Two Very Effective (but Counter-Intuitive) Ways to Boost Health & Emotional Resilience

Sometimes doing the uncomfortable thing makes us stronger — here are two proven methods to do just that

Photo by K B on Unsplash

1. Cold water therapy

I’m not gonna lie, being submerged in cold water sucks.

But (and it’s a big but) on a physical level, the sympathetic nervous system — our fight or flight response — strengthens because it learns how to manage stress.

So, in real life, as stressful situations arise, the nervous system is better equipped to deal with them.

On an emotional level, cold water helps to build our capacity to sit in uncomfortable situations and know that we’re okay. It helps us to self-regulate, remain calm, and not lose the balance of the mind.

So, in real life, as stressful situations arise, we remain calm and composed even when chaos swirls.

This takes time, of course, but stressing the body out before it’s stressed out is a great way to develop the tools that are needed to manage and cope with stress as it arises.

Cold water also activates the vagus nerve, gets the blood flowing, and “stresses” the body out in all the right ways.