Author: David Mcgrane
Kickstart your workday with a blast of endorphins!
I know what you’re thinking - I am crazy. Start the work day with a freezing cold shower?!? I must be nuts, right?
Nope. Not at all. But I empathize with your thinking, I thought the same thing when this idea was first floated by me. But bear with me, and like me, you just might be willing to give it a try once I spell out all the joys and benefits.
1. A cold shower really does kick-start your day.
You’ve got work to do, and steeling yourself to step into a cold shower is a great way to establish resolve and resilience.
Cold showers have been shown to speed up your metabolism - not surprising, right? Cold water falls on you, your body works to maintain a normal temperature, so it increases your metabolic rate. Cool stuff, but you can also combine that with an endorphin blast, and get double the benefits.
That’s right, cold showers have been scientifically proven to generate a blast of those ‘feel good’ peptides that your brain and nervous system secrete to activate your body’s receptors. So, as many ancient cultures have known for a looooong time, cold showers are great for your overall mood and wellbeing. Very cool stuff.
2. You can eeeeeeease into it.
You don’t have to go cold turkey, you can ease into a daily pre-work cold shower routine. Start with just a 30 second cold shower, maybe even with a warm shower before or after it. Benefits have been shown to occur with as little as 30 seconds of exposure, so start there. 3 deep breaths in and out take about 10 seconds. Do three deep breaths three times, and you’re done!
Then add just ten seconds every day, and within two weeks you will be up to 2 minutes. That’s plenty. Do a two minute cold shower before work every day for a month. Betcha you’ll see some amazing results! Such as…
3. Your hair and skin will shine!
Yep, proven, cold showers have beneficial effects on your hair and your skin. Work your way up to a 2 minute cold shower before work every day, and watch the results shine before your very eyes.
4. Cold showers will save you time and money!
Oh this just keeps getting better. If you are having a cold shower before work, it is typically pretty quick, and not the 20 minute soaking that many people often have. So you save time before work, and have more time to get ready.
It also doesn’t fog up your bathroom and mirror, so you save the time and hassle of having to wipe off the mirror, and you aren’t pumping out all that mold-inducing steam that long hot showers tend to do.
Plus, shorter showers are less expensive, and are good for the planet. You are an environmental warrior, and all it costs you is 2 minutes per morning.
So take the Job Shop Cold Shower Challenge! Start with 30 seconds and work your way up. Do it for a month, then let us know what you found. Be warned, the endorphins rush can be quite addictive. Don’t be surprised if that plus all the other benefits turn you into a Cold Shower Lover for Life!
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