Mental Health Benefits of Cold Exposure (Psychology)
The Ancient Greek philosophy of Stoicism, often regarded as a practical philosophy due to its universal applications to daily life, proposes the concept of ‘voluntary discomfort’. This relates to the act of choosing the less comfortable options within our daily life choices. The rationale being that over time we can rely less and less on external things for happiness and instead find comfort from within.
So getting in a cold body of water or a cold shower may not be something you choose to do as it may be outside of your comfort zone. if you were to choose to put yourself into the cold you would be required to take control of your inner dialogue and put yourself in a position of discomfort purposefully. Joel Runyon mentions in hisTed Talk that this inner voice of the mind which is telling you to avoid the discomfort of the cold is the same voice that may talk yourself out of getting up early, taking on new responsibilities, starting your own business and mastering life choices. This inner voice may convince yourself of reasons and excuses of why you shouldn’t do these things. A quote from the stoic philosopher Seneca states “It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, but because we do not dare, things are difficult”. This means that if we want things to become easier we should become more brave (as summarised in an article by Einzelganager).
If we constantly avoid discomfort in our decisions it may influence our decision making when it comes to more important matters such as changes in careers, relationships and moving away. In these instances you may choose the comfortable options which may not serve you as highly in your life out of fear of discomfort. I believe that the simple practice of exposing yourself to the cold each morning can provide the mental training stimulus to condition the mind to become more comfortable with being uncomfortable. I also believe that when done first thing in the morning it provides a positive snowball effect for the subsequent decisions you make throughout your day.
In Buddhism there is a concept known as the ‘Monkey Mind’. This refers to the restless mind which is constantly thinking about one thing to the next which can lead to feelings of anxiety, confusion and restlessness. Meditation is a useful tool in addressing this state of mind and is a practice I would also encourage you to include in your daily life. When you expose yourself to cold water all the things the mind jumps too and from suddenly and this is accompanied by heavy breathing which I believe In itself can lead you into a meditative state. In this moment the mind becomes still as the only thing it is brought to is the cold and only the cold. The cold acts as a soul focus and an anchor point of concentration for the mind to become present in the moment.
Wim Hof, a renowned advocate for cold exposure, promotes this practice as a tool for developing stillness in the mind when subject to stress. In this case the cold water is the external stressor in which we can learn to respond rather than react to. The goal here is to calm the mind and control the breath In response to the cold rather than fighting the uncomfortable nature of it.
Developing this ability to achieve mental stillness when subject to stress is a skill that can be learned and developed. This skill can transfer to other situations in your life. Being able to achieve a still mind when subjected to stress in situations such as a heated confrontation, having a still mind will allow you to respond rather than react. In this example you may respond using logic and rational thinking rather than reacting to the heat of the moment with emotion. This practice will also go on to provide a wider understanding of how our own minds work. This being that we can learn to understand and be aware of our emotions but not necessarily attach meaning to them or embody them.
Reference List
https://einzelganger.co/the-philosoph... (The Philosophy of Cold Showers) https://thestoicsage.com/how-voluntar... (How Voluntary Discomfort Can Change Your Life) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb0h8... (Cold Shower Therapy: Joel Runyon at TEDxLUC) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1N0V4... (Wim Hof takes a 63-minute long ice bath for his 63rd birthday) https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/bl... (Calming the Monkey Mind)
