Reap the Benefits of a Cold Shower
- Timothy Phillips
- Jul 12, 2022
- 9 min read
Over the past few months, I have condensed all of the self-improvement knowledge that I have found from various books, articles and podcasts into something more manageable than notes spread throughout my computer. This undertaking has sparked an intense interest in a few specific topics involving self-improvement through everyday activities.
One daily activity that everyone should be familiar with is a shower. Nice, long, warm showers. But what if, instead of taking that fog your mirror kind of hot shower, you turn the temperature down? Bam! A cold shower. This simple to accomplish way to improve your life has peaked my interest and now been incorporated into my daily practice.
As I stumbled upon a few people raving about taking cold showers, I found commentary all over the internet ranging from the benefits it can provide to the discipline necessary for stepping into the water. Various experiments have been completed and a countless number of people have self-experimented to determine the personal affects of cold showers. With this surprisingly vast database of knowledge available to me, I decided that personally experimenting with cold showers could be beneficial. Something as simple as taking a cold shower seemed like an easy addition to my routine.
The month long trial run that I began resulted in a greater appreciation for taking showers and opened my eyes to the benefits that a cold shower can provide. Now that cold showers are practically an everyday thing for me, I wanted to sit down and discuss everything there is to know about a cold shower.
What actually is a "Cold Shower?"
Cold shower: A shower with a water temperature that is below 70°F.
In normal shower terms: Keep the nob of your shower in the the cold section (at most halfway turned). Pretty easy right? I would go as far as saying so easy that you couldn't mess it up. This definition may sound obvious but a good foundation and detailed understanding of the fundamentals can be the turning point in getting started. A cold shower is a mental game, not rocket science.
The key to beating the game is preparation
To begin the game you need to prepare mentally. A good starting point for this mental preparation is to know exactly what to expect. My month long experience, combined with experimental research and testimonials from other cold shower enthusiasts provides that perfect reference point.
The toughest roadblock throughout the entire experience was and will always be the initial cold shock. Trust me when I tell you that you will be shocked once that cold water hits. But even before you turn on the shower, the anticipation of partaking in the uncomfortable will get your adrenaline pumping. Your heart will start to race. As you reach for the handle to turn the water on, self doubt will creep into your mind. This is really the only step where the chance of failure is at its highest. This is the point where I personally have given up and failed to continue the most.
From experience, the most common excuses that fill your brain include;
"I don't want to do this"
"I can't"
"The water is too cold"
"This is not going to feel good"
"Why am I doing this?"
"Just take it easy and take a warm shower, it feels better"
"This is stupid"
Be aware of the tricks your mind will try to play. The self-doubt will be intense. The excuses, plentiful. My advice for when this occurs; Notice that you are having these thoughts and ignore them. Keep on going. Each time that I gave up, I would always look back in disappointment at myself for not having the discipline and courage to follow through. When I was able to finish a shower, I was always left feeling glad that I did it and proud of myself for pushing through. It helps to remember that it is just water. It can't hurt you! Once you build up the courage to ignore the fear, you enter into the second stage.
Brace yourself
When you turn the water on there is no turning back. No matter how many times I have taken a cold shower, the cold shock and loss of breath is inevitable once the water hits your skin. Other fight or flight mechanisms that you may experience include teeth chattering, goosebumps on the skin, or an increase in stress hormones. To counteract this as much as possible, take three deep breaths and turn the cold water on...
*An alternative for those wanting to begin a little more smoother: Start the shower at a normal temperature. Gradually start to turn the handle as the water gets colder. Each time you turn the water temperature down, take a second, get accustomed to the cold, and keep turning. You want the water just cold enough that you start to feel uncomfortable. For pros with prior cold water experience, the knob should be all the way to the right to obtain the coldest possible water.*
When the cold water initially hits your head and trickles down your body, you will lose your breath. Your brain will freak out for a couple of seconds and all of the negative thoughts will be amplified. Those first 5 seconds are tough!
However, at this point you are already in the game so you might as well go through with it. Try and take deep breaths until you get your breath back. To make the situation a little easier, I recommend letting your back take the brunt of the water so you can at least breath without water going into your nose. When you are able to regain your breath, it becomes somewhat possible to embrace the cold. After another couple of seconds, you start to get used to the cold and the water feels bearable. After 30 seconds, it almost feels like a normal shower. Everything after that point is a piece of cake! I recommend staying underneath the water for 2 to 3 minutes while completing your normal shower tasks.
The feeling of accomplishment once you step out of the shower is unmatched. A combination of pride, feeling refreshed, and a slight chill will hit you all at once. In the summer time, this feeling is priceless.
The Benefits of a Cold Shower
To support what I was physically and mentally experiencing, I dove into prior research involving cold showers. Through this research, the profound benefits became aware to me and were substantiated by my experiment.
Before getting into these benefits, I want to make clear the potential issues (although limited) that could arise. Obviously as you will find out through actually taking cold showers, there will be the limitation of discomfort. However, by repeatedly conquering this limitation, you will be able to strengthen your mental fortitude.
The only other area of concern revolves around taking a cold shower while sick. Similar to when being outside in the cold can make you more sick, taking a cold shower while sick can potentially increase your symptoms. Use your own discretion and if you are indeed sick, focus on healing yourself before getting back into the cold shower. Other than that, I couldn't find any other problems that were caused by cold showers. In my opinion, if these are the only issues, I am all in. I'd find it hard to think that you wouldn't agree, especially with all of the benefits you are about to read!
Now let's break down these benefits! *Keep in mind that these are all potential benefits that may occur. Benefits can vary person to person and you may experience all or none of them*:
Helps to Relieve Symptoms of Depression: According to the article, "Cold Shower Benefits for your Health," taking a cold shower for up to 5 minutes, 2 to 3 times per week was shown to help relieve symptoms of depression in a clinical trial. The reasoning behind this is that the cold water sends electrical impulses to your brain as it hits your body. These impulses jolt your system and ultimately increase alertness, clarity, and energy levels. Endorphins (sometimes known as the happiness hormones) are also released from the body shock. The endorphin release causes feelings of well-being and optimism which can help to overcome symptoms associated with depression.
Calms Itchy Skin: Pretty self explanatory here.
Reduces Stress Levels: Regularly taking cold showers imposes small amounts of stress on the body which can lead to a physical process called hardening. Hardening causes the nervous system to become used to handling moderate levels of stress. Overtime, the ability for the nervous system to deal with stress is increased.
Increased Alertness: The shock that is caused by the cold water hitting your skin increases oxygen intake, heart rate, and alertness. The cold also stimulates deeper breaths, decreasing the level of CO2 throughout the body and increasing concentration. Because of this, cold showers can keep you ready and focused throughout the day. From personal experience, I always feel refreshed and awake after taking one.
Decreased Water Usage: Cold showers can inevitably lead to shorter showers as you try to get out of the water as fast as possible. This is great because it reduces your water usage (good for the environment) and helps save you some money (on your heating and water bills) as you eliminate those long warm showers.
Increased circulation: As the cold water hits your warmer body and external limbs, circulation is constricted on the surface of the body. This causes blood in deeper tissues to circulate at faster rates to maintain ideal body temperature.
Reduced Muscle Soreness Post-workout: As the cold water brings the temperature of an area on the body down, the delivery of warmer, freshly oxygenated blood is sped up to that area. This ultimately helps to speed up recovery time and decreases inflammation.
Boost Weight Loss: Although there is a lack of extensive research correlating cold showers to this, some fat cells such as brown fat can generate heat by burning fat when the body is exposed to cold conditions. As these cells burn fat, there is the potential for weight loss.
Increased willpower: A strong mind and discipline is needed to endure the cold for extended periods of time. By incorporating cold showers into a daily routine, you are strengthening your willpower which can benefit many aspects of daily life.
Strengthened Immune System: The body is designed to become resistant to the elements that it is exposed to. For example, the shock of cold water can stimulate and increase the amount of leukocytes (white blood cells) in the bloodstream. White blood cells are what help fight infection in the body and protect your body against diseases. Researchers believe that this process results from an increased metabolic rate caused by the shock that stimulates the immune response. Other research has shown cold shower's potential to improve glucose and lipid metabolism, improve cognitive performance, and enhance immune function.
Not bad right! It is important to note that cold showers are not a magical cure-all for any condition but can be a solid supplement to traditional treatments. It may even help to improve symptom relief and general well-being. Just remember it is not a replacement.
Taking the Plunge
If you made it this far, you are ready to start incorporating cold showers into your routine. Since the beginning of my personal experiment, I have grown accustom to the cold shock and mental block that comes with cold showers. The initial moment remains shocking but the mentality that I go into the shower with has evolved and prepared me.
To be honest, there are random days when I am tired that make taking a cold shower brutal. There have been days when I have not felt like keeping that water cold, and I give into the urge. As I have come to find out, when you stop the routine for a prolonged period of time, it can be hard to get back on track. However, once you build the habit it is easy to keep going. A majority of the issue is mental. If you are able to get over the fact that the water is cold and look at the benefits a cold shower can provide along with the reasons you are taking one, you will succeed.
It is also necessary to mention the importance of understanding your limits. Develop an understanding of when you really need to give yourself a break. After completing a couple good days of cold showers, reward yourself and take a break for a day. Just remember to keep it up the next day. Personally, I will take cold showers 5 days a week. Those other two days are my reward days.
If you want to get started, I would recommend trying everything you have read over the next 3-5 days. If the day before wasn't too bad, the next time you take the plunge, make the water slightly colder. Try to last for another minute or two in the colder water. Play with the temperature as you get more comfortable. You might even find that you look forward to turning the hot water down.
The mindset is key
It is of vital importance to make sure you are in the right mindset. The first couple of weeks were not fun to say the least. Over the long run however, the consistent practice has resulted in habit formation that keeps me going the next day. I say all of this to prepare you! There is no point in falsifying the truth and saying that it feels great at first. As long as you make the commitment to get in there and do it, the rewards will come. The issue most people have is that they do not fully commit and lack discipline. When you remain iffy and resist commitment, the brain will immediately overwhelm you with every negative excuse in the book and resist/protest as much as possible.
From my experience, the overall benefits and developed discipline have definitely paid off and contributed dividends to my journey towards self optimization. Take your plunge and work to develop the habit of taking cold showers! Who knows what you will find within yourself.
Reference articles:
Until next time,
Tim Phillips
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