There are many reported health benefits of cold showers like increased testosterone levels and better circulation. I haven’t done any in-depth research but it seems like the data those claims are based on are not very strong. I recommend reading SlateStarCodex posts to help curb some of the gullibility we all have when it comes to pop-science claims. I’ve been taking only cold showers for a little over three months now and here is what I’ve observed.
The tangible benefits:
1. I don’t have to spend time messing with the shower handles to get the temperature right. Hotel? Friend’s house? No problem.
2. I end up exercising more on average, partly because I want my body warmed up before I shower so the icy water is less uncomfortable.
3. I spend significantly less time in the shower. Hot water feels great. With normie showers, I usually end up falling into the cycle of turning the heat up a little, then a little more, and before I know it, I reach sauna temperature. You hot water addicts know what I’m talking about…once you’re enveloped in that warm cozy stream, you never want to get out and have to face the cold air. Cold water solves this problem, with the added benefit of the air being warmer than the water, so it’s actually pleasant to turn the water off.
4. I don’t need lotion to keep my skin from drying out. With hot water showers, I would need to make sure to put lotion on my back, shoulders, and legs otherwise it would dry out. No more!
Convinced? Tips to get started:
- Go cold turkey (ha). It’s been way easier to take cold showers consistently rather than switch back and forth.
- Mindfulness helps. I’m a big believer in leaning into discomfort. For example: You’re afraid of spiders. Leaning into discomfort would mean paying attention to your breathing and making a conscious effort to stay calm while looking at spider pictures on Google Images or while seeing a spider in the room. The alternative would be succumbing to an autopilot reaction like violently closing the tab or jumping up and screaming. I know what you’re thinking: that’s easier said than done. Being in cold water is a good time to practice! Reframing it as soothing and refreshing changes the experience.
Two ways to get in:
- Baby steps method: Put just a part of yourself in first, like your head or leg, to get accustomed to the temperature and then gradually get all the way in.
- Blastoise shock method: Stand all the way in and blast the water all the way on.
They both have their pros and cons. I do both. The Blastoise shock method can be fun, and I still gasp audibly, which puts me in a different mental state. Neil Strauss advocates taking cold showers for mood changes, but I haven’t done enough trials trying to control for other variables to make a claim either way.
I do currently live in Florida so the uncomfortableness of doing this is probably less than if I lived in Minnesota. Although, then maybe I would have the heater on in the house and it wouldn’t be as bad…
Other interesting ways to switch up the way you bathe:
- Not using shampoo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_poo
- Using ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (I know) instead of showering (I know): https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/25/magazine/my-no-soap-no-shampoo-bacteria-rich-hygiene-experiment.html
Update:
I originally published this on Medium on December 7, 2017. Three years later, I still take cold showers! The only difference now is I take hot showers after I’ve had my haircut. (It takes a long time to get the little hairs off and it’s just easier and more comfortable with a hot shower.)
Are you someone who likes bettering your life and making other people feel good? Of course you are!
Subscribe here for both:
Thoughts, questions, or suggestions for how I can improve? Email me.
Follow me on Facebook and Twitter for the goodies I don’t post here!