In this 3-minute guide, you'll learn 2 key functions that make short-term cold exposure your one-way ticket to a stress-free, angst-free life.
Part I:
Meet your body-brain superhighway: the Vagus Nerve.
Also known as the Cranial Nerve X, the Vagus Nerve is the longest cranial nerve in the human body and master of our autonomic nervous system (the captain of our involuntary physiologic processes, like heart rate, blood pressure, etc).
As the bridge between the body and the brain (and the "on switch" for the parasympathetic nervous system), the Vagus Nerve is responsible for many important functions, including:
- Heart Rate
- Digestion
- Respiration
- Mood
- Inflammation
Of course, there are many causes of anxiety & stress (as there are many alleviators).
The source, however, of anxiety and stress is not the stressors themselves, but ultimately the body's response to them.
Where does that response take place? You guessed it—the Vagus nerve (by way of activating the parasympathetic nervous system).
Perhaps the most studied and effective way to stimulate the Vagus Nerve (your ignition source to a thriving autonomic nervous system) is through short-term cold exposure, particularly submersion up to the neck where the Vagus nerve is located.
Part II:
We're sure you've familiar with Dopamine.
In short, Dopamine is your body's biological reward system responsible for pointing us in a positive (generally growth-oriented) direction.
Many would call it our "built-in happiness drug", as the release of Dopamine has a powerful effect on elevating mood, enhancing focus, sense of presence, joy, and goal-directed behavior.
That's of course the bright side of our Dopamine system—the side where that system works in harmony to make our lives better, more enjoyable, and fulfilling.
The dark side of Dopamine is the side where anxiety and stress take their hold.
In the absence of a positive Dopamine response, we experience high levels of negative emotion: stress, anxiety, sadness, even depression.
So, the key to developing a thriving Dopamine system is not to pursue dopaminergic responses, but to partake in activities that strengthen our Dopaminergic response.
What are the best ways to strengthen our Dopaminergic response?
- Partake in regular exercise, specifically, exercise that pushes you to (and ideally, just past) the point of discomfort
- Remove "cheap" dopamine sources that can disrupt the process of building a positive Dopamine system (mindless scrolling, porn, alcohol, and other easy Dopamine triggers are a great way to steer your system in the wrong direction)
- You guessed it… get in the cold!
Even short bouts of cold exposure can cause a lasting increase in dopamine and sustained elevation of mood, energy, and focus.
More philosophically—it is charging into discomfort deliberately that makes us more resilient to environment-imposed stressors.
To recap:
- Your Vagus Nerve is the superhighway between the brain & body, and perhaps the most important nerve in the human body to train toward resilience
- Dopamine is not just a cheap "happiness drug", it's perhaps the most crucial system in our physiology to experiencing a more positive, fulfilling life
- Short-bout, deliberate cold exposure is unarguably one of the most effective ways to train our autonomic nervous system and our Dopamine system to point us toward joy, presence, and fulfillment, and away from stress, anxiety, and even depression.
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