I’ve started doing something really weird in the shower.
And no it’s not peeing. Although, lets not pretend you’ve never done that before, amiright?
I’m talking about taking a cold shower either entirely, or ending your shower with cold. Some people refer to it as the “ Scottish Shower”
You may be wondering why anyone living in the modern world would punish themselves by doing so? I thought the same thing.
Apparently the simple practice of having a cold shower could have dramatic positive effects on your wellbeing and health.
In the past the only way you’d ever catch me underneath a blast of cold water is if my hubby flushed the nearby toilet.
When my business mentor Paula Gosney told me about the benefits of standing under freezing cold water at the end of my shower, I knew I was going to try it straight away. I’ll give anything a go once! She encouraged me to work my way up to the 60 seconds by starting with 5 seconds of cold at the end of each shower until that was bearable, and then gradually increasing the time. It worked.
When you first do it, you won’t be able to think straight let alone breathe, but over time you’ll start to feel amazing.
A cold shower may be exactly what you need too.
Here’s why:
- It Improves your blood circulation. Apparently showering under cold water will improve your blood circulation between organs and skin. When the water is cold, blood flows to your organs for protection to keep them the warmest. This stimulation of the circulatory system is great for your overall cardiovascular health .
- It increases your immunity. Unlike what yo momma may have told you, spending time in the cold can actually increase your immune strength. In fact those who take cold showers have been shown to exhibit higher white blood cell counts as well as higher concentrations of plasma, T helper cells and lymphocytes. You can read the full study here
- Build your will power. As a cold shower virgin it took massive amounts of will power to build this habit. Doing something that I really dislike, every single day, generally right after I’ve woken up takes a LOT of mental strength. What I most love about challenges like this is that over time this mental strength and discipline becomes almost automatic and I can apply it to other areas of my life.
- It Improves your Emotional Resilience: Do you get anxious, flustered or pissed off easily? Add cold water to your shower. Seriously. Cold showers train your nervous system to be more resilient to stress. This study shows that cold showers act as a small form of oxidative stress on your nervous system. Overtime the body adapts to this, and you will become one zen human being. You’ll be able to brush off stressful crap that would usually ruin your mood. Just think about James Bond. In the books he always takes a Scottish Shower – starting off hot and finishing with ice cold water. I’m pretty sure he’s the calmest, coolest dude there is.
- Breathe Better. Sure you may hyperventilate as soon as you step under the cold water, it’s a pretty natural response. However, the panic will only make it worse so, it’s in your best interest to breathe deep and calmly. It’s true that as you stand under the cold water your breath will deepen.
And…. if all that hasn’t convinced you to take a cold shower. I don’t know what will.
Speak out + shine on
Tiffany x
