Journey Into The Cold
Reflections on 100 Days of Jumping in the Ocean
100 Days of Jumping in the Ocean
I have lived by the ocean for 10 years. Just 100 meters away. Over the years I have witnessed the Scaninavian tradition of “winter bathing.” I have admired these stoic, brave souls from afar—but have never been brave enough to try it myself.
The Kind of Motivation You Just Can’t Buy
Then fate interceded, as it often does. When you are recovering from a heart attack, maybe especially one when your heart stops completely—you want to know “Why?” And guess what—the doctors aren’t going to tell you why. Because they can’t. Cardiology is a complicated field that unfortunately involves a lot of guesswork. Yes—I had a genetic predisposition for heart disease from my father and his father before him—but I was so healthy, so strong—so vegan!
Let My Stress Open the Door (sung to the tune of “Let My Love Open the Door” by Pete Townsend)
The one thing I could point to was stress. I had been under chronic stress for a decade, and treated my stress by doing extremely stressful workouts. Bad combo. Cortisol—the stress hormone—has wonderful, lifesaving features in the body—signalling flight or fight responses that can be essential to our survival. However, it’s not meant to be turned on all the time, like it is under chronic stress conditions. Those chronic levels of cortisol actually erode the linings of your heart’s arteries, and are the beginnings of life-threatening heart disease. I suddenly see “Why.” I could see I lacked basic tools for combating stress. One of the most common tools I knew I had to reject was being so drugged up that I couldn’t even feel stress. Been there, done that. Slowly I began to realize that my search for stress management (and elimination) has become my quest for The Holy Grail. It has become my personal quest, and the way that I believe I can be of service to others.
“God Saved You For A Reason”
You hear that a lot when you’ve been brought back from the dead. And why argue? Although I spent half of a year having no clue what that grand reason might be. But when I started doing research, and paying attention to the clues around me—I realized that if I can manage my own stress, and not only survive, but thrive—maybe I could help other people avoid some of the pitfalls I fell prey to.
“The Cold Is My Teacher”
That is my favorite quote from Wim Hof, The Dutch Health Guru who founded The Wim Hof Method—a combination of breathing and exercise techniques paired with cold water immersion. And I am learning more about what it means to me, every time I climb into that cold water. The lessons keep coming, but here are a few:
I can do things I never thought I could
I can do hard things. Over and over
I can accept and relax into a difficult situation
Doing something uncomfortable often yields a great reward
I can take good care of myself
I can be consistent with a self-care regime
Breathing through stressors works
I actually look forward to getting in that cold water each morning
I actually want it to get colder and colder—to the point where I have to punch a whole in the ice to get in
Experiencing the journey of cold adaptation has also been a real trip. While I found it challenging to get in the water initially at 15 degrees Celsius, I now welcome a plunge in 5 degree water, and often stand in the cold wind afterward to get a little extra arctic blast. As it gets colder, the feeling on the skin is a bit like a gentle needling, and it almost feels like you have clothes on in the water. But the physical sensations pale in comparison to the emotional boost.
Mood Elevation Is My Superpower
Mood elevation has become my superpower, and it’s one jump in the ocean away. Even when I find myself in the worst mood imaginable upon waking—I can turn it around with one jump into the cold water. It has not failed me yet. It is an instant change in brain chemistry that lasts quite noticeably for a few hours, and then fades throughout the day. I have wished I had a tool like this my whole life—a quick fix from “stinkin’ thinkin.” It has been invaluable as I work to get three kids out the door and into school in a positive way. Daily cold water immersion has bulletproofed my mornings. I am a cheerful, energetic father and husband. I think I’ll keep it up.
A Quick Fix
You hear it often—”There is no quick fix.” I’ve wanted one my whole life. I now have discovered that cold water immersion is indeed a “quick fix.” I recently had a morning when I slept badly, and then immediately encountered half of my family who were in a really bad mood—and it spilled onto me. In my head came a voice, “Get to the water.” And I did. On the way I encountered a cruel headwind that gave me a chill, and at that point, I didn’t even want to go in. But I knew I had to. What happened next was nothing short of a “Cold Water Exorcism.” The angry hornets buzzing in my head instantly evaporated upon sinking into the cold water. My head emptied completely, save for one thought—”Fuck, it’s cold.” “Breathe through it, relax. Breathe through it, relax.” For me, there is no more room for other thoughts in the cold water. It is a healing momentarily absolutism—an instant meditative state. A pretty-damn-quick fix.
Other Important Benefits of the Cold
Wim Hof is very much unlike many other health gurus, in that he enthusiastically exposes himself to science. He has participated in a number of research studies, and the evidence is clear about these other benefits of cold immersion:
It boosts the immune system
It balances blood glucose, and reverses insulin resistance
It activates brown adipose tissue, which helps you burn white fat for fuel
It activates mitochondria that increase energy expenditure
It is basically like lifting weights for your vasculature, and is therefore a powerful deterrent to heart disease
It triggers a powerful cascade of “feel good” chemicals in the brain
Here’s to a Hundred More!
As you may have gathered, I am an enthusiastic convert to cold water immersion. Now when I meet those stoic, brave souls on the way to the water in the morning, I give a nod and a knowing smile, and it is returned. If you know, you know. If you don’t, I recommend you give it a try. It’s an amazing journey—and it’s as close as a cold shower away.
—Scott