It doesn’t matter how many hours you get.
If you don’t go into your waking hours refreshed, then your slumber’s not done its job properly.
However, here you are. It’s early O’ clock in the A.M. and you’ve gotta face the day regardless. No do overs. (Unless you live in an Adam Sandler movie and Chris Walken gifted you with one’ve those life rewind-y remotes.) So, what do you do now to counteract a bad sleep? Some yoga? Sure, that helps a little. Caffeine? Duh, that’s a given. How about a nice icy shower? Um… are you kidding me? I already feel like I spent the night getting abducted by aliens, narrowly escaping, and running back from Mars. The last thing I wanna do when I feel this fatigued is a full body agua frosting. What sort’ve whips and chains masochist does that anyway? Well, James Bond may not have been into bondage, but his character was notorious for doing exactly this. A cold shower. And, according to research and testimonials given on the topic, it’s not just Hollywood fodder to add depth to an iconic badazz. This is something people actually do.
Successful, everyday people.
(Who think they’re James Bond.)
And in a way, I suppose I can relate to this “Scottish Shower”, as they call it. It’s winter here in Northern Virginia and that means that I’ve gotta do my outdoor running in teens to single digit temps. Granted, there’s generally zero H2O involved in my gelid jogs (except when I run near the flooded swamp). However, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel some of the same things others have claimed to experience after a glacial laving. There’s the increased circulation (because the surface skin capillaries dilate, recruiting blood from your center to your extremities for warmth). The confidence boost. (Few people do this. I must be obviously insane awesomer than most people.) Fat burn. (There was actually a study done on how you burn more by doing cardio in the cold. Likewise, a chilly shower boosts brown fat cell production – which helps you nix the shizzy kinda fat.) Then, finally, there’s the thing that can punt you outta your rut each morning: the happiness factor. Whether you’re drizzling frigid liquid over your bod or sending it on a subzero temp run, it activates what they call the brain’s “blue spot” which, ironically, makes you feel less blue. How? This stimulation causes an outpouring of noradrenaline – the chemical experts believe alleviates depression and boosts feel-goodery in general. And we all know it’s tough to stay in sleepy Eeyore mode when we’ve A.) got our confidence game going strong B.) know a fat burning sesh’s just happened and C.) are high on our own adrenalized supply and one second from valiantly leading the unassuming strangers around us into valiant, bloody battle.
“THIS…IS…. MONDAYYYY!!!!1”
So, whether it’s a Scottish scrub or arctic cardio, I’d say a bit of chilliness can cure your more torpid mornings.
(And that’s coming from an avid cold loather.)