Dear Listeners
The role of cold water exposure on mood, sleep and well being is a curious topic on my mind. Generally it is a method used for reducing inflammation post work out (for athletes), but also show some benefit on mood/energy/focus (increasing dopamine, epinephrine and norepinephrine) and supporting metabolism via activation of white fat (metabolically inactive) to beige and brown fat (metabolically active… which you want!). It can help improve vagus tone (the “rest and digest” nerve) which serves a role heart rate, immune function, reflexes, breathing, GI functioning. Generally, the recommendation is go slow and start at 55-60 degrees (plenty cold!) which works for most people.
I’m including some resources in the links embedded in this page for your review so you can make an informed decision with your health care providers… this is not recommended for some medical issues (various types of heart disease, blood sugar issues, neuropathy, cold agglutinin disease or if on certain medications). Please read more and nerd out- here (Huberman goes deep in this one), here with cleveland clinic, here with the American Heart Association… This is a bit more on the vagus nerve itself. If you wish to read more about temperature and the vagus nerve, go here to this pubmed article.
Personally I’ve found it helpful improving mood, stress and sleep… and a heck of mind shifter. After my own experimentation, combined with understanding the risks and benefits, I began suggesting it to a few patients who were of general good health then then seemed to have these features;
may tolerate this type of exposure, likes water
prefer non-pharmacologic methods for stress reduction/mood improvement
have limited income/resources/time so an at-home practice is a good fit
seek physical interventions to clear the mind
have a history of responding to body centered methods to shift mood/stress
Feedback revealed preference and personal styles that gravitate towards options; a cold foot bath (any time of day or twice a day on bad days), vs a cold rinse at the end of a shower (in the spirit of DBT), vs a cold bath for 30 seconds to 2minutes max, vs a “cold plunge” (can be expensive and extremely low temps). I do not generally recommend swimming in the ocean, lakes or rivers because of the multitude things that can go wrong (hyperthermia, cold shock, slipping, no place to warm up, etc…). Most patients of mine are not skilled survivalists, campers or whatever that genre can be called, so why start now?
All of my patients (small N of 12) who adopted this have responded very well to cold rinse at the end of a shower or a cold foot bath. A few have worked up to a cold bath (at home) which they find helpful for their mind and tolerate well. Even though the evidence is not as robust for mental health uses as it is for reducing inflammation, the feedback I get is that it is helps for sleep, focus, anxiety and mood- this results in less PRN’s. Mind that this is part of a broader recovery plan in which lifestyle changes support reducing stress, eating better, healthier sleep habits, encourages meditation, movement… supporting parasympathetic tone.
I thought it important to speak briefly on cold water exposure as a tool because I think it can play a useful role in self healing. I consider the healing a process that starts with self-acceptance with one’s health, as it is. The builds upon it via a process of discovering what works harmoniously with one’s mind, body and spirit. Sometimes mental-emotional peacefulness needs a ‘gentle assist’ on a physical level. Emphasis on gentle- because a default can lean towards inflexible, hard or pushy.
Health emerges from a divine design and calls for loving attention.
The meditation today incorporates the vagus nerve, which helps us tolerate stress and anxiety amongst many of the functions listed above. If you find this post useful please share it with one person you think may find it helpful.
SL
Snow, an opportunity to change the mind.
Billowing ribbons, the natural rhythm of you- meditation