This Is How Cold Showers Will Change Your Life

welcome to my new morning routine

Hey Friends,

It’s been a minute! I’m still acclimating to a new, frantic pace of life after transitioning from working less than 20 hours a week (on my own schedule, and often in yoga pants) to working for the man every day but Sunday, sometimes over 60 hours a week.

*Things* are starting to get easier, but for a while, my nervous system was freaking TF out.

When I was a f/t freelance writer, my copious free time was filled with long walks in the woods, yoga classes, and a morning routine that could span several hours.

My morning routine is sacred.

Before, I would get up before sunrise, journal with my coffee, pull a tarot card, and snuggle in bed with my dogs and a stack of books.

Now, I can only do this on Sundays, and it feels 6x more luxurious. On the other days of the week, I must adapt.

I can’t just roll out of bed, pull on my fleece-lined Carhartts, and head straight to work at 7 am. I need time to warm up my body and mind. I need to front-load my self-care before diving into the difficult and dirty world of mail delivery.

I need a condensed morning routine that achieves the same effect in a fraction of the time. And this, my friends, is what I’ve spent the past month or so playing with.

My new workday morning routine consists of two non-negotiable elements:

1. Movement — ideally the type that breaks a sweat, but anything that gets the blood pumping will do

2. Cold showers — I bet you’re tempted to stop reading now and grab a blanket, but if you’re brave enough to stick around, what I’m about to say will change your life

I always brush my teeth, drink water, and have coffee every morning. Oral hygiene and hydration are super important, and I don’t want to imagine a world without coffee. Making my bed, unfortunately, has slipped into the “high priority but not essential” category.

Why Would You Take a Cold Shower? In Winter!?

Listen, I’m not some kind of barbaric cold-loving beast. Cold showers, like running, are the kind of thing I never thought I’d like til I tried it.

Honestly, taking a cold shower sounded like a punishment. (Also like running.)

But my interest was piqued when I read a New York Times article about cold-plunging Maine mermaids. Then I started hearing Tim Ferriss rave about cold therapy. But I finally crossed over after reading about it in my 2024 witchy planner, which included an article on ways to incorporate magic rituals into your morning routine. The article suggests showering as you normally would, then envisioning all the stress leaving your body and running down the drain with the water. They recommend using an affirmation like, “I let the water wash away all the stress of yesterday.” Then, when you feel all the stress gone from your body, slowly turn the water from hot to cool. Continue until it’s as cold as you can stand it, and envision a shield forming around you as the cold water hits your skin. I like to use a new affirmation at this point. Usually something about being invincible/unfuckwithable.

And at that point, I’m ready for anything.

I might start the shower feeling like I want to crawl back into bed and hide from the world. After the cold water hits me, I feel like a cheetah lunging at her prey. I feel like I can do backflips while writing a Ph.D. dissertation. Or, you know, just pump my fists in the air while twerking in the bathroom.

My mood, my energy, my presence — all of it becomes instantly elevated and laser-focused.

There’s science out there proving the benefits of cold therapy. These include:

❄️ Reduces inflammation

❄️ Boosts mood

❄️ Improves circulation

❄️ Glows up the skin

My hot friend Cat made an Instagram video thingy about it, you can view here. But really, reading this isn’t going to change your mind. You gotta hop in the shower, spin that dial to cold, and try for yourself. I can assure you it’s been a game-changer for me.

I forgot to do this once last week. I was already toweled off and in my undies by the time I noticed something was different. I was too warm. Too slow. Too fuzzy.

When I realized what was wrong, I could have easily just continued getting dressed and on with my day. But, no! I am a woman who’s committed to her quirky obsessions! I laughed, stripped down, and got my ass back in the shower for the coldest spray-down I’ve had yet. It was glorious.

So that’s it. My days usually start with running, push-ups, and a cold shower before I head out with my lunch box to work a government job. I almost feel like the Army. It may sound barebones and brutal, but I haven’t felt a single depression symptom all winter. And I feel more alive than I have in a long time.

Do you enjoy cold showers? Ever tried it? Will you start now? Inquiring minds want to know!

Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this post, you can buy me a coffee to support my work :)

I love you,

Lauren