Why I Hate Ice Baths (And What 40 Days Did to Me) - Week 5

The Moment I Realized Everything Had Changed

TL;DR: 40 days shifted identity: from survival panic → regulated, resilient, heat‑from‑within human. Breath unlocked cold; cold reframed stress; routine produced emotional surplus.

I was standing in an ice rink, wearing nothing but a t-shirt and sweatpants, while parents and teachers around me were bundled up in jackets and scarves.

"Are you crazy?" one teacher asked. "I can't even look at you. I don't know how you can stand this cold air."

But I wasn't cold. At all.

That's when I knew the Wim Hof Method had completely transformed me.

The Beginning: When Life Felt Impossible

Day 1 of this journey started with me unemployed, depressed, and questioning if life was even worth living. I didn't know if I could survive and make enough money to take care of my family. My wife is a stay-at-home mom, and I'm the sole provider — the pressure was crushing.

While scrolling LinkedIn during my job search, I came across a post about resilience and "The Iceman." It said something like, "If you can master the cold, you can master yourself." That line hit me hard. Could this be the key to turning my life around? I decided to dig deeper and discovered the Wim Hof Method. It felt like something I could control when everything else felt out of control.

I decided to do a 40-day challenge — a way to change my life 40 days at a time. I had no idea what was about to happen, or the cost problem I'd eventually face.

The Journey: Week by Week Transformation

Week 1: I could barely handle cold showers. The breathing felt awkward and weird. But I learned the foundation — how to oxygenate my body and calm my nervous system. The best time to do this routine is in the morning on an empty stomach. In the morning, your cortisol levels are naturally higher — it's your body's way of waking you up and preparing you for the day. The breathing exercises help regulate cortisol, keeping it balanced so you feel calm yet energized.

Week 2: I discovered the healing power. When I hurt my back moving furniture, three rounds of breathing not only numbed the pain but helped me finish the job. Within two days, I was completely healed. The breathing technique creates temporary alkalosis, flooding your system with oxygen and reducing inflammation.

Week 3: I took my first ice bath. 38 degrees Fahrenheit, 4 minutes. The mental reset was incredible. I felt like I had tapped into something primal and powerful. This still wasn't easy. The after-cold effect was not easy to handle but bearable. However, I had the best sleep that night, which made it all feel worth it.

Week 4: Everything started to click. I felt stronger, more focused, and more in control of my emotions. The breathing floods your system with oxygen while rapidly expelling carbon dioxide. This creates temporary alkalosis — your blood becomes more alkaline. This triggers noradrenaline release, which activates your brown fat and boosts your immune system.

Week 5: The transformation was complete. The breathing was the game changer. Before I learned to breathe properly, the cold felt unbearable. I would panic, shiver uncontrollably, and feel mentally defeated. But once I incorporated the breathing technique, everything changed.

The Physical Changes: Beyond What I Expected

Cold Tolerance

I stopped wearing jackets or sweaters, even in 40-50 degree weather. Other parents at school drop-off started noticing. "Aren't you cold?" they'd ask. "I never see you wearing a sweater."

One parent finally asked, "Do you do something to not feel cold?" I shared that I practice the Wim Hof Method.

My daughters now call me Elsa because, as they say, "The cold doesn't bother me anymore."

Energy and Recovery

I started losing weight and belly fat. Not dramatic amounts, but noticeable. More importantly, I felt better throughout the day after my morning routine. Like life was worth living.

When I work out, I don't get sore anymore. I feel like a teenager again. I'm not scared about getting hurt or recovery taking too long. Fear is gone.

Healing and Resilience

When I get injured, I heal quicker. The breathing technique has become my go-to for pain management and recovery.

I don't get sick often, and when I do, it's short-lived. My immune system feels supercharged.

The Mental Transformation: The Real Game-Changer

Stress Response

Something about getting in the cold calms you and really lets you know what's worth worrying about. All the human stuff that might have bothered me before doesn't bother me anymore.

I can see when my mind is in a mode of stress and can stop myself from doing something stupid out of anger or fear. I'm still not perfect, but just being conscious of it and being able to see what's right and wrong — that's where the change happened.

Emotional Regulation

I can let go of thoughts that aren't useful or real. I've become aware of how other people act and can see now how they're stressed and how they react to stress. This gave me a better way to understand why they might have done bad things or said bad things. It helped me forgive, but also changed how I react (or don't react) to their actions.

Life Perspective

I definitely feel like a different person. I feel like I have grown and have something special that others haven't experienced. I'm another living proof that this is actually real and works.

The Family Impact: Leading by Example

My kids think I'm Superman (though they probably did before). But now it's something I can share with them. They do the breathing with me sometimes when they're sick or stressed out. They see that I'm not the same as any other dad.

I'm showing by example that there are tools available to handle stress, pain, and discomfort. Tools that are free and accessible to everyone.

The Morning Transformation: Waking Up Excited

Another thing that changed is that I'm happy waking up in the morning. I don't really want to sleep in anymore. Like life is worth living and once I wake up, I'm ready to live life.

I noticed that no one wants to really wake up every morning, but for some reason I do, even though my life isn't perfect and I have my own challenges like not having a permanent job and needing to provide for my family.

Having this routine has made life more worth living, and I'm still discovering things about myself and what life is.

The Ice Bath Challenge: Finding Affordable Solutions

One challenge I faced was the cost of ice baths. Every ice bath session costs $20-$30 in ice alone. That's $600-$900 a month if you do it daily. And here's the thing — I was unemployed. I didn't have money to invest in this at the time.

I made my way all the way to handling the cold, but then I hit a wall — I didn't have enough money to keep doing ice exposure. It really sucked and was demotivating. It felt like I had come so far, only to be stopped because I didn't have money or a job. That frustration pushed me to find another way.

Making a DIY setup costs about $500-1000+ and requires a lot of effort — you have to buy freezers, chillers, and sanitization systems. The consumer versions? Even more expensive. This was a pain point for me. I couldn't afford any of these options long term, so I had to go back to cold showers for a bit.

But I felt the difference when I started doing ice baths. The colder exposure made me stronger and more resilient. There's something about that 30 to 40-degree water that's just... different. This is where I started working on an ice shower solution.

The Ancient Knowledge: What I Learned About the Method

Did you know you can train your body to resist E. coli bacteria? It sounds impossible, but it's true. Wim Hof proved it, and so did a group of regular people he trained in just four days. This method isn't just about cold showers — it's about unlocking your body's hidden potential.

I learned that our bodies are more resilient than we know. I now know that we have tools that are free and can help us heal. These things have been around forever, and Wim Hof isn't the first person to discover them. It's ancient knowledge.

He was just the first person to put it into a method and combine cold exposure with breathing. He learned this from his own explorations into ancient knowledge. The breathing oxygenates your body, calms your nervous system, and primes you to handle stress. It's like giving your body a software update before running a demanding program.

The Future: What's Next

The next challenge will be the 40-day Wim Hof pushup challenge, then a 40-day holistic diet challenge, and a 40-day ashtanga yoga challenge.

I'm also working on creating a DIY ice shower solution that I want to share with viewers. I'll be creating an online guide with parts and instructions to help others who face the same cost barriers I did.

Get the DIY Ice Shower Guide (When It's Ready)

I'm finalizing the step-by-step build guide with parts list, safety protocols, and design refinements. It's a portable setup that uses a camping shower and cooler to create true ice-cold exposure (30-40°F) for under $100 and about $5-10 per session in ice.

Want it when it's ready? Drop your email below and I'll send you the complete DIY guide when it launches:

Send Me the DIY Guide

Read more about the concept and why I built it: The Ice Shower Story

The Bigger Picture: What This Really Means

This isn't just about cold tolerance or breathing exercises. It's about rediscovering what humans are capable of. It's about tapping into something we've lost — our natural resilience, our ability to adapt, our connection to our bodies.

The Wim Hof Method gave me back something I didn't know I was missing: confidence in my body's ability to handle whatever life throws at me.

The Real Transformation

From day 1 to day 40, I went from:

• Unemployed and depressed → Excited to wake up every morning
• Questioning if life was worth living → Feeling like life is a gift
• Scared of cold weather → Ice skating in a t-shirt
• Worried about getting sick → Rarely getting sick, quick recovery when I do
• Afraid of injury and long recovery → Confident in my body's healing ability
• Stressed and reactive → Calm and in control
• Feeling old and tired → Feeling like a teenager again

Your Turn: The Invitation

If you're struggling with stress, anxiety, depression, or just feeling like life is too hard, I want you to know there are tools available. Free tools that can transform your relationship with your body, your mind, and your life.

The Wim Hof Method isn't magic — it's just giving your body the tools it needs to do what it's already capable of doing.

Start with the breathing. Start with cold showers. Start with 40 days. You might be surprised by what you discover about yourself.

Because here's the truth: we're all capable of more than we think. We just need to remember how to access it.

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This concludes my 40-day Wim Hof challenge. You can follow the complete journey here or start with Week 1 to see how this transformation began.

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Safety Notice: Long-term adaptation doesn’t remove risk—continue progressive exposure, recovery prioritization, and medical consultation for underlying conditions.

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