Growth Through Discomfort

I finally caved and got a tub for cold water plunges—well, Ang and the boys got me one for Father’s Day because they knew I had been wanting one.

By now, I’m sure you’ve seen people on social media submerging themselves in cold water in tubs, barrels, lakes, or any other body of water in what has become the latest health craze. There is ample research both for (and the lack of) the health benefits of cold water baths and showers:

• Decreased inflammation

• Enhanced immune system

• Dopamine spikes

• Reduce stress

• Endorphin rush

• Better sleep

• Improved injury recovery

• Boost of energy

While I hope to benefit from the health benefits of my morning (and sometimes evening with the boys) plunges, I wanted to start cold water plunges for a different reason.

The discomfort of the cold.

I hate being cold.

If given the choice to be cold or hot, I’m always choosing hot—give me the heat of an Arizona summer over the cold of an Indiana winter any day (and Indiana winters aren’t THAT bad).

I’ve avoided cold water plunges and even cold showers—after just a few seconds I turn the shower back to warm…can’t stand ruining my hot shower by ending in the cold—because of how uncomfortable the cold water made me. I’ve always known the discomfort was something I could overcome if I just put my mind to it, but I didn’t want to because I hate being cold.

Yes, the cold water plunges have been cold, but the cold was not as bad as I made it out to be in my head—it was all mental. And now, with my new IcePod (not an add: don’t jump into the cold water plunge game spending thousands of dollars on a fancy tub—there are plenty of affordable options out there) I have the chance to grow through the discomfort of sitting in cold water every day.

WHAT GROWTH COMES FROM THE COLD?

For me, the biggest area of growth is doing something I hate to do every day—it’s overcoming the desire to not be cold and pushing through the initial discomfort. This is very similar to my training for running—I used to hate running and would avoid it at all costs, but it was all mental and now I’m working on rewiring my brain to view my Self as a runner and begin enjoying my 30-minute runs.

Throughout my Pursuit (and yours), it is inevitable that I will have to do things I don’t enjoy—things that are uncomfortable and I will want to avoid and they will be more difficult than sitting in cold water. But after daily trips to the cold tub, I will develop the confidence and the mental strength to handle events, conversations, and experiences I’d much rather avoid.

The cold plunges will also help me:

• Handle stress—the initial shock of the cold water is unlike most stress I experience day to day and being able to calm my body and mind down by focusing on my breath and ultimately getting into a meditative state will pay dividends when real stress enters life.

• Sit in discomfort—we naturally want to avoid discomfort and by staring it head-on and not allowing the discomfort to win, I’ll be able to better handle greater discomfort in the future.

• Overcome my mind—yes, the cold plunges are cold and aren’t what I’d call fun but they have not been as bad as I’ve told my Self they’d be. I wouldn’t quite say I was afraid of the cold water but my mind was doing the same thing it does when we battle fear, which is False Evidence Appearing Real.

• Have more fun with the boys at the pool—I’ve probably missed out on hours of fun in the boys’ lifetimes working up the confidence to jump in the neighborhood pool, lake, or ocean because of the cold water. I don’t see my Self ever loving cold water but after enough cold plunges, hopping in a cool body of water will be nothing.

DISCOMFORT AND THE GROWTH THAT COMES THROUGH IT ARE NOT EXCLUSIVE TO PHYSICAL CHALLENGES.

The majority of the discomfort I expect to experience in my life probably won’t be physical. It will come in the form of conversations, learning how others feel, recognizing mistakes and how others might receive them, and admitting when I’ve been wrong. Each of these non-physical situations are uncomfortable but also provide opportunities for growth and believe it or not, the cold water plunges will also help me in these areas as well.

If you’re looking to grow through discomfort but aren’t quite ready for the cold water, go talk to someone who comes from a different background, lives in a different area of the town, or does not have the means that you have. Get to know them. Listen to their story. It will be uncomfortable but you will grow in ways you never could have imagined just by being exposed to another person’s story—and you might even get a new friend out of it.

Growth, both physically and mentally, is important as you pursue your authentic life.

Sometimes growth will help prepare you for the path you are on and sometimes the growth will lead you down a path you didn’t know you needed to take. But, either way, be prepared because meaningful growth does not come without discomfort and the more you can practice sitting in discomfort, the more opportunity you will have to grow.

See you tomorrow and keep pursuing,

JC