One year ago, I would’ve rather stepped on a LEGO barefoot than under an ice-cold shower. Voluntarily getting myself in freezing water? Hard pass.
Fast forward to today – it’s been around 6 months of starting most of my mornings under an icy cascade, sometimes before even grabbing my usual cup of coffee first.
I know what you’re thinking: “Why would anyone choose this?” For someone to do this willingly, there must be a massive payoff, right?
There is.
In fact, saying it has changed my life might still be underselling it. But I’ll let you be the judge — here’s what happened.
Morning Renaissance
Anyone who’s followed my posts, knows that mornings are big for me. Back in 2017, after watching an interview with Mel Robbins, I realized that powerful mornings can change everything. So I started waking up early, blasting the right music, setting myself up with the right attitude and structuring my routines. It worked like a charm – I had more energy and more optimism.
Winning the morning meant winning the day.
But then life happened — moves, stress, job changes – a roller coaster of uncertainty. And to top it off – I started a new job that required much more energy than I had to offer at the time.
Soon, the glory faded.
It took a few years, another job change and lots of self-work to get back to my morning power. But something was still off. I woke up feeling exhausted daily – even after a full 8 hours of sleep.
My eyes were open, but my brain was stuck in standby mode — like it just refused to boot.
Achilles heel
By then, my body had endured around 15 years of corporate work. I felt it mostly in the mornings. My neck locked up, my spine stiffened, pain flashed down my back before I even made it to the coffee machine. I blamed my pillow, my mattress, bad dreams — anything.
I stretched, did cardio, mobility exercises — five times a week. Massages helped, but only briefly. I was checking all the health boxes, but I couldn’t shake the pain. Eventually, I stopped noticing it.
Being sore became my new normal.
A cold splash of life
February 12th, 2025.
I was at a gorgeous SPA resort – the kind that makes your wallet cry but your soul sing. I could only afford 2 nights at that place, so I was going to squeeze every bit of bliss from it.
Curious, I tried the ice-water plunge bucket.
In the sauna, I met a Swedish lady. She seemed in the mood for a conversation and went on to tell me what are the best practices of being in the sauna. I asked her what the Aufguss bucket was for. She explained it moisturizes the air, then mentioned that a cold-water dump after the sauna was part of the ritual.
Okay, why not. Let’s do it.
I walked out, stood under the icy bucket and pulled the chain before I had a chance to overthink and plan an escape. The freezing water hit me hard – cold, shocking and almost unbearable. But two seconds later… I smiled. Two seconds of cold water had flipped my entire day 180 degrees. I was Energised. Awake. Rejuvenated.
I had pressed my hard reset button. And it worked.
I just had to do it again. And that is how it all started.
I dove into research. Cold plunges. Cold showers. Ice baths. People were healing themselves with cold water. There was an entire community that believed ice water had magic powers.
People are healing their bodies one cold shower at a time.
The Science Behind It
When cold water hits your skin, your body instantly goes into alert mode. Cold sensors in your skin send signals to your brain, triggering what’s called the sympathetic nervous system — this is your body’s natural “fight or flight” response.
As a result, it releases adrenaline and noradrenaline, two powerful chemicals that boost your heart rate, sharpen your focus, and give you a bunch of natural energy.
It’s like flipping a switch from sluggish to alert in seconds.
Over time, this repeated exposure can help improve your stress response, boost your immune system, and even reduce inflammation and muscle soreness. One large study published in PLOS ONE found that people who took cold showers every day called in sick to work 29% less often than those who didn’t. And they all reported feeling more energetic and focused.
Cold showers and cold plunges help reduce muscle soreness and back pain by tightening blood vessels and calming inflammation. They also blunt nerve signals, which gives you a temporary pain relief effect — almost like a natural painkiller.
The list of potential benefits of regular cold showers is long and different people report different ones. For a lot of them strengthening their immune system and getting pain relief are the major ones. Others also report that it helped them with mild symptoms of depression and enhanced their resilience to stress.
The 7-Day Cold Shower Challenge
So knowing that, I knew it was time to make it a part of my life. So being me, I decided to gamify it.
As soon as I went back home, I created a 7-day challenge: cold showers every morning before even getting any coffee. The goal was to get used to it and eventually start doing it regularly.
Day one was mild. Just one minute of cool water, but it still felt good. On day two I was not feeling it at all, so I just splashed it a bit on my feet and called it a win. Over the rest of the week, going through wins and rough moments, I reached a point where I was actually comfortable under the cold water. I started enjoying it. By the end I was doing contrast showers like a pro.
The result?
A breakthrough.
I had found a real tool – a natural reset button. But the real gift was yet to come.
Cold Water, Zero Pain
Six months later, cold showers are now a morning ritual. I give myself an icy boost up at least five times a week. And while the refreshing effect is awesome, just wait until I tell you what happened with my dreadful neck pain.
My neck has not been sore even once since I started taking cold showers.
Obviously this is not in any way medical advice and I am not a medical expert. This is just me sharing my experience. And I could never tell you if my pain is gone 100% due to the cold showers. But the fact is that since I started my icy cascades, my back and neck feel like I have been sleeping on cloud nine.
These days cold water in the mornings is natural to me. The moment before going under the freezing splash is still one of resistance. My instincts are still trying to protect me and prevent me from doing it. But knowing how great it will feel after, makes it a no brainer. I don’t do it every morning, but most mornings for sure.
Knowing about this feels like someone has let me in a secret club. And here we all know about this mysterious trick to life.
So if you feel like you could also use a neck pain relief or a morning mood booster, look no further than a cold shower. And if you are thinking about giving it a try, check out the quick guide I’ve made for you below.
Life without design is just a drift.
A man who thinks they know everything? Usually the last to grow. Stay curious. Try the things you once swore you’d never do. Timing has a way of surprising us – and sometimes, so does a bucket of ice water.
Give it a shot. Your morning – and your neck – might thank you.
7-day Cold Shower Challenge – The Guide
If you have medical conditions, research before trying.
Experiment! Start with warm water or do contrast showers if needed.
Keep it short—30 to 90 seconds is optimal. We want to keep it healthy and consistent.
Have a reason—whether it’s building mental toughness, increasing energy, or just proving to yourself you can.
Make it fun! Play music, get hyped, and celebrate every second.
Show up with whatever you can – even if you don’t do a full shower every morning, just dip your toes in. It’s about commitment, not about results.
Share the result with me – I would love to hear back from you!
Good luck!
