26 Comments

For a time I worked with children who had a lot of meltdowns. Splashing water over the inside of their wrists, which was easier when holding a struggling child, works very well. Cold plunges help manage anxiety.

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Oh neat! Apparently, this triggers the vagus nerve (something else worth spending a lot of time thinking about). It is always great to hear first-hand reports "from the field"!

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Wow. That is interesting. I need to use this method when my kids are arguing with each other again.

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@zengwt I should say running water over their wrists - putting their wrists under the cold tap.

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I should say running water over their wrists - putting their wrists under the cold tap.

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I first read it as "Cold Clam," and...it wasn't TOO far off. Dolphins are a type of clam, right?

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Cold Clam® is normally only used when you run out of ceviche. They no longer serve dolphin in their clam cans.

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Oh! That cold effect is the night and day effect.

I use that trick when I feel super tired and lack focus, it helps me get back into my mojo.

Another hack that has worked for me is reducing my sugar intake for some time (It is fascinating to observe when I fast for more than a day) or counting down from 10 to 1, sometimes even from 50 to 1— then I meditate.

We do our best to gather ourselves, trying to biohack bugs our bodies aren’t guilty of. It does help realign our behaviors and emotions. I never focused on the feeling, only the effects—but I’ll observe better next time!

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I've been thinking a lot about how your body can calm itself down for sleep if your body temp drops a little bit. There's a tendency to try to be warm right as you're about to sleep, but our circadian rhythm may have other plans.

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you have genuinely more helpful information here than any “therapist” i have ever had the displeasure of encountering.

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I really kicked the psychology can down the road for most of my life, but now that I've finally cracked my curiosity open, I can't get enough!

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I actually need to do this more often. The cold water face splash, that is.

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I tried it today, but I think I was already pretty calm. I did become more cold, though.

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Did you become more wet?

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Sorry, some memories never become long term memories. I don't remember feeling more wet. Could this be something "she" once opined?

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But have you felt less wet?

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Living in a tropical country, I can definitely relate to the refreshing feeling of splashing cold water on my face. It's an instant way to cool down and feel more awake.

I never really thought about it as "tricking nature," but I guess it is a way to use our body's natural responses to our advantage.

As for other ways to "trick nature," I think deep breathing exercises are a great example. When we're stressed, our breathing tends to become shallow and rapid. By consciously taking slow, deep breaths, we can activate our parasympathetic nervous system, which slows our heart rate and helps us relax.

Thanks for the interesting read!

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Great callout on breathing! This is a very obvious (but also very effective) way for us to "hack" our biology. Knowing these little tricks can be really helpful.

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Did a cold plunge for the first time ever and it was unexpectedly ok. Was told the right order was wet heat (steam room) to dry heat (sauna) to cold plunge. No idea why

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Okay, I'm giving it a shot: moisture first so the warmth sticks to you as you go through the dry heat room, and then you jump into the cold with a slight exterior level of protection, so your skin isn't shocked quite so much.

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Is this why we say, “Take a cold shower” in response to someone who is getting too excited?

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I'm reading that cessation of arousal is the main thing that does for you. It definitely does trigger the MDR, though, and that can add to the calming effect (once the spell is broken, so to speak).

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Our mutual friend Russ told me years ago about the cold shower he takes after a training session. It’s not entirely a cold shower, just a minute or two after our normal shower. It makes our muscles contract, forcing out the toxins we build up during our training. I’ve been practicing Russ’s technique for years now and find the experience very calming, and healing!

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Cold showers absolutely reduce inflammation, which can certainly flare up post-workout, too.

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This is all kinds of fascinating. Thanks for this one.

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Thanks, Mike! I definitely left plenty of room for someone to dive in a bit more.

I didn't even do that one on porpoise.

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