Use the cold to clear your mental funk
It’s winter. It’s wave 3. Louis Oosthuizen finished second in a major tournament AGAIN. Not much to get excited about (on the surface) if we’re honest.
We recently conducted a poll on LinkedIn wondering about the general state of wellbeing. 45% of participants reported languishing or struggling to cope. 55% reported that they were not doing too bad under the circumstances (this was before Louis’ latest result). Nobody reported flourishing or being close to their best.
So, what are we to do about the situation? Is there something that can be done individually to wallop this collective sense of drudgery, lack of motivation and focus and heightened levels of anxiety. It seems there is, but it is an uncomfortable solution:
Cold immersion.
Yip, that’s right. If you’ve never heard of this lovely past time, check out Wim Hof. He is a very interesting individual from Holland that is globally known for his exploits in extremely cold environments.
The physical and mental benefits of cold-water immersion have been very well researched and include the following:
1. An increased expression of genes that influence our longevity.
2. Raised levels of neurochemicals that promote concentration, focus and attention.
3. Improved immune function (which is massively important given that we are living through a pandemic).
4. Enhanced blood circulation which reduced the amount of stress on your cardiovascular system.
5. Tighter, smoother, healthier skin, which matters since your skin is your largest organ.
6. Enhanced stress tolerance. Since this is a voluntary stressful experience, it enhances your ability to deal with stress in other areas of life. You learn how to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations.
7. And most importantly, the release of a molecule called neuropeptide Y (NPY), which works in direct opposition to the stress axis in your brain and significantly reduces the experience of anxiety.
All good things that could be of benefit to us now.
So where to start?
A cold plunge in the ocean, an outside pool or ice bath are all great options, but a cold shower is probably the best place to start. The water should be between 10-15 degrees C. Opening just the cold-water tap will work fine. Start with standing under the cold water for 15 seconds, making sure to wet your chest, back and neck. This is going to be a challenge but stick it out as long as you can. Initially you might struggle to control your breathing, but focus on breathing normally to distract you from the cold. Work up to 30 to 90 seconds, repeated 3 to 5 times. If you’re getting in a pool, ice bath or the ocean, build up to 10 to 15 minutes for maximum effect.
You might think this is a terrible idea and impossible to do in winter. But give it a go. It really does make a dramatic difference to your sense of wellbeing and reduces your level of stress and anxiety (from personal experience – Craig Foster the maker of My Octopus Teacher is onto something here.
Here’s a tip: It is much easier following a workout or sauna.
A word of warning: do talk to your doctor if you have a history of cardiac issues as cold-water immersion does affect your blood pressure, heart rate and circulation. Also, keep plenty of warm clothes at hand when you get out to warm up your core temperature.
In closing…
Thank you for reading and allowing us to share tips that will equip you to challenge the ordinary. If you, your team or organisation are finding yourself in a funk, reach out and talk to us about how to get back to your best. You can reach us at info@purposeworks.co.za or simply reply to this email.
At PurposeWorks we are all about Making You and Your Work Rock. Our focus is on Organisational Health and Design, Employee Centered Culture, Leadership Development and Performance Coaching. For more information on how we can help you create a work environment that rocks, develop a great team, become an inspiring leader or unlock your personal excellence talk to us at info@purposeworks.co.za.
