Embracing the Chill: The start of my Coldtober journey
Introduction
On the 1st of October, I’ll be taking the plunge into a month-long challenge that promises to be as invigorating as it is impactful. I’ve registered for Coldtober, a fundraising initiative by Helplink Mental Health aimed at expanding mental health services across Ireland. The challenge? An outdoor swim or a cold shower every single day for the 31 days of October.
My Three Whys
1. A Noble Cause
Firstly, the challenge supports a cause that’s close to my heart—mental health. The funds raised through Coldtober will go towards providing essential mental health services to children, young people, and adults in Ireland.
2. Personal Benefits
Secondly it’s for personal growth and well-being. Cold water exposure has been scientifically proven to offer a myriad of health benefits, from improved immune systems and better blood circulation to enhanced mental health.
3. The Fucket List & Freezburry Challenge
Lastly, Coldtober aligns perfectly with my Fucket list, a timed bucket list with a sense of urgency. Coldtober not only allows me to tick of one fucket list item, it also serves as a training ground for an even more demanding challenge on my list: the Freezburry Challenge. Coldtober is a stepping stone, a way to prepare both mentally and physically for what lies ahead.
A Continuation of a Journey
This isn’t my first rodeo with cold water. Over the summer of 2023, I committed to a daily sea swim for 60 days. While the water was warmer, the experience was transformative. Since then, I’ve continued the practice, swimming in the sea a couple of times a week at least. It’s become a habit.
The Plan
I’ll be mixing it up to keep things interesting. On days when I commute to Galway, I’ll be taking a sea swim in Salthill. On non-commute days, I’ll opt for either a cold shower or a swim in Lough Ree. The variety will not only keep me engaged but also offer different natural settings to enrich the experience.
Reclaiming Natural Stressors: My Philosophy Behind Coldtober
In our modern, convenience-driven world, we’ve managed to eliminate many of the natural stressors that our ancestors faced. Gone are the days when hunger, cold, physical effort and even boredom were part of the daily struggle for survival. While this might seem like a triumph of human progress, and it is, there’s a flip side. We’ve traded these transient, natural stressors for more chronic, artificial ones—work pressures, financial pressures, Consumerism, FOMO, not to mention the constant bombardment of information and notifications, and the never-ending cycle of political anxieties.
Drawing inspiration from Michael Easter’s The Comfort Crisis I see Coldtober as a conscious effort to reintroduce ‘good stress’ into my life. Easter’s book delves deep into the paradox of our times: as life has gotten more comfortable, we’ve become less happy, less fulfilled, and arguably, less human. He argues that embracing discomfort, in controlled doses, is not just beneficial but essential for holistic personal growth.
There’s something about the immediate, visceral experience of cold water hitting your skin that has a way of clearing the mind and putting things into perspective. In that moment, all the stressors related to work, social pressures, or any other artificial worries seem to fade away. It’s as if the cold water serves as a hard reset for your brain, forcing you to focus solely on the here and now. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the best way to deal with life’s complexities is to immerse yourself in something as fundamental and elemental as cold water. It’s hard to fret about deadlines or office politics when you’re busy catching your breath and acclimating to the chill in the hear and now.
Join Me
I invite you to join me on this journey. Whether it’s by taking the plunge yourself or by supporting the cause through the donation link below, every bit helps.
Stay tuned for updates on my Coldtober journey.
