Ice Baths Taught Me How to Relax

Walking home from grade school in Mount Washington was a breeze. I lived all of three blocks away.

I remember every winter how the wind would funnel up my street and over Grandview Avenue into the abyss towards downtown. As that biting cold air whipped my body and face, I would clench up and turn away.

I couldn’t tolerate the feeling of the cold. I’d wince hard and create tension through my body. The cold is primordial in this way—it evokes fear and demands resistance with its snug grip.

My first deliberate cold water immersion overwhelmed me in about 50 seconds. I was so proud that I was able to breathe and tolerate it to that point, especially when Eric set the bar at 8 seconds.

There was an aspect to willingly subjecting myself to this perceived pain that tickled my nervous system. I intuitively felt it was shifting me deep. It landed for me—like Jiu-jitsu or slacklining before it.

It was a new, yet ancient strategy to stimulate the inner skill of self-regulation: the art of calming-yourself-the-fuck-down.

Now, when the harsh winter air whips my face, I don’t necessarily enjoy it, but it doesn’t force me to tense up. I can choose to hunker down or to breathe and relax in response.

Releasing my overreaction and relaxing into the moment is almost always the better decision.

Imagine using this same skill to shift your inner chaos when you feel overstimulated.

As a parent of two littles, I’ll tell you that I don’t walk around all bubbly and stress-free. However, I can more easily recognize when I’m:

• Triggered

• Adding extra tension

• Overthinking

I can now allow my mind and heart to center. I might still raise my voice—but now, it’s my choice.

Finding comfort in discomfort helped me shift my inner story. Find out what it can do for you.