Week 1: Cold shower panick dance
On coddling myself through a challenge
Welcome to the first week of 7 Weeks to a Slightly Better Life! I’m pumped to be here, and even happier that you’re here. Week one is always the best week of any program, isn’t it? It’s got that back to school vibe. Motivation is high, I’m feeling hopeful, and I haven’t had to actually do a lot of work yet. Except for those pesky cold showers, ofcourse.
Cold showers of roughly 5-10 degrees for 1 minute, then gradually working up to 5 minutes.
Your body gets used to the low temperatures, allowing you to slowly build up to the recommended five minutes. Some people even start with 20 seconds, or with luke warm showers. Whatever floats your boat. The only thing that matter is that you start somewhere, and then take tiny steps towards the final goal. Do not attempt to start with five minutes right away. If your body is not used to it, this is not healthy.
Cold showers are meant to have a whole range of health benefits. Immediately after the shower, you’re supposed to feel energised and pumped to start your day. This high should also last a few hours and fade gradually, rather than causing an energy crash. Longer term, cold showers allegedly help reduce inflammation, improve your immune system, combat depression, increase your metabolism and stimulate blood circulation. It’s also said to help balance your hormones. A friend of mine with PCOS started taking cold showers after a recommendation from her doctor, and started having menstruating again after two years of no period. I was impressed!
You’ll notice the word allegdly here, and the anedectal proof. It seems like science hasn’t really agreed yet on the benefits. It is however generally agreed that there are no real downsides. Unlike ice baths, which can be a huge shock to the nervous system, cold showers of about 5-10 C (40-50 F) are generally harmless, unless your health is compromised. If you’re dealing with serious illness or even just battling a common cold for a few days, it might be best to sit this one out for a while. Cold showers can also increase cortisol levels, so if you’ve felt particularly stressed or anxious lately, take that into consideration.
All in all, I see enough reason to give cold showers a shot. I’m mainly interested in the effects on my hormones. I tend to feel a little depressed and low in energy at all times, and conventional medicine has not offered any solutions there. I’m not expecting these cold showers to turn my life around, but I’m excited for the potential. I do also suffer from anxiety, so I’m definitely keeping an eye on that.
IT’S SO COLD! Holy moly.
The first time, I absolutely babied myself. Following James Clear’s philosophies, I aimed to make this new habit as easy as possible, thus increasing the chances that I’ll keep at it in the long term. As summer has officially ended but it’s not quite cold enough to turn on the heating, the air in my apartment can get pretty cold at times. I tried to combat this by laying out several layers of warm cosy clothes, and even went so far as wrapping my shirt around a hot water bottle. I definitely felt a bit silly about that afterwards, but also secretly very much enjoyed it.
I cheated the hell out of my challenge as well. Sticking in my left arm first, then my right arm, slowly going limb by limb before stepping under the water completely. I moved quickly, but it definetely took at least ten seconds before I really fully stood under the shower. I then started turning around in circles, so that the water didn’t hit anywhere for too long. I didn’t plan any of that. It was just a panicky impromptu dance motivated by sheer survival insticts. And it worked!
A week later, I still do the same little dance, but I now include a splash in the face to sort of include my head. I still have to give myself a peptalk as I’m going in, but the dread I feel is now mixed with the anticipation for how I’ll feel after the shower. Which is energised, focused and also just plain proud of myself.
The first time, I did notice a slightly increased heart rate reminiscent of anxiety, which got me a little worried. I had promised myself that if these showers increased my anxiety, I would stop. Since then, I’ve put extra focus on my breathing. The cold water has me gasping for air every time, and especially the first time I was almost hyperventilating. Now, I do slow, deep belly breaths before, during and after the shower, trying to always breathe out longer than I breathe in. It works magic, and I haven’t noticed anything out of the ordinary since.
All in all, the first week was a success! The long term benefits that have been promised to me by *the internet* will take a bit longer, so I’m hoping to work my way up to five minutes and then stick with that for six months or so. For now, I’ll stick with the one minute I’ve achieved so far, while I focus my energy on week 2 of the challenge (exercise!). More on that next week!
Did you joing the challenge, or have you tried cold showers before? Let me know how it went, and what advice you have for us beginners!
Until next week,
Hadewych