Depression and anxiety are two of the most common mental health disorders worldwide. Studies have shown that by introducing 2–3-minute cold showers into your daily routine, you could gain a immense benefits, including a reduction of stress and anxiety levels and even the potential increase of fertility.
This non-invasive treatment activates electrical impulses that stimulates an influx of endorphins which ultimately result in an instant mood uplift, and overwhelming feelings of well-being and positivity.
Cold showers vs hot showers
Now, we’re not naïve – we understand that to some or even most that the thought of intentionally standing in an ice-cold shower sounds utterly bonkers. But hear us out. Exposing yourself to the icy cold droplets has more perks than negatives. Evidence suggests that it:
- Improves circulation.
- Releases endorphins and lifts mood.
- Lowers stress and anxiety levels.
- Increases alertness.
You don’t have to chuck yourself into the deep end if you’re willing to try this new wellness method. You can simply ease yourself into it by gradually reducing the temperature to below 20 degrees, gradually feeding your mental strength.
Mental strength
If there’s one habit that’ll develop your mental strength, it’s taking cold showers. Taking a cold shower for the first minute of your usual shower routine will give you the mental strength to slay and conquer any challenge that comes your way. Ok, maybe I’m being slightly dramatic, but regardless – it has been proven to heighten your dopamine levels after the shock, therefore giving you more energy than a cup of coffee!
So, before we go off topic and dive into the world of coffee, let’s start with mental strength benefit #1.
Mental strength benefit 1 – increased discipline
As I said before, we’re not naïve. We understand that it’s not particularly fun when the cold water throttles your skin. In fact, for most of you, your initial reaction is the get the hell out of that shower! But, by getting out the shower you would be missing out of the mental strengthening opportunity to override that demotivating voice, and develop a strong discipline fast.
By instilling this method into your daily life, you are reinforcing to yourself that you are a person that doesn’t go the easy route, and instead gets the job done. This increased self-discipline will in time become a useful mental tool that’ll help you significantly in business, health, sports, and personal finance (things you don’t typically look forward to doing, but know have to be done out of necessity).
Mental strength benefit 2: develop presence
Mental weakness is a factor of negative internal voices crowding your normal thinking. Thoughts such as ‘you’re not good enough’ or ‘you’re a failure’ dominate our thinking, and unsurprisingly demotivate us from completing or starting anything. It’s the same voice that’ll stop you from having that cold shower. The thing with depression is that it will disguise itself as a warm blanket, and with that, it’ll shelter you from the world for all the wrong reasons.
By taking a cold shower, you can control and override those negative voices, complete tasks, and feel more accomplished. This state of empowerment can also be achieved by things such as meditation or yoga, as they transfers your mind into a state of no-thought. By being in a state of no-thought, we’re able to see situations for what they truly are, rather than how our internal negative thoughts want us to see them.
Overtime, you will get more comfortable with the uncomfortable, which will help you further with uncomfortable situations. You can reduce panic and fear by thinking back to your new showery routine. The most successful people of all time have no fulfilled their achievements by staying in their comfort zone; it’s by stepping out of their comfort zone and challenging themselves that they find success and growth.
I hope this blog inspires you to take on the cold shower routine. If you liked our Can cold showers really help depression and anxiety? blog then you may be interested in our First Aid for Mental Health online courses, or alternatively our First Aid at Work course. If this something you may be interested in then you can use our live chat, email our admin team at info@samsltd.co.uk, or phone us on (01843) 821406 to learn more.