It’s been 14 months since I started my cold shower challenge. Cold showers are a routine part of life now so I guess the challenge is over and I can say cold showers have been habitualised or for now anyway it seems. As with anything that sticks, behind the scenes you will find a strong desire to succeed with a consistent routine that is built upon and forms a lasting habit. But going the distance and making it habitual probably means it's something that aligns with our purpose in life, something that is naturally important for us.

I wrote an article “My cold shower challenge” back in October 2020 with my progress 5 months in that included the pro’s and con’s of the overall experience. So it's about time I shared how I have faired since and what I have learned up to now, December 2021.

I last left you with my cold shower routine as follows:

• Start with a cold shower for up to 30 seconds.

• Turn the shower off to shampoo and lather up as drawing out the suds is harder with cold water and easier when the shower is off.

• Turn on the cold shower again and rinse for at least a minute or more and you’re done.

Sometimes I went for 2 or 3 minutes but it was random based on how much of a rush I was in or how I was feeling etc. But overall very straight forward and quick.

It definitely got easier as I moved into the spring and summer months. In fact it was no big deal by summer and was firmly routine and normal. 

But in August my mother in law came to stay and laid her head in the spare room where I showered. This meant I had to use the shower in my room again that, if you remember from the first article, didn't have a cold water switch but instead, varying degrees or warmness only. However with this shower it needed 30 seconds or so to warm up and if you were the first person in, it would be cold long enough to get your hit until it warmed up.

So my new routine then became:

• I had to be the first one in the shower every morning - not always practical, I didn’t always win the race.

• I stood under the cold water for the first 25 seconds or so and then turned the shower off. 

• I lathered up with shampoo etc., turned the water back on where I got about 10-15 seconds of cold water if I was lucky before the water flowed warm.

• I finished my shower with hot water due to no other choice.

It didn’t feel ideal to me and I considered or felt I was cheating. Not really sure why I thought that but what could I do for the moment? If you've researched the impact of cold showers you will find some folks and research studies quote that up to 30 seconds of cold water is all we need to get the positive impacts and those that stay longer don’t seem to show more benefits. So it wasn’t all bad and I was making the most of the situation.

Now I didn’t always get to the shower first so this chipped away at the routine and habit and I found that when my mother in law left I still showered in my room and had a hit and miss routine on having an effective cold shower (at least  30 seconds of cold water). This went on for a few months until I saw the documentary on Netflix called “The Ponds” that had been out for a few years but I missed it somehow. It’s a very enjoyable watch and not only if you are into open ponds or sea swimming. This was the motivation I needed for a return to my old cold shower ways. I wasn’t feeling great mentally either since I was unable to exercise or do much walking due to injury/health issues so I had the emotional pull needed to get back in the saddle.

When I showered in the spare room again under the cold water, oh my, it was so cold, it was like I was starting from scratch again. But that first time I stayed under for a few minutes and I felt great physically and emotionally and soon fell back into my old routine. It was surprising that very quickly I got back to being comfortable under very cold water for longer than 25 seconds. This was a good example of how the body remembers, it reopens old pathways to old habits whether good or bad very quickly.

This time round I went a bit easier on myself. Just like some folks that swim in the open water year round, some will wear two swimming caps, some will wear gloves and others swim boots. They don’t have to go full on Rambo to get the benefits and they enjoy the experience more. I found during the year when I exposed my head to the cold water for too long I tended to have a runny nose that could last for a day or two so I avoid any lengthy exposure of cold water on my head now. Same with my hands, they have always been the first part of my body to get really cold probably since I got chilblains out cycling as a teenager. My hands remember the cold and are more affected by it now. Well that’s my belief and I’m sticking to it.

My latest approach so is as follows:

• Cold shower first for up to 30 seconds.

• Turn the shower off to lather and shampoo up and help draw out the suds etc.

• Turn on the cold shower again and rinse for at least a minute or so.

• If I have time I switch on the hot water and stand under the heat to help the blood run quicker again. If I do this;

• I finish off with a half minute cold shower again to close the pores.

No more being overly hard core and I’m happy to mix it up. As long as I get the 30 seconds of cold then I’m happy but more often it's longer. Have I seen any health benefits? Yes it helps the mood for sure and it helps with being present as the cold focuses you on what you are doing. I haven’t had a flu or chest cough or any other symptom that would keep me from working for even a day. I know a lot of people have warm showers first then finish off with a cold one and I guess this is good too because you get your +30 seconds in and it's easier to stand under the cold water after being under the warm water first.  

As we move into some well deserved time off perhaps you will take the cold shower challenge yourself, even just the period of your holidays and see how you get on. Better still if you live close to the sea or an open swimming area then challenge yourself to take a dip. I challenged a pal of mine a year ago and now he heads to the sea every week and enjoys the autumn and winter months best.