Cru’s Letter

I recently passed 1,000 days in a row of taking a daily cold plunge.

That might sound kinda crazy because… it is.

I can say with confidence that my daily ice bath is my least favorite thing to do AND it has had the most profound impact on my ability to tolerate stress (not just physical).

A few years ago, I came across this guy named Wim Hof who is one of the main people that made cold exposure popular in a modern context. His story is incredibly powerful as he used cold exposure as a method of overcoming the trauma resulting from his wife’s suicide. He found that the only relief from the pain was a different kind of pain…

The cold.

To witness someone seemingly relaxed in freezing water is pretty crazy at first, even without knowing their backstory, but it made me wonder if I could ever do the same considering I was the kid in the hot tub during summer growing up.

I started my cold exposure journey with some daily cold showers and I found out very quickly that if I wanted to not freak out, I’d have to tap into something other than turning the water off. I discovered the ability to find peace in the discomfort because there was no other option. I also found that the control center of stress management was in the breath (a major pillar in Wim Hof’s teaching).

Cold water is the perfect metaphor for life because you will always be overwhelmed by something out of your control and it’s your choice whether you let that tear you down or fuel you to find control within.

My whole childhood and teen years were consumed by anxiety which always made me feel like there was nothing I could do to feel better. That famous feeling of wanting to be rescued was the story of my life. It was only through facing discomfort, like cold exposure and running every day, that I learned to actually tolerate overwhelm.

Life is not defined by always being at the mercy of what happens to you. It’s about using the hardships you face as the mental exercise that makes you stronger.

Now, am I literally telling you to go get in some cold water?

Well, yes actually.

Is cold exposure a magic pill? No.

Will a cold shower remove all the inflammation from your body and heal every injury? No.

BUT

If you struggle to manage stress or even if you feel helpless in life, I couldn’t recommend facing the cold enough.

-Cru

P.S. I recorded a podcast a while back all about cold exposure that might convince you to get in some cold water (or keep doing so).

Check it out on Spotify or watch here: