2022-03-21 thru 2022-03-27: [X] Week 1 of Wim Hof Cold Protocol, 30 seconds cold water daily. Performed indoors.

2022-04-18 1516 ET: [X] 50 seconds cold water after a snack, indoors

I had been eating chocolate outdoors to get myself to return to the outdoors, and went outside today and habitually ate some, so I did 50 seconds of cold water.

I had an intense conversation around this and was energised to push farther some. Still feeling it out.

I put my head under the cold water much more, felt like an "icecream headache", but afterward I feel like I can feel myself adapting. It was shocking but I feel really confident it will get less shocking.

I didn't really try much warm water prior. Seemed unnecessary.

Emotions seem to influence it a lot. I was kind of angry around not doing it today, and that really made it easier. Meanwhile when I was anxious and wanting comfort it was really hard.

2022-04-18 1702 ET: [X] 50 seconds cold water with food, indoors.

I put my head under almost the whole time, and didn't get an "icecream headache" until the very end.

The air's relatively warm and I spent a little bit of time in the warm water before turning it cold.

I have a DC freezer I've begun setting up to make ice.

My angry feeling was moving toward sadness, so it's heartening that this went pretty well. I kept the time at 50 seconds because I was worried that sadness would be like anxiety.

Oh, and the food I ate was a bit of hot bread. This probably warmed me up some. I made a point of having some of it right after I turned the water cold, like the sugar cookie earlier.

2022-04-19 1001 ET: [X] 55 seconds with food. Indoors.

I cleaned my body during the 55 seconds, which was easier and extended the time a little, but my head didn't get as wet nor cold.

Seems helpful to consider classifying the cold showers between easy and hard. This was a relatively easy one. Interested in trying 60 seconds next time if all goes well.

I was thinking of reaching 60 seconds and how inspiring that would be after dropping the task from inhibition for a week at 90 seconds. I guess I shouldn't assume I have free will or anything unless I can get past 90 seconds reliably.

2022-04-19 1445 ET: [X] 60 seconds with food. Indoors.

Difficulty: medium-hard

Nowadays after I accomplish part of a task I tend to get a burst of inhibition, and after the serial step I did the cold shower. I made a mistake and added 10 seconds to the time instead of 5.

It started out a little hard and I put my head under a lot. Definitely got the icecream headache. Got confused when I didn't hear the alarm quite fast enough.

I started a little discouraged and confused, and I was shivering afterward, which is quite rare.

I was thinking of maybe dropping it down to 55 seconds for next time.

2022-04-19 1703 ET: [X] 55 seconds with food + other. Indoors.

Difficulty: started hard, ended medium-easy

I was engaging inhibition around the serial programmer thing and got a lot of food to do the cold water. I was cold before I got in, and ended up eating more prior than planned, and exercising to try to warm up. I think the air was colder from the weather and turning off the heat in the room.

It was cold, but the warm water prior felt much warmer on me that usual. It took me a false start and further delay to reach out into the colder air and turn on the cold water, but once I did I was more ready than I thought I'd be. I could feel myself being prepared for it.

In the cold water it was cold. I breathed deep and clenched my muscles. I ended up exercising in the shower to be warm, and ended up feeling energized by the time it was over.

Exercise is big for me. I'm quite thankful to be able to do a little for the cold. A norm of exercise was how I used to make the cold pleasant, years ago.

It seems like steadiness is incredibly helpful with my reduced willpower. Similar temperatures, similar moods, similar durations. Something I can think about.

Like that other time, my body wasn't really warming my core this time unless I exercised or sprayed warm water under my neck. I think there's a big psychological component going on that actually impacts my body.

2022-04-20 0850 ET: [X] 55 seconds with food indoors, air cold

Difficulty: medium

I read two chapters of a wim hof book. The heat's been lower and it's harder to imagine the cold shower without the warmth around it. Reading the book helped more than I thought.

I ate food prior to the shower and exercised a little. I ate a sugar cookie right as I turned the water cold, and bathed in cold water.

It ended up being a lot easier than I thought it would be this morning. I am a little shivery afterward, not exercising and in the colder air.