Oh $%^&! That's cold
You can imagine my excitement when Eric led me to a giant box in the backyard Christmas morning.
"Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday!" he said with a big smile on his face.
The box read "Kenmore Deep Freezer".
Listen,I'm all about practical gifts. I actually LOVE a good vacuum or new living room chair as a gift, but for some reason I was less excited about a deep freezer. Just as I was thinking about how I need to renew my Costco membership, Eric interjects... "I'm going to turn this into a Cold Plunge!"
My half smile dropped.
January 1 rolled around and Eric called "It's READY!". He lead me through our basement utility room and outside under our back deck. And as I stood there looking at a box of cold water, standing in 35 degrees... I felt an amazing amount of dread sweep over me.
There was no getting out of this.
January 1 was our first cold plunge. It was about as miserable as I expected, but what I did not expect, was that almost immediately after getting out, I was looking forward to the the next one.
It's15 days into January and Eric and I have completed 15 plunges. I'm sure over time we won't be so nerdy about this, but let me just say, this may be the BEST gift he's ever given me.
Last year I read the book Dopamine Nation, and I remember Dr. Anna Lembke discussing fascinating research that actually prescribed cold plunges as treatment for addiction! She says in a blood test conducted by individuals showed feel good hormones, dopamine and noradrenaline increased 530% as a result of cold immersion,
A simple google search will list all the health benefits of a cold plunge. Muscle recovery, boost to the immune system, decreased inflammation, improved circulation, increased alertness and energy and better sleep. I've also ready it boosts metabolism and can even help fertility. It's really convincing enough. Read more here OR Listen to Dr. Huberman here
But, I suppose what shocked me most (pun intended) was how doing a simple 3 minute cold plunge translated into some really important lessons I could bring into my day.
Eric and I are on a little bit of a cold plunge high (aka totally geeking out)... here are some discoveries we've made:
1) Stop thinking, take action: The more time we pend thinking about going in, the more stressed our body becomes. Personally, in the last 10 days I really try to push out the thinking and walk through the action. Go to the basement, get in my suit, set my watch timer and GO. The more thinking, the more difficult it becomes to not only to get in, but to stay in. Your mind is powerful. Thank you Nike for the best tagline ever...JUST DO IT. To have the "plunge" done, flips an internal switch to "do-er" mode. Activating this process first thing in the day translates into being more productive and focused later on!
2) Control your response, Breathe through it. Sitting in cold water is about as bad as a slap in the face. In 3 minutes you take that slap in the face, accept it, and somewhere around the 90 second mark, I notice I actually welcome it. Eric and I know there's a corner that is turned where the "fight or flight" response leaves and an embrace begins. To feel it becomes a gift and what began as "THIS IS AWFUL" turns into curiosity. "What makes this 'bad' anyway?". Thank you for our bodies that FEEL IT ALL.
I've found myself incorporating the same deep deep breathing that I HAVE to do to get through the plunge in other aspects of my day, especially when I'm forced to endure something unpleasant or even when my patience is tested (kids, mom is deep breathing again!).
3) No more defense. Choose Hard: You probably have heard motivational speakers say to choose the hard path. It will be most rewarding. But as cliche as this may sound, starting the day choosing the hardest, most dreadful physical thing really sets the tone for the day. Nothing seems THAT hard anymore. Maybe we're floating on dopamine or something, but truly, the confidence dial to confront difficult situations is turned all the way up.
So there you have it. Christmas of 2022, Eric gave me the worst best gift ever and it's really set the tone for our year so far. Want to try it for yourself? Research shows that cold showers are just as effective, so give it a shot! Aim for 2-5 minutes in the COLD stream of water. And if you're curious about the steps in making a deep freezer your very own cold plunge... there are a TON of DIY instructions on Youtube. Thanks internet!