The 10-second adjustment

Recently, I tuned into an episode of Andrew Huberman's podcast featuring former Navy SEAL Jocko Willink, during which they discussed the advantages of cold showers and cold plunges. Huberman shared a striking statistic: exposure to cold water can increase dopamine levels by a staggering 250%.

In simpler terms, a cold shower elevates your dopamine levels as much as a dose of nicotine or cocaine.

What’s even more remarkable is that, unlike these harmful drugs, the effects of cold water exposure can sustain elevated dopamine levels for hours afterward.

Perhaps it was the combination of listening to these podcasts in rapid succession or simply feeling sluggish from my recent lack of workouts and motivation to work on my business, but something clicked within me.

I resolved to give this a serious try, committing to it long enough to see if I could achieve measurable results.

As you’ll discover, the results were astonishing.

Before proceeding, let me clarify: I am not a medical expert, nor am I suggesting that you should try cold showers without consulting a healthcare professional. Health risks are involved, and it's important to seek guidance before making significant lifestyle changes.

Prioritize your well-being.

Tracking my progress

I opted to evaluate my progress through both subjective feelings and data from my fitness tracker (if you’re curious about the watch I used, you can find it through my affiliate link here).

I decided to focus on the following metrics, using data from the two weeks leading up to the experiment as my baseline:

My averages: - Weight: 173 lbs. (I'm naturally slim, but likely carrying an extra 6 lbs.) - Sleep quality (rated by my watch on a scale of 0–100): 81 - Exercise heart rate zone minutes (as measured by my watch): 15 - Breaths per minute during sleep (lower is better): 14 - Heart rate variability (higher is better): 77 - Resting heart rate: 49 (lower is better, and mine is already remarkably low) - Mood (rated by me on a scale of 0–100): 40 - Energy (rated on a scale of 0–100): 40 - Daily side business work sessions (in 15-minute blocks): 7 - Daily side business earnings: $39.70/day

I had a hunch that I would witness significant improvements across the board, given Huberman’s claims about dopamine, but I wouldn't know until I tried...

Day 1

On the first day, I woke up feeling drained after a poor night’s sleep and struggled to get out of bed. Typically, I'm up by 6 a.m. or 7 a.m., but I found myself unmotivated and still in bed close to 8 a.m.

Two early mornings prior had taken their toll on me.

Having listened to the Huberman podcast on my drive home the previous day, the idea of cold exposure was fresh in my mind. Additionally, I recalled a story from renowned comedian Jerry Seinfeld, who mentioned using a trick taught to him by Paul Newman: splashing cold water on his face whenever he felt down.

I decided to start with that in the morning and work my way up to a cold shower in the early afternoon. My goals for Day 1 were two-fold: 1. Reestablish a regular exercise routine. 2. Effortlessly progress in my content business.

I turned the faucet to the coldest setting and splashed my face 5 or 6 times.

This was a foretaste of the discomfort to come.

Yet, surprisingly, I felt invigorated almost immediately. I went downstairs, brewed a coffee, and grabbed a banana and fig bar, planning to go for a run soon after.

If you follow my YouTube channel or read my blog posts, you know I usually talk about quitting caffeine. At this point, however, I was in the midst of slipping back into my caffeine habit, and while I wanted to try cold showers, I was also keen on generating natural energy without caffeine.

Huberman had also noted that caffeine helps with dopamine reuptake, so I decided to keep it in my routine for now.

On that day, I had my coffee and snack, then got to work.

And work felt considerably easier.

I spent nearly an hour writing, followed by gearing up for a run that, considering my recent laziness and the fact that it was still winter in Canada, surprisingly went well.

This was promising.

I wasn’t exhausted afterward; in fact, I continued working and even did an hour of yoga.

This was incredibly encouraging.

The first cold shower

With the caffeine wearing off and the afternoon slump creeping in, I knew it was time for my first cold shower.

It was around 1:30 p.m. I set the water to a comfortable temperature for washing, but the time had come.

I began counting down from 10, preparing to switch to full cold.

I was nervous but resolute.

3... 2... 1...

As the freezing water poured over me, my heart raced and I began taking deep, frantic breaths, hopping around in shock.

And then something unexpected happened:

I laughed.

I chuckled through the last few seconds under the frigid water and for about a minute afterward.

The entire experience lasted just 15 seconds.

That was all I could manage on Day 1, but let me tell you, I felt charged.

After getting dressed, I went downstairs where my wife was preparing her lunch. I recounted my experience, feeling like my eyes were likely wide open with excitement.

Honestly, the last time I felt that energized was when I was prescribed a steroid during a bout of mononucleosis.

I jumped right back into my work, typing the very words you’re reading now with heightened motivation and focus.

After spending time with my kids, I completed more work in the evening before hitting the gym for a light workout and a 15–20 minute sauna session.

For those keeping track, that amounted to two hours of side hustle work and three (!) exercise sessions when I had previously struggled with both.

Would this be sustainable?

I was definitely curious but also eager to find out.

Day 2

It was time to dive into a cold shower first thing.

Honestly, I didn’t feel the same boost as I did on Day 1, which made me wonder if my diet and physiology played a role.

As someone with ADHD, my dopamine levels often feel low, and I adapt quickly to new stimuli.

I also pondered whether Huberman was right—without caffeine in my system, the effects might not be as pronounced.

However, as the upcoming days would reveal, this lull was only temporary.

One astonishing fact to note: I lost 5 pounds in just one day.

Though this was likely due to shedding water weight, I felt my body was already thanking me for my new approach to health and wellness.

This may sound far-fetched, but several factors contributed: - Caffeine typically suppresses my appetite, so I barely ate until lunchtime aside from a banana and fig bar. - My lunch was light—a smoothie and an egg wrap—but I just wasn’t that hungry. - The cold shower and dopamine boost seemed to further suppress my appetite; I only had a few slices of pizza for dinner. - I engaged in multiple exercise sessions, totaling over 160 zone minutes. - I went into the sauna after working out, which likely helped with water weight loss.

While the morning was lackluster, I began to feel revitalized in the afternoon.

I don’t say this lightly:

I genuinely felt like a happier, more confident, and more stable person.

Typically an introvert, I prefer to keep my interactions minimal and my voice low.

However, in social settings, I found myself open and friendly, making eye contact and genuinely enjoying the interaction.

I tackled what would have been a stressful situation in the evening, and surprisingly, it didn’t faze me at all.

Now, one caveat: I was battling a nasty cold going into this experiment, so I suspect my energy levels and physiological metrics were initially affected.

But the fact that I was so cheerful and productive despite feeling under the weather truly highlights the potential of cold showers.

Would this last throughout the month?

Or was it merely a placebo effect fueled by my enthusiasm for a new venture?

Day 3

I repeated the cold splashes in the morning followed by a cold shower at lunch, and it effectively got me moving.

Despite still being sick and recovering from a poor night's sleep—conditions that would normally prevent me from exercising—I went for a run early on this day.

I knew the cold shower was on the horizon, and I sensed that I would have enough energy to sustain myself throughout the afternoon and evening.

And I was right!

I worked for hours on side projects that would have otherwise drained my energy, such as a newsletter-only post that might earn me little to nothing.

I also wrote blog posts that I wasn’t particularly excited about but knew would pay off.

I managed to complete many mundane life tasks, like booking appointments I had been avoiding, and even played football with my son once he returned from school.

I put away a week's worth of clean laundry, prepared spaghetti, and spent more quality time with my kids.

Now, here I am writing this.

By the end of Day 3, something else curious was occurring:

I was becoming more sociable.

I engaged more with those around me, including my children.

I texted my mother and looked forward to encountering people at an event the next day.

I felt funnier and, dare I say, charming, because I was more confident and comfortable in my skin.

And it felt effortless; I genuinely wanted to connect.

I couldn’t quite figure out who I was evolving into, but I appreciated the transformation.

Day 4

Remarkably, despite what I assumed was the peak of my cold the previous day, I felt an abundance of energy on Day 4.

I again utilized cold splashes on my face in the morning and followed up with a cold shower at lunchtime, managing to navigate the day without any significant energy drops.

We’re talking multiple days of illness and poor sleep, yet I didn’t crash at any point.

I worked on my job, my side hustles, exercised, and still felt great.

I sensed that my cold was subsiding, and I was eager to see what I could accomplish with cold showers while feeling at peak health.

Even with caffeine to maximize dopamine uptake, I noticed I was consuming less than before.

Previously, I relied on caffeine for dopamine, but now it simply served as a tool, and with all the energy I had, I didn’t feel the same urgency to consume it throughout the day.

One observation I made on Day 4 was that my mental resilience was improving.

This may sound trivial, but if you understand, you understand.

Both my sons play competitive ice hockey as goalies, and let me tell you, it can be incredibly stressful to watch them.

I often tell others two things about goaltending: 1. It’s the most misunderstood position, yet everyone believes they’re an expert. 2. You receive little credit for winning but take all the blame for losing.

In my opinion, it’s the most pressure-filled position in sports.

While I never felt pressure when I played, witnessing my sons' games from the sidelines could be overwhelming.

How overwhelming?

My fitness tracker logs cardio activity in "zone minutes," which tracks when your heart rate reaches fat burn, cardio, or peak levels. You receive double zone minutes for time spent in cardio or peak.

On a day when I didn’t even exercise but watched my son’s game in its entirety, I achieved over 100 zone minutes—one of my highest scores yet, surpassing what I’d earn from a 4K run.

As the stakes have risen, my wife and I have tended to watch fewer of their games, preferring to observe from the lobby for some distance.

I often find myself doing just that.

But on this particular night, while my son played in his league final against the province's top team, I watched intently and felt strangely calm.

My zone minutes that evening were in low double digits—still indicating stress, but far less than usual.

I credit this newfound sense of calm to pushing through the discomfort of cold showers.

Things that once felt daunting are beginning to feel more manageable.

Day 5

On this day, I chose to experiment with my shower routine.

I found it challenging to stay under the cold water for more than 10 to 15 seconds when transitioning from hot to cold, as the shock was intense. So, I opted for a setting that was three-quarters cold.

While it was still uncomfortable—I lasted about 30 seconds—I felt a bit disappointed in my own resolve.

Sure, it was a challenge to remain in a cold shower for 30 seconds, but the mental strength I needed to push through felt diminished.

I didn’t want to go all the way cold because it was uncomfortable.

I wanted to try 30 seconds instead.

And that was somewhat counterproductive.

If you’re merely “wanting” to do something, it somewhat undermines the purpose of building mental resilience.

That said, I still experienced physiological benefits—elevated mood, energy, and motivation—but it felt slightly less impactful.

I resolved to keep experimenting until I discovered the optimal approach.

I will mention that something else may have been weighing on my mind.

After several nights of heavy coughing and poor sleep from the cold, I finally gave in and took some Nyquil.

I despise Nyquil.

Although it suppressed my cough for the night and allowed me to rest, the ingredients leave me feeling fatigued and sluggish the next day.

The fact that I maintained productivity—writing articles and this section—speaks to the positive effects of starting my day with cold water and showering at lunchtime.

Day 6

Let me clarify: I genuinely loathe the cold.

I grew up in one of the coldest cities on earth and have likely developed PTSD from the experience. That’s why I prefer to stay indoors throughout winter, avoiding the cold whenever possible.

Yet, on a chilly morning of Day 6, bundled in a couple of sweaters at sub-zero temperatures while walking to work, I strangely… enjoyed it?

It seems that once you push through the discomfort, you realize that cold exposure in all its forms can invigorate you, and to some extent, you learn to appreciate it.

Once again, my sleep was disrupted by constant coughing (turns out my cold wasn’t tapering off), but even though I felt low on energy, I didn’t feel as utterly exhausted as I typically would have.

The day was undoubtedly a grind, but despite everything, I went home after work and dedicated five hours to a tedious video editing project.

This level of productivity was astonishing, especially considering how worn out I felt, and there was no way I would have managed this just a week prior.

At this point, I recognized that something significant had shifted in my internal chemistry.

Day 7

It was a weekend, and I finally allowed myself to sleep in a little to recover from the long nights and illness that had plagued me.

I spent hours in the morning working on video projects, then took my cold shower, which provided the energy I needed for a full day of activities with my kids.

By 8 p.m., I was exhausted.

Although my cough had finally subsided, I still felt residual fatigue from the week-long illness.

Still, I took 20 minutes to meditate and was able to complete an additional three hours of side hustle work, wrapping up my video project.

Unreal.

Day 8

With my severe cold behind me, I was eager to see how deliberate cold exposure would impact my productivity.

I started with cold splashes in the morning and saved my cold shower for lunchtime. The result? I maintained productivity throughout the day.

I had a sports event that evening requiring social interaction, which is typically a chore for me, but that night it felt effortless.

Another unexpected benefit of cold therapy emerged: I quit drinking alcohol about a year and a half ago.

After years of overindulgence, I realized I needed to make a change to stop disappointing myself and cultivate the energy and focus necessary to reach my potential.

I’ve always aspired to become an entrepreneur, and quitting alcohol allowed me to thrive as a content creator and investor: - I earned over $20,000 in my first year as an independent blogger. - I launched and monetized a YouTube channel. - I made around $1,700 in the stock market.

That said, I still experience moments where I feel tempted to return to my old drinking habits.

While waiting for my son to pick up his Subway lunch, my gaze drifted toward the liquor store just a couple of storefronts away.

Normally, I would mull over this temptation for a while before ultimately moving on, but this time the craving and discomfort lasted only a brief moment.

The beauty of cold showers is that while they don’t remove discomfort from other areas of your life, they do diminish the fear of discomfort.

When you become accustomed to confronting the discomfort of lowering that shower handle to cold, you feel less intimidated by challenges in other aspects of your life.

It may sound simplistic, but I genuinely found my mental resilience to be significantly heightened.

Days 9-12

At this point, I found myself in a holding pattern.

While I was enjoying my progress and felt happier and more motivated each day than before starting this journey, I also sensed a bit of a plateau.

I suppose improvements can’t last indefinitely, but my health metrics had leveled off, leading me to wonder if I had reached my peak in terms of sleep quality, heart rate, physical output, and more.

Then came Day 13, and I was astonished.

Day 13

I can’t pinpoint a specific event or trigger that prompted this remarkable level-up, but I was thrilled to experience it.

Perhaps my body had finally fully recovered from that brutal cold.

On this day, I achieved the highest sleep quality rating since I began the experiment—an impressive 90—and my health metrics were outstanding.

My heart rate variability exceeded 100 for the first time (102), and my breathing rate and resting heart rate were at or near their lowest project levels (which is beneficial).

More importantly, my energy and mood ratings soared.

As a reminder, my self-assessments of my averages prior to the experiment were: - Mood: 40/100 - Energy: 40/100

On this day, for the first time, I rated both metrics in the 90s.

I felt a persistent sense of happiness and optimism throughout the entire day, reflected in my side hustles and physical output.

I completed more work sessions than at any previous point in this experiment (12), and it felt almost effortless.

This was particularly noteworthy because getting myself to edit my YouTube videos usually feels like a laborious task.

This time, I felt energized and, dare I say, excited to finish and publish my project.

I also ran further (7 km) than I had in what felt like ages.

And remarkably, I didn’t feel particularly fatigued or sore afterward.

Here’s an interesting tidbit: I had planned to pick up my car from an oil change, but the garage closed at 5 p.m.

I knew I needed to hurry to make it in time, and about a quarter of the way through, doubts began to creep in.

“You don’t usually run this far. You’re going to run out of time. You’ll tire yourself out.”

I almost called the garage to tell them I’d pick up my car the next day, but I recognized this mental barrier as something I just needed to overcome.

So, I pushed through, arriving with ten minutes to spare.

To say I was excited about my results on that day would be an understatement.

Day 14

The next day, I faced an extremely early work start—up at 5 a.m.—after a late night at my son’s hockey game.

The lengthy contest and its distant venue meant I wouldn’t get to bed until around midnight.

Typically, these days would result in a total productivity and mood collapse, but my recent improvements in sleep quality and health metrics made it manageable.

I accomplished a great deal at work and managed a long side hustle session when I returned home before heading out to yet another hockey event.

I could genuinely feel that my baseline health had elevated since I started this journey.

Although the limited sleep from the previous night took a toll on my mood and energy, the effects were far less severe than they would have been just a month prior, not impacting my productivity in any significant way.

That said, the morning was a struggle (lol).

While working from home, I had been taking cold showers during lunch, but my early departure for the office meant I had to turn down the water temperature before 6 a.m.

Let me tell you, the thought of adjusting that shower temperature is far less appealing when you’ve just rolled out of bed, as opposed to at lunchtime when you’ve been awake, eaten, worked, and possibly exercised.

But my newfound mental resilience kicked in, and I forced myself to do it, feeling much more energized as a result.

Week 3

By this point, cold showers had morphed into a habit for me, requiring no effort to maintain.

It simply became part of my routine, and it actually felt uncomfortable not to do it.

Even though my new normal had me operating at a consistently high level, I continued to see improvements in various areas.

With my newfound energy, I felt more motivated to explore new ventures and take risks in my business.

Previously, I felt compelled to conserve my energy and focus only on projects with high returns.

However, in Week 3, I allocated time to experiment with my YouTube channel, publishing several faceless videos on less lucrative topics.

My mental resilience also reached impressive new heights, thanks to a mindset trick Huberman mentioned in one of his podcasts.

Walls, walls, walls

One question he frequently encountered was how long one should remain in the cold.

Huberman suggested viewing it as a process of breaking through walls.

You might perceive the transition to cold water as the first wall, and then challenge yourself to push through two more walls (the mental and physical signals urging you to exit).

This strategy resonated with me, and I can’t stress enough how it transformed my life.

I plan to create follow-up content focusing on this idea because I believe it’s that significant.

For example, during Week 3 of my cold shower experiment, I had to jog to the garage not once, but twice.

I took my second vehicle for an oil change, only to realize I forgot to bring my winter tires for the changeover.

This meant I had to return the next day to pick up my car by 5 p.m.

On the first day, I slowed down a couple of times between traffic lights to catch my breath.

On the second day, I chose to acknowledge the mental barriers telling me to slow down and simply kept running.

As it turned out, I managed to complete the entire 7 km without stopping—something I had never done before on consecutive days.

Since then, I’ve applied this “acknowledge the walls” strategy to numerous other activities, helping me overcome resistance at a whole new level.

Some days, I might recognize 12 to 14 walls during a 5K run, but I always finish now.

Week 4

My newfound resilience extended to tackling other challenging tasks.

While I was incorporating more running into my routine, I still struggled to hit the gym as consistently as I wanted.

My schedule was demanding, and my previous approach—working out late at night—was falling short due to my kids’ activities.

So, I decided to attempt an early morning gym routine.

One morning, I set my alarm for 5 a.m., and lo and behold, I actually got out of bed and made it to the gym.

After my workout, I spent some time in the sauna, and my mood skyrocketed.

I recognize there are benefits to heat exposure as well (I might delve into that another time), but whatever happened that day, I felt happier than I could remember.

I also broke through a long-standing barrier related to my side business: starting my own news website.

This endeavor is a significant undertaking, requiring me to refresh my WordPress skills, learn to apply and customize a new theme, write supporting pages, and create articles—all without any initial financial return.

Although I hadn’t launched the site by the time of this writing, I laid the foundation, and once I add more content, I’ll announce its launch.

After completing this 30-day experiment, I also initiated a podcast project that has started generating daily income.

I also noticed that many tedious chores and life tasks I had been procrastinating on were suddenly getting done.

I replaced a toilet in my home (a notoriously unpleasant task) and tackled various boring administrative tasks.

Not only had I transformed personally in terms of mood and personality, but I had also become a productivity powerhouse.

The final results

So, what do these changes look like in measurable terms?

Below, you’ll find the areas I monitored, my averages before the cold shower experiment, and my averages afterward.

Weight - Start: 173 lbs. - End: 171 lbs.

My initial rapid weight loss didn’t hold, but I did shed 2 lbs. of excess weight.

Sleep quality - Start: 81 - End: 83.33 (2.8% improvement)

I genuinely believe this number would have been considerably higher had my sleep quality not suffered from my cold at the beginning of the project. Still, I witnessed a clear improvement.

Exercise (measured in daily zone minutes) - Start: 15 - End: 55.26 (268% increase)

If that number doesn’t astound you, I don’t know what will.

Exercise motivation proved to be the most significant benefit of my cold shower journey.

A 268% measurable increase is nothing short of remarkable.

Breaths per minute - Start: 14 - End: 13.43 (4% decline)

Lower is better here, and I managed to decrease my rate slightly.

Heart rate variability - Start: 77 - End: 79.3 (3% increase)

HRV is a common measure of how well your body recovers during sleep. Higher numbers indicate better recovery, and again, had my cold not interfered with my sleep early on, this would be even higher.

Resting heart rate - Start: 49 - End: 49.3

This remained essentially unchanged, and as I mentioned, I already have a relatively low resting heart rate. If it dipped further, I’d be in trouble!

Mood - Start: 40/100 - End: 76.23/100 (90% increase)

The increase here is remarkable. Entering the project, my mood hovered around 40, which I suspect is bordering on depression.

By the end, I felt twice as good as before.

Whether this improvement stemmed from cold showers or a combination of the showers and the motivational boost that followed (like exercising more, being productive, and sleeping better), it completely transformed who I am in just 30 days.

Energy - Start: 40/100 - End: 74/100 (85% increase)

As with my mood, my energy levels nearly doubled in the span of 30 days.

I believe this would have been even higher if it weren't for the brutal cold I experienced during the initial week.

Side business earnings - Start: $39.70/day - End: $64.88/day (63% increase)

With increased energy came consistency, significantly boosting my earnings by over 60%. I also felt more mentally clear, which helped me generate better ideas and the motivation to bring them to fruition.

Were cold showers worth it?

As I noted at the outset, there is nothing inherently "enjoyable" about cold showers.

But that’s precisely the point.

By pushing yourself to do one uncomfortable thing, your brain learns to tackle many uncomfortable challenges that can ultimately transform your life in myriad positive ways.

When I embarked on my 30-day cold shower experiment, I was in rough shape both mentally and physically.

By the conclusion, I had measurably improved nearly every aspect of my life.

And all of this occurred in just 30 days.

I’m genuinely excited to see what the future holds!

Have you ever attempted deliberate cold exposure?

Would you consider it?

Share your thoughts in the comments!

Looking for more to read?

Check out my top 5 trending articles right now: 1. Top doctor attributes high cancer rates to one terrible food. 2. 3 meals superstar Carrie Underwood consumes to stay fit at 41. 3. Eat these 5 foods if you aspire to reach 100: insights from a longevity expert. 4. Is the U.S. economy on the verge of collapse? McDonald’s provides a clue. 5. YouTube CEO just revealed a crucial key to success.

Disclaimer: The author of this article is not a health professional, and this content should not be interpreted as medical advice. Always consult a doctor before altering any diet or exercise routine.