The mental health benefits of cold water. Growing evidence suggests that cold-water therapy (cold showers, ice baths and outdoor swimming) acts as a form of mindfulness, and can relieve anxiety and depression. Get a medical checkup before trying it out.

The shock of the cold activates the parasympathetic nervous system. If you can stay in the cold until the shock passes, this activates the part of your autonomic nervous system that is for rest and relaxation – lowering your stress and helping you learn to cope with stress in other situations.

Start slowly with a splash of water. A simple way to get started is to splash cold water on your face or dunk your face in cold water.

Take a daily cold shower. With control over the temperature, this allows you to build up your tolerance to the cold. You can use cold showers as your own form of long-term cold therapy, or build up to cold-water swimming.

Take a swim in cold water. For the maximum benefits, try weekly cold-water swimming – start in the warmer months and then work towards colder temperatures. There’s no need to stay in for longer than two or three minutes.

https://psyche.co/guides/how-to-reap-the-emotional-benefits-of-cold-water