Why 30 Second Cold Showers Are Great For Women

Cold showers first thing in the morning are a huge pick-me-up. I decided to challenge myself and take cold showers for thirty seconds every day for thirty days.

Here’s what happened.

I became more alert at the start of my day. Usually, I’m a late riser — the opposite of a morning person. Most days my work starts in the afternoon and ends very late at night, if not early morning. With this type of schedule, I tend to sleep in. I’m very fortunate to work from home and work according to my schedule.

Just how alert was I from taking these cold showers?

Well, I noticed by day 4 I was very eager to create a morning routine worth sticking to. I became more aware of my overall skin appearance. Finally, I had the energy to do what I knew needed to be happening. I never enjoyed the process because I’m typically sluggish — if forced to be up super early in the mornings. Every cold shower became more enjoyable. I became more enthusiastic about them.

In the beginning — about the first week — I was hesitant to just jump into the shower, which was cold.

What are some tips to start taking these cool showers?

1. Start by taking your normal warm shower and slowly turn to cold water while rinsing
2. During the second week, hop in the hot shower and instantly turn the water to cold
3. For the last two weeks, get directly into the cold shower and stay for a minimum of 30 seconds

What I’ve learned is, that by getting into the shower as soon as you wake up, you’re less inclined to hesitate. Also, once you start reaping the benefits you’ll be excited to enjoy the experience.

What did I do while standing in the cold freezing shower?

Luckily, I did this challenge while I was experimenting with my curly hair routine so I didn’t mind getting my hair wet. I became more aware of what my hair likes and dislikes during this cold shower challenge.

Listen, as a black woman, washing or even wetting my hair daily is usually a quick no! The maintenance of washing my hair daily is a task — even with fine curly hair, it’s just too much daily. However, this is what happened when I added cold water conditioning to my routine during these 30 days.

My hair felt much healthier during these cold showers.

My hair was more manageable in its natural state. For someone with low porosity strands, I noticed during the third week that my hair was absorbing more products — without weighing it down. That was huge! Here’s what I did…

1. I start using a shampoo that is good for daily use and was great for my scalp.
2. I skipped regular conditioning and used this deep conditioning treatment only.
3. After combing through the deep conditioner and letting it sit for the recommended time, I rinsed it in cold water for a minimum of 2 minutes.
4. I only styled my hair using cold water mixed with this leave-in conditioner or curling mousse.

Was it worth it?

This was my hair care routine every two to three days. I didn’t mind washing my hair so often. Overall, It felt amazing and my curly hair was thriving, to say the least. I could honestly say that I believe by eliminating the normal conditioning process, my hair enjoyed one less step. I haven’t used a normal conditioner since. Only my deep conditioners now.

My endorphins kicked into overdrive and my mental depression lessened from taking 30 seconds or longer cold showers!

One of my favorite takeaways from this cold shower challenge is that my mental health was improving. Those happiness hormones were alive and well. My mood was drastically changed from the previous thirty days.

• I didn’t mind waking up at a decent hour.
• I start getting dressed again even working from home.
• Oddly, I didn’t drink as much coffee as I once because my natural energy was lifted.
• My workload became easier because I wasn’t as tired during my work hours.
• I spent more time getting fresh air.
• Working out was much more bearable.
• This is funny, but I talked to more people without getting bored.

To me, this was a huge benefit of the cold shower routine. When you realize your social behaviors, and you understand the mental cues of depression are causing it — anything that slightly uplifts you — is a win in my book.

The fountain of youth is very real.

Taking daily cold showers is amazing for your skin. You’ll not only feel good about yourself but the appearance of firmer and youthful skin will be visible.

What’s the deal with skin and cold showers?

Cold water does wonders for your nervous system. The shock from the cold water allows your body to release hormones and chemicals that help you fight off daily stressors. Cold water is also beneficial for your skin because it’s a recovery method. Working out is great, and cold showers afterward help your muscles recover quicker and reduce inflammation.

The more we cater to what our body needs, the more youthful we will appear. It’s a cleanse from the inside out that benefits us mentally and physically.

In Conclusion:

Over a thirty-day duration, I challenged myself to take daily cold showers for at least a minimum of thirty seconds. Although most of the cold showers were a minimum of one to three minutes, I thoroughly enjoyed the benefits. My mood was in a much more stable place. Being able to think, have a morning routine, have healthier hair, and want to push for my goals — was worth every cold second.

Once the challenge ended, I understood some of the reasons why I wasn’t operating how I was during the challenge before starting the thirty days of cold showers. I wasn’t as organized as I thought and most days I was mentally drained just trying to achieve one goal. That put a damper on my daily mood.

Now, I take cold showers two or three times weekly because honestly, I don’t like getting up so early in the morning. It’s just not my thing, lol! However, I’m up by at least 10 am and I’m not hesitant about having a great start to my day.

This cold shower challenge was a blessing and is now a part of my self-care routine.