How To Take Cold Showers

I’ve been taking only cold showers since August 2019, which is almost 2 full years at the time of this writing (end of July 2021). This article will give you steps you can take to get started taking cold showers.

male cold shower
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Step 1. Prepare Your Mind and Have a Positive Attitude

I have found that, at least in the beginning, the most painful part of taking a cold shower is actually the anticipation of the cold water on my skin, not the cold water itself. Your self-talk about the cold shower can really affect how much pain you feel. So, instead of having a negative attitude before you even walk into the shower or feeling terrified of cold water, try to go in with an open mind.

Step 2. Start Slowly And Build Up Your Tolerance — Or Jump Right in?

I personally went from taking hot showers to immediately switching to taking cold showers when I decided to start taking cold showers. There was no build up period for me.

But, I probably wouldn’t recommend this for most people. You may find it helpful to slowly transition from taking hot / warm showers, to taking cold showers over a few days or weeks.

For example, you might find it useful to take a shower, with 75% of the time spent in hot or warm water and 25% with cold water. As you build up your tolerance for the cold, you can eventually transition to completely taking cold showers.

Step 3. “The Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins With a Single Step”

I love the above quote from Laozi. The quote is so very true. It may be a difficult journey to transition to taking only or mostly cold showers, but I believe it will be worth it for you. All masters were once beginners, and the same thing is true of taking cold showers.

Like fasting, the hardest part of taking cold showers is in the beginning. A few years ago, I fasted for 3 or 4 days straight, only drinking water during that time. It was very difficult for me to fast in the beginning, but it got easier as time went on. Similarly with cold showers, it probably was most difficult for me to keep taking cold showers in the beginning.

I probably had overwhelming urges to revert back to taking warm showers , but forced myself to take the cold showers. Eventually it became a habit, and now I don’t have to exert as much willpower to take a cold shower.

Step 4. Don’t Give Up

If taking cold showers truly is too difficult for you, then I think it is fine to quit. But, if you have a goal to learn to take cold showers or to train your mind, you will need to weather the storm and not give up.

In some ways, taking cold showers for the first time is kind of like working out for the first time, or meditating for the first time. After working out for the first time, or the first time in a while, your muscles may be sore for a few days. Likewise, when meditating for the first time, going even 5 minutes can be difficult. Similarly, taking cold showers for the first time can be difficult and it can take some time to get adjusted.

It may be quite difficult to train yourself to take cold showers. Your biggest hurdle will likely be in the very beginning.

Quick Notes:

The temperature of the water coming into your home can vary greatly during the day based on several factors including how much sunlight there is outside. If taking a cold shower late at night or early in the morning is too difficult, you might try taking a cold shower in the late morning or afternoon as the water will likely be a bit warmer during those times.

While I have built up my cold tolerance, cold showers can still be painful for me, especially during Winters.

I always use the coldest setting for whichever shower I’m using, though I haven’t tried taking something like an ice bath (yet). I sometimes choose to take showers at times in the day with lots of sunlight, so the water will be warmer (although it is still the coldest my shower will give).

If the water is especially cold, and my tolerance for cold that day wasn’t good, I might just take a shower for 1 minute or less.

What did you think of this article? Did you learn anything? Would you like to start taking cold showers? Let’s discuss it in the comments below.

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