmth of the sun…).
But for the sake of experimentation and science…tally ho.
So I will be taking a cold shower (for 30-60 seconds at the end of my shower) each day, in the morning, for the sake of seeing how that allows me to handle stress for the rest of the day. And I will report back at the end of the month with a log that I will keep throughout the month.
If you’re curious about cold exposure therapy, join my weekly newsletter to make sure you get the update!
Also, if you are interested in learning more about the Wim Hof method, he offers a free mini class on his site! Go check it out!
