Tom Bileyu recently Tweeted, we should all take cold showers because “They suck. And doing things that suck everyday will help build your resilience.” While we all experience plenty of stressors (or, to use Bileyu’s terms, things that “suck”) in our lives, our adaptability increases when we encounter stress on our own terms and practice responding both physically and mentally. Cold showers help the nervous system build resilience, which prepares the brain for future stressors.
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Use your breath. Powerful inhales and exhales through a constricted throat (Ujjayi breath) can help calm your body. This also gives you something to focus on aside from the cold. Your body can handle this; no one dies from a cold shower. You just might need to convince your mind to get on board. Another option for cold water exposure: take a dip in the next alpine lake you hike to.
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