Cold Showers – How They Help Anxiety & Depression

Nature can sometimes bring us the simplest and most effective of treatments. Researchers from the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine have backed up this finding when they discovered that depressed patients who took a two to three-minute shower twice a day at 68 degrees Fahrenheit for two months noticed a significant mood improvement. Another study found the practice was more effective at steadying mood and getting rid of anxiety than a leading pharmaceutical, and another found that cold water exposure worked amazingly for both depression and chronic fatigue.

Why cold water therapy reduces depression & anxiety

The reason for this is that cold water exposure activates the sympathetic nervous system, increasing blood flow to the brain, and increasing blood levels of beta-endorphin and noradrenaline. It also helps calm systemic inflammation, which is strongly linked to depression. Another wonderful side affect of cold showers is that it helps boost your immune system by increasing your white blood cells. A short burst of adrenaline that is stimulated when your body first comes into contact with cold water actually activates your immune system so in times of health crises and pandemics, cold water has an added benefit.

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Also, because your skin has far more cold receptors than warm receptors, sudden exposure to cold water sends a huge amount of electrical impulses from peripheral nerve endings to the brain, stimulating it in such a manner that it produces an antidepressant effect. A bit like electroshock therapy but without the side effects or controversy. (Conversely there is also evidence to prove a warm bath in the afternoon helps reset the circadian rhythm in depressed patients. For more information on this, take a look at our article Can a hot bath in the afternoon reduce depression?)

I first heard about “cold water hydrotherapy” years ago after watching a BBC documentary on mental health where a woman who had suffered years of crippling depression and anxiety was asked to take part in an experiment where she charted her mood after swimming in cold water. Amazingly enough, after overcoming her reservations about getting her kit off in the freezing British weather and submerging her body in the murky depths of a local swimming pond, she found that the impact of the cold water on her body lessened her symptoms of depression and anxiety considerably.

I was prompted to look again at this cold shower practice after a holistic therapist friend said that she’d come across a Dutchman called Wim Hof – also known as ‘The Iceman’ – who can meditate for hours whilst packed in ice and who regularly hikes up snowy mountains in little more than his underpants. She’d learned that he is able to withstand the freezing temperatures simply by doing breathing exercises and calming his mind. (And he’s currently featured on a BBC series called “Freeze the Fear with Wim Hof’ where celebrities learn the benefits of cold water therapy.)

Related article: How The Anchoring Technique Can Help Panic Attacks

So she started taking a three minute cold shower every morning after doing about 10 minutes of breathing exercises and found that not only did her chronic fatigue lift, but she had huge amounts of energy, a better immune system and felt generally more positive about life. And apparently if you take a cold shower after doing some form of exercise – which is in itself an anti-stressor – it can double the advantages of the cold water hydrotherapy.

One of our LightHearts UK blog readers, Mike Carson, also tried the technique. Here’s his response: “My son - who is currently doing a Masters Research Degree at UCL in Neuropsychology - bought me a book by Wim Hof which I read with interest and followed up by taking cold showers every morning for a month (and Monday - Friday since ). I have found the effects on my mental state and general energy level quite incredible. The main effects for me is a massively improved increase in my speed of decision making and opinion forming which I have found useful at work. My stress levels feel lower and my energy levels are much higher than previously."

Since the first lockdown, this has been my routine: I do the Wim Hof breathing exercises first (featured here on our blog article on Lung Strengthening Breathing Exercises to Reduce Anxiety) and then after a hot shower, I switch the shower head to cold and gently move the shower over my limbs first so I get used to the cold water, then onto my torso and back and ending with a good cascade of cold water over my head and face for as long as I can stand it.

The effects of both the breathing exercises and the cold water has the effect of making me feel completely rejuvenated and also much brighter and more cheerful. Not only does it do great things for my mental health, it has also worked wonders on my physical health and immune system. As a sufferer of respiratory issues, my health used to be an uphill battle. But since doing the Wim Hof breathing exercises and cold shower my symptoms are considerably lessened and I feel full of energy. And the amazing thing is that I can now hold my breath for two minutes, which is not bad for someone with a lung disease!

So if you’ve tried all the methods out there and you’re still feeling like you’re stuck in that vicious circle of depression and anxiety, then you might find some relief at trying the cold water hydrotherapy technique. It goes without saying that you need to make sure you're not suffering from any cold, flu or infection, but if you're fit enough to give it a go, we’ve attached a video below demonstrating the super effective yogic breathing exercise for anxiety called Ujjayi Breathing to get your body ready for the icy blast! So even if you don’t manage to make it under the shower, at least you’d have calmed your mind with a bit of relaxing deep breathing.

And remember that you can find lots of free audios, meditations, sourced videos, helpful advice and tip sheets as part of our FREE online mental health and wellbeing courses. Just click on the button below:

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