07/07/2025
Let’s talk about cortisol….
It’s your body’s built-in alarm system, made in the adrenal glands and released when you’re under stress. Short bursts are useful.
They help you stay alert, focused, and ready to act.
But when cortisol stays high for too long, things start to unravel. You feel wired but tired. Sleep gets patchy. Your mood drops.
You feel flat, foggy, and overstimulated at the same time.
That’s where cold water comes in.
Cold exposure forces your nervous system to reset. It shocks the system in a controlled way, helping to break the loop of chronic cortisol output. You breathe deeper, your heart rate shifts, and your body starts to move out of fight-or-flight and into recovery.
Cold increases dopamine and norepinephrine, but more importantly, it helps stabilise your cortisol response.
Here’s how you know it might be time to plunge:
🧠 Foggy focus
😴 Crashing in the afternoon
😮💨 Feeling on edge but can’t switch off
😵💫 Emotionally flat or reactive
🌙 Struggling to fall asleep, stay asleep, or wake up clear
Let’s be real
You can’t avoid stress, but you can train your system to handle it better. Cold water helps your body remember how to recover.
Study:
Leppäluoto et al., 2008, International Journal of Circumpolar Health
Participants exposed to regular cold significantly reduced cortisol levels and reported better mood and nervous system regulation.
