I first took a cold plunge about three years ago. I had seen the hype on Instagram; I’d heard the countless podcast soundbites talking about the benefits of cold water; I had seen countless videos of people filling wheelie bins with water and ice and going for a prolonged dunk. And honestly when I saw the cold-water propaganda I thought “What a load of bollocks”. Yet, here I am, three years later with a Lumi ice bath in my garage, unable to resist the call of the cold water whether it be a lake, the sea or a river. I’m addicted (though I still haven’t been in a wheelie bin).
The first time I “dipped”, as the cool kids call it, I was guided in by an ice water and breathwork aficionado called David Jackson, otherwise known as Jacko. I explained to him that I’d always suffered with bouts of depression and other mental health issues, but more recently I’d been experiencing a fresh level of hypervigilance in my everyday life. While walking down the street, I’d start to panic and feel like there was danger everywhere. My heart rate would increase, my breathing would become rapid. I needed to find a way to calm myself down.
To prepare for submerging my swimwear-clad body into the 8C barrel of water in front of us, we practiced breathing in through the mouth and exhaling through the nose while humming one continuous hum, a bit like an “ohm” at the end of a yoga session. The primary aim was to submerge myself to just above the shoulders while controlling my breath and allowing a sense of calm to take over, instead of a sense of panic.
Getting into an ice bath felt peculiarly like having a panic attack, and the reaction I was having felt a lot like when I was out in public
In I went, and when the inevitable shock of the cold water took my breath away, Jacko reminded me to hum. I took a breath in and began to hum out. Time slowed down and I really felt the coldness on my body; the sensations and impulses that came with them. Getting into an ice bath felt peculiarly like having a panic attack, and the reaction I was having to the water felt a lot like what was happening to my brain and body when I was out in public. As I focused inwards and my breath slowed, I was able to observe my reaction and control my bodily responses. Something I hadn’t been able to do for a long time. I stayed in the water for 10 minutes and when I got out, I felt on top of the world.
After that day, I bought an inflatable ice bath and stuck it outside my back door. With a bit of practice, I realised there were more benefits to dipping than just controlling my response to stress. Every time I looked at the ice bath and thought “I don’t want to get in there” but did anyway, I was flexing the muscle that is discipline.
I realised that, once submerged, the voice in my head that urged me to get out of the water was the same voice spoke negatively to me in my day-to-day life. It was the same voice that told me to snooze my alarm or not to go to the gym, or to eat an extra piece of cake. When I learnt to ignore that voice and follow through with my intentions in the ice bath, I began to apply it to the decisions I made throughout the day.
It isn’t just the long-term psychological affects that have turned me into a human submarine, there are some pretty epic short-term ones too. According to research, cold water dipping boosts your dopamine levels by 250 per cent. I have been sober since 2019 and can confirm that the a post-dip high packs a punch.
Wim Hof is a big name in the cold water and breathwork world. He is a big believer that the breath is the architect of our inner balance and I’d agree with that, but not everyone has the resources to experiment. I am aware of the privilege that’s involved in the ice-bath practice; not everyone has access to suitable and safe water, nor a container to hold it. Venturing in to the cold water world can start with turning the shower to cold for a minute, or submerging your hands in a local river and observing the way it makes you feel.
For anyone who has already dipped a toe into the ice bath practice — keep going, the cold is a great supplement for your well-being. For those who aren’t there yet but keen to try it for the mental health benefits: I urge you give it a go.
The not-so-simple act of inhaling and exhaling under pressure is one of the most powerful things one can do to heal. I know what it has done for me personally, and it’s why UK medical bodies should encourage more people to try it. Combining that with an ice plunge has set me up for a better, happier life.
