Mental Health: Morning Routine

I tried a cold plunge before work, and it was the productivity hack I didn’t know I needed

My friend and I made our way to the beach on the Connecticut shore soon after waking to our 7 a.m. alarms this morning. After completing a quick boxing and strength workout on the deck, we walked toward the ocean for our early morning plunge in the 65˚F July water (warm by some standards, chilly by mine), silently sharing a nervous look in anticipation of how cold the water would feel. We hoped that, after the immediate discomfort, it would be a bit refreshing. Neither of us was backing down. 

A year ago, my roommates and I created a tradition of early morning cold plunges whenever we were near a place to swim outside New York City. While each plunge was met with some initial ambivalence and a jolt to the system once hitting the water, I never regretted them once I was wrapped in my towel. This one was no different—but it was my first plunge before a work-from-home day, which made the benefits that much greater.

As I walked into the high-tide Atlantic, my body prickled with goose bumps as the water reached my ankles and then knees. With a “rip the Band-Aid off” mentality, I dove in from there. Submerged in the cold water, my heart rate initially increased and then slowly allowed me to focus on my breath and calm down. I had been groggy and tired, but as I treaded, I could feel the cold water touching every part of my body; it was impossible not to feel awake at that moment. 

I’m far from the only one voluntarily torturing myself, or rather, “seizing the day,” as I would kindly put it now. The icy plunge has become somewhat of a cultural trend, spawned by CEOs and celebrities who swear by the early morning dunk to enhance their “mental clarity.” People report feeling more energized and calmer after their plunge, and have incorporated it into their morning routine in the form of at-home ice baths or cold showers. 

My Chicago-based friends who have joined the Friday polar plunge club—jointly dashing into the frigid waters of Lake Michigan at sunrise—have caught my attention, too. I mean, they aren’t possibly doing this just for fun, right? When I tried it, I felt more focused and alert when I started my day, opened up my laptop, and began working. The immediate shock to the system from the plunge seemed to ironically ease my stress as the morning dragged on.  

It only took me a year of plunging to really understand the benefits. 

The cold water plunge: Effects on the brain and body

Ice baths have long been a staple recovery mechanism for athletes; the icy cold water numbs pain and can soothe muscle and joint tightness. 

“You can almost think of it as a direct anesthetic,” Dr. Dominic King, a sports medicine physician in the department of orthopedic surgery at the Cleveland Clinic, previously told Fortune. 

Read the full article : https://fortune.com/well/2023/07/03/cold-plunge-review-productivity-hack-mind-body-benefits/