The Change That Boosted My Energy

By Tyler Lowe

One change that unexpectedly boosted my energy was daily cold showers

Almost three years ago, I ran a 30-day cold-shower experiment that turned into a daily habit. I’d been reading about deliberate cold exposure and wanted a way to start my mornings without drinking coffee. I expected it to be miserable and to hate it, but I started to feel accomplished and pumped after each time I did it.

For the first week, I finished my normal warm shower with just 15 seconds of cold and focused on slow breathing. Each day, I added a little time until I comfortably hit 60–90 seconds. These days I’ll often time it to a song: when the track changes, I turn the heat off and go full cold. I keep it to mornings, as doing it at night can make me too alert to fall asleep.

I initially tried it because I run wellbeing workshops and I’m always testing simple methods to help improve my health and wellbeing.

And cold showers are free, don't take up much time, and technically easy to get started. (Although not mentally easy to start)

What I noticed after the first week was that my energy at the start of the day was noticeably better. The moment the cold water touched my skin, I felt switched on, alert, motivated, and ready to go.

Over time, I noticed a few other benefits.

These were clearer skin and fewer winter sniffles than I’d usually get.

The mental side is probably the biggest benefit as choosing short-term discomfort first thing gives you quiet confidence for harder tasks later.

For anyone starting, I'd say consult with your doctor and if all is okay, start small. Finish warm showers with 10–20 seconds of cold, breathe slowly, and add a little each day. Aim for 1–3 minutes total across the week to begin with.

And if you’ve got any medical concerns, speak to your GP first.

Tyler Lowe, Health & Wellbeing Speaker and founder of Loving Life (London, UK). I help organisations build happier, higher-performing teams with practical, science-backed workshops.

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