February: Cold Showers Only

 

A true test of discipline.

In February, I decided it would be a good idea to only take cold showers. I live in Minnesota, so the environment in February was difficult for this one. This was the second hardest challenge I faced all year.

 

There were two things I had going for me coming into this challenge. One is that two weeks before starting the challenge, I began weaning myself off hot showers. Although it prematurely started the challenge for me, it was very helpful in attaining the right mindset going in. If you look at some of my other monthly challenges, you will see I deployed this tactic a few times to ensure I was prepared. The second thing I had going for me was that I had done this before. In 2021 I stumbled upon a video about the benefits of taking cold showers, which inspired me to try it for a month.

 

If I was not showering in my drafty 150-year-old house, I would shower after I worked out at the gym. Working out did help me get warm beforehand, but in the end, this was not enough of a countermeasure to improve the experience of taking a cold shower.

 

A lot of people ask me how cold these showers were. Well, it’s the kind of cold that takes your breath away. There was no going from hot to cold; the shock was immediate. This was one of the biggest challenges I faced in the month, finding the willpower to take the first step into the cold. It was a huge challenge to make myself very uncomfortable, knowing that the solution to my problem was in my control, an arm’s reach away.

 

There were two clear benefits to this month’s challenge. The first was how this impacted my alertness. I usually work out mid-day, shower, then eat lunch directly after. Typically, after I eat lunch, I get sleepy. I noticed that after a cold shower, this phenomenon went away. I was more alert throughout the day, especially in the first few hours after a cold shower.

 

An even more significant benefit for the month was the discipline element. As I mentioned earlier, the hardest part about this was repeatedly taking that first step into the cold shower and keeping the temperature the same. Believe me, there were many days that I wanted to do nothing less than step into a cold shower.

 

When I don’t want to do something difficult, there is a question I often ask myself: “What else will I do with the next five minutes of my life?”

 

For this challenge, with those five minutes, I could return to the comfort of a hot shower, a place I am very familiar with. Part of the initial video about cold showers that I watched in 2021 focused on "being comfortable with the uncomfortable." Sure, I can make things easy on myself and take a relaxing hot shower, but I would not grow in those five minutes. Asking myself this question motivates me to keep going. If I want to skip a workout or half-ass my work to be done early, what will I gain with that extra time? Most of the time, there is not a good enough answer to outweigh the benefits of putting in the time now.

 

So in February, I stepped into that cold shower time and time again despite my mind screaming at me. This is where I really started to see the benefits of daily discipline from The Challenge Year. If I can ignore the part of my mind that seeks comfort, what else can I do? If the rest of the year is any indication, I can do quite a bit.

 

I recommend this challenge if you are looking for a natural pick-me-up for your energy levels. Although I returned to warm showers, another challenge I did later in the year prompted a return to cold showers. The cold shower challenge is also a great way to build discipline. It is you against your mind on this one. What better way to build self-control?

 

Another reason I recommend this challenge is the fact that it is good for the environment. You are essentially forced to take shorter showers, meaning you are using less water. Additionally, you are using less energy by not heating your water. Sure, this might be a small impact in the grand scheme of things, but everything adds up.

 

Taking cold showers in February in Minnesota was one of my hardest challenges all year. This was a true test of discipline. This month was a reminder to me that today’s hard work will outweigh the benefits of instant gratification.

 
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January: No Alcohol (Dry January)

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March: 10 Minutes of Daily Meditation