Cold?
“Great things never come from comfort zones.”
– Penny Oleksiak
Lever Six for Wellbeing: Cold Immersion!
My hair is still wet, I am just back from my winter swim.
I know - many of you will have their toes curled with this one...
The other wellbeing levers we looked at: Nutrition, Movement, Sleep, Breathing and Joy seem like a breeze in comparison to this one...
If you have an aversion to cold immersion, you are right - it is stressful. Science found that plunging into 15 degrees cold water is stressful - but only "acutely" stressful - as opposed to permanently stressful - like most other stressors we experience in our modern world. Many scientific studies show that small bursts of stress can actually help you live longer, thanks to a process called hormesis. Hormesis is an adaptive response and occurs when exposure to low doses of a stressor potentially induces a stimulatory effect, while higher doses may inhibit it. Cold immersion for example, encourages the brain to tell the body to upgrade the immune system and to significantly increase white blood cell count.
Word of warning: putting yourself under any amount of stress may not be advisable for you. Please do consult your health professional before attempting any kind of unusual stress exposure! If your body is already fighting with something, then adding more to it will make healing much more difficult.
If you have an auto-immune condition, it may pay off for you to look into cold-immersion - to find out if it can support you, as many people are reporting that it helped them overcoming or managing a chronic disease. An interesting twist I found was that the health benefits of cold immersion anecdotally reported may also be attributed to other things these individuals do regularly, e.g. practicing mindfulness, exercising, clean nutrition, etc. Take your pick.
As Canadian swimmer Penny Oleksiak said: “Great things never come from comfort zones.” She would know, as I believe her swimming success had a lot to do with her relentless training.
What constitutes as "out of your comfort zone" is individual - as is your definition of "cold". For some, immersing yourself in 15-degree water is a joy, for other, having the bath temperature drop below 37 degrees is a pain. For most human beings, a temperature between 8-15 degrees will be perceived as "cold".
Where does your comfort zone end? How willing are you to go just a small step further?
You decide!
Sometimes it helps to think of a situation, where you had to step out of your comfort zone - and how you felt after.
I am getting out of MY personal comfort zone this week. I am hosting a Pink Ribbon Lunch in support of Breast Cancer Research NZ. You might think hosting a lunch is walk in the park, but I would much rather jump into the ocean in winter - as I have done in the past two days. Just the thought of preparing food for others gives me palpitations - but I LOVE connecting people, being with people and supporting a good cause. So I do it. Luckily, I have help ;)
If you are in the area, please be invited to join me on Thursday, the 23rd of May at 12pm. E-mail me and I will send you the address! Maybe there is another Pink Ribbon event where you are - keep your eyes and ears open and maybe get out of your comfort zone by joining an event you have never been to. You can donate to Breast Cancer Support NZ here. Did you know that breast cancer does not only affect women? The cases of breast cancer in men are rising. We need more research and education. Thank you for your support.
My invitation to you:
- Choose a way to get out of your comfort zone today - to boost your resilience, brain flexibility, immune system or strength
You are worth it.
This is your time.
With tingly skin
Mel
