Cold Water, Cool Mind: Ice Baths For Anxiety Management
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- September 27, 2023
Breaking the ice: Let's Get To Know Anxiety
Anxiety is a misunderstood friend, it was designed to help us acknowledge potential threats with the all-known ‘fight or flight’ response. But it manifests itself in not-so-friendly ways with sudden strikes or creeps up on us in the worst situations possible, instead of helping. Never knew ordering at Starbucks was considered a threat. Sadly, for anxiety, it might.
It is present increasingly more than enough in our lives, for most it is a day-to-day nuisance. This is why it is important to understand and manage anxiety for our own mental and physical well-being.
The Physiological Science Behind Ice Baths For Anxiety
Just take portable ice bath for anxiety and get a mental upgrade? You may be skeptical, that such complex emotion is relieved only by something so simple as cold water. Well, our bodies are just complex chemical machines. Let’s take a closer look at the best physiological responses involved.
Release of Endorphins: Stars Of The Show
Endorphins are our favorite neurotransmitters. Also known as the ‘good feeling’ hormone.
They are also called ‘endogenous opioids’ because they behave similarly to opioids such as heroin or morphine!
Which is the secret behind the calmness and relief. Ice baths trigger the release of these in our bodies. How you may ask? So, exposing oneself to extreme temperatures can be a stress stimulus to our neurons, causing pain or discomfort. In response, our bodies will release endorphins as natural painkillers in abundance to lessen the discomfort. Now you have all these extra ‘feel-good’ hormones floating around in your body, boosting your mood and relieving your pain at 0 expense.
Resilience Against Stress Hormones: The Main Cause
Anxiety is caused by none other than stress hormones, these are very pesky but fortunately, we now understand ‘how to hack’ the chemicals for our benefit with Ice baths!
Since immersion in extremely cold water produces a stress response in the body. A series of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol are released. The body reacts to these hormones by activating the ‘fight or flight’ response.
But over time, our bodies will start to build resilience to these stressors and the response to them will dampen. This is how ice baths can result in low stress and anxiety, and a better mood even in stressful situations. Square up to that presentation speech or catch yourself sleeping through the final exams!
Improve Your Sleeping Pattern: Chill Out For Better Zzz’s
Anxiety is often a culprit of insomnia and vice versa! Reducing anxiety along with the added benefits of ice baths, you can rest peacefully throughout the night. And better sleep equals better mental health. When the body’s core temperature is affected by the extreme cold, exit from the ice bath is where more magic happens. This alternate between cold and warm temperatures may mirror the involuntary temperature change that occurs at night, notifying the body that it’s time to sleep. This is usually how our biological circadian rhythm works.
Enhance Blood Circulation: Pulsing With Ice Baths
Similarly, the subsequent cooling and warming constricts and dilates the blood vessels which increases their efficiency in providing the much-needed oxygen-rich blood all over the body and the brain, which improves overall mental health.
Nervous System Stimulation: Crystal-Clear Thoughts
Want the brain fog gone? Ice baths activate the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for alertness and focus. It may help gain mental clarity and remove anxiety-induced fuzziness.
All in all, If you seek a natural way to battle anxiety, try chilling with ice baths for a change. Incorporate Polar Bath into your routine alongside other anxiety management techniques and embark on your journey to a well-balanced and calm mentality, a state of mind you deserve.
