How to Cold Plunge After the Rat Race

Jim Carrey played the role of Truman Burbank, in the 1998 movie The Truman Show.  To summarize the movie in one line: Truman escaped the rat race.

In this satire of a reality show, Truman had dreams of a better life than what was programmed, prescribed, and “pre-scripted” to him in a make-believe TV set.  The show secretly adopted him into a set where the world could watch.  All aspects of his life were controlled, even the weather.

Though this false reality of the world was equipped for Truman to succeed, the show couldn’t predict the measures Truman would take to find true love, adventure, and purpose and conquer his fears to find his true self. 

Truman exited the performance stage and entered a door of the unknown into a world of authenticity.

He found freedom!  He found true love.  He conquered fear!

The viewers of this alternate universe applauded his escape from the lab experience!  As movie watchers, we can certainly appreciate the happily ever after. 

One would argue that our world is the Truman Show as we are constantly programmed by algorithms and propaganda that the media feeds us.  Can we believe what we see on our screens, feeds, and search engines?  Are we also being programmed by our devices?  Who is monitoring our movements?

The sad reality is that many of us are Truman…trapped in the rat race going nowhere, feeling empty, and out of alignment with authenticity.  Fortunately, there eventually comes a season where we realize that the script of this world is not our own and we must take action.

To win the rat race, we must quit racing. 

Long-term participation is unhealthy, destroys families, and robs individuals of fulfillment.

What is the Rat Race?

The term “Rat Race”, according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary is “a way of life in which people are caught up in a fiercely competitive struggle for wealth or power.  It’s an exhausting, usually competitive routine.”   Wikipedia goes on to explain what happens to victims: “an endless, self-defeating, or pointless pursuit.” 

Everyone has some level of struggle with status as we all have a longing to be needed in this world.

Truman was adopted by the show at birth and then his false reality was adopted by the world.   He had no control over his indoctrination into the rat race.  This all appeared to be ordinary because this was all he had ever seen, but it was just an observational laboratory.    

Child Rat Racers

At an early age, we are adopted into school systems not only to learn but to enter into a lifelong rat race that defines how successful we will be.  A degree will determine employment, but does it point us in the direction of true fulfillment?

Rat race living starts young and becomes a natural state of being if there isn’t some sort of divine intervention. Data proves that what we major in college is typically thrown to the wayside as only 37% of all college graduates fall into work that aligns with their degree.  Our society for ages has put so much weight on having a degree to get a job but does very little for recognizing one’s personal and family values after getting the job.

Meanwhile, as we start into the workforce, we become trapped in an endless race for advancement and regret all the running after it’s way too late.  Psychology Today states that the top 2 regrets of the dying are that they didn’t pursue their dreams and that they spent too much time as rat racers. Harvard Business Review released a recent article that points to what we all know and the point of this article, success does not provide satisfaction.  This is worth repeating…

Success does not provide satisfaction.

Getting an education and good work is necessary in our world.  I believe in lifelong learning.  However, the rat race indoctrination is laced with the grading system, the separation of the gifted vs. learning disabilities, and just the pure nature of shipping off the kids all day while we hustle at work.

The end product is future adults that choose the ordinary grind to success out of survival because of what they have observed since childhood.    What is lost in this system is that success is found in the purpose of what we were called to contribute with our natural gifts, not in the competition to the top of the ladder.

Recently, one of my kids asked to study Spanish and when we asked her to tell us more, she responded “I don’t want to fall behind” a friend of hers that was fluent in Spanish.  I cringed at the response…it’s the competitive programming of the rat race.   Yes, studying Spanish would be a great accomplishment that could serve her well.  But she must go deeper into her why she is choosing to pursue this. Ultimately it’s her choice but it needs to be decided on with purpose-driven thinking.

This illustration is important for all of us to ask the same question; are our pursuits in life driven by submission, jealousy, comparison, survival, purpose, passion, or competition?  Every answer and every why will be different, but it’s worth putting all of our decisions under this type of filtration to avoid rat race thinking.

By the time most of us turned 4 years old, we were adopted into the world of masking, the same false reality of Truman.  We pretend, work harder every day to keep up in status and we slowly morph into rats.  We are taught to crave and chase cheese! For those of us that are fortunate, like Truman, we start the notice the staleness of the cheese and will start doing the inner work to find something better. 

A Rat Race Survivor Story

My rebellion against the rat race programming began in pre-school as I was laughed at for not wanting to participate in graduation! I hid from the crowds and cried in misery to avoid the parade to get my degree to go to kindergarten. 

I eventually bent to the societal system of the endless loop of chasing good jobs, getting degrees, and focusing on monetary excellence.  You can read this and ask, what’s wrong with any of this?  Nothing, our pasts are opportunities to learn, fail, and move forward!  However, work became an idol and a silent killer.

My season eventually changed along with my values, and my experiences became clues that I may be on the hedonic treadmill. My heart ached literally and figuratively to do more to protect my kids from living on this treadmill, so my wife and I aligned on a family strategic plan to change the course.

Optimizing my family’s health was only part of the equation. The rat race was literally killing me and I went down the rabbit trail of every bio-hack to slow down my decline.  This included the science of cold therapy to support my mental and physical health.

Though I’m a long-time runner and mostly careful about my diet, my bloodwork told a different story, I was not metabolically healthy.  My cholesterol, blood sugar, gut microbiome, and liver enzymes all showed that I was struggling with cellular inflammation.

In addition, my career, ranked in the top 5 most stressful industries in the world consistently had me in a state of long hours and chronic emotional stress.  Compounded by my workaholic tendencies, I constantly sacrificed my own health and family for success. Silently, the stress built up like plaque leading to heart palpitations, shortness of breath, back pain, and anxiety.

So in 2020, I started a long journey to get my life back in order.  Physically, spiritually, emotionally, and vocationally.

Adult Rat Racers

Chronic inflammation + chronic stress is a poisonous formula!   94% of Americans are unknowingly at risk of dying early from this same formula! 

The average American lifestyle sold to us at birth, like the Truman Show, does not do us any favors.  We get trapped in the productivity loop, trapped behind a desk all day long, trapped in flooded inboxes, trapped into chasing new shiny projects…all while trying to navigate around organizational shifts and personalities, and back-to-back meetings 60+ hours a week. 

We then pump our bodies full of coffee to maximize our productivity during the day.  At night, we pump our bodies full of alcohol, screens, and toxic foods to decompress the overwhelm.  

This type of hedonic treadmill doesn’t allow individuals to live on purpose or to live in their purpose.

We’ve lost our faith, the art of balance, slow productivity, simplicity, being outdoors, working with our hands, sweating, family harmony, and individual contentment. 

Truman woke up to his stagnation and restlessness.  He longed for something more.  He pieced the clues of the propaganda that constantly infiltrated his world and took action to find his own voice.  He had to overcome the fear of water to find his way to freedom.

Plunging Rat Racers

Truman didn’t exactly cold plunge in the movie, but he did conquer his fear of the water to sail his way to freedom. He also endured a near-drowning experience as one of the final steps to his new life. 

Truman’s plunge was symbolic.  To chase his dreams outside of the rat race, he had to conquer fear!  He had to take the plunge.  So can you!

 

Disclaimer

Before cold plunging, consult a health professional and also practice safety first.  Go further into your own research in addition to this article and the resources referenced below. Never get into a dangerous body of water, avoid hyperventilation, and start slow. Starting slow is a great mantra for any new health regimen.

What is cold plunging? 

Cold plunging is submerging your body into water that is below 60° F and above 45°F.  Temperature tolerance will differ for every person, so do your research and test out plunging safely with cold showers before jumping in an ice bath.  Experts state that plunging twice a week for a total of 11 minutes will provide the peak benefits.

Cold plunging has been around seemingly since the beginning of time.  Ancient Greece, Egyptians, and Romans used cold baths as therapeutic and medicinal practices of healing.  Today, it’s a staple for professional athletes and the military to use ice baths to speed up their recovery post-performance. 

Cold plunging is a multi-beneficial exercise that improves moods, increases metabolism, sharpens mental acuity, and fights inflammation.

What is the science behind cold plunging?

This is an excerpt directly from the highly acclaimed Huberman Lab website:

Deliberate cold exposure causes a significant release of epinephrine (aka adrenaline) and norepinephrine (aka noradrenaline) in the brain and body. These neurochemicals make us feel alert and can make us feel agitated and as if we need to move or vocalize during the cold exposure. Cold causes their levels to stay elevated for some time and their ongoing effect after the exposure is to increase your level of energy and focus, which can be applied to other mental and/or physical activities.

In addition, cold plunging increases the release of dopamine which improves mood and combatting stress.

From a cellular level, cold plunging speeds up metabolism by increasing the amount of brown fat stores in the body. Brown fat is the good fat because it’s packed with mitochondria.

For more information on the science, read here by Andrew Hubmerman or Dr. Rhonda Patrick.

What are the benefits of cold plunging?

 Some of the benefits were listed above but here is a full breakdown.  This list is amazing! 

• Boosts Immunity
• Improves cardiovascular health by reducing inflammation
• Improves athletic performance and recovery time
• Reduces risks of Alzheimer’s and dementia
• Alleviates arthritis
• Supports weight loss by increasing metabolism
• Stabilizes blood sugar (increases insulin sensitivity)
• Lowers anxiety and depression and boosts your good mood (dopamine)
• Improves energy, focus, and clarity
• Improves skin and hair
• Stimulates the vagus nerve which is the lead domino of bodily responses related to mood, digestion, breathing, and HRV

The process of cold plunging requires the art of slowing down, focusing on breathing, and meditation. In a world that goes 24-7, this exercise sets a healthy foundation to start the day.  

How to Start the Habit of Cold Plunging

Before you start, as referenced throughout, consult a physician and also do your research first.  Once you are ready, I recommend practicing first with cold showers and if you believe this is for you, go deeper.  Here are some helpful tips:

• Know the temperature of the water that you are getting into.  This will help your body not go into shock
• 11 minutes per week is the recommended time by experts to reap the full benefits.  Staying in cold water too long or having the water too cold can lead to frostbite, cardiac arrest, or hypothermia.
• If you have a swimming pool that meets the temperature threshold (45-60 degrees Fahrenheit), this could be the best place to start without investing in a separate bath.  If you still wish to not invest, you can put ice into a bathtub and start that way. 
• Plunging in the morning in a fasted state or after an aerobic activity will optimize all the benefits. The body temperature drops as the day goes on, so late cold plunging will be increasingly harder from a willpower perspective.
• When you are in the water, do your best to remain calm.  Cold plunging is a deliberate stress (good stress) of the body that doesn’t involve cortisol (bad stress).  By remaining calm and putting a focus on something that may be stimulating, you are training the pre-frontal Cortex in resiliency for everyday life.

I’ve listed several resources at the bottom of this article.  I highly recommend reviewing all of these resources before starting your plunge.

A New Race, A New You

Cold plunging isn’t a one-stop fix-all.  However, it’s an important lever in the grand scale of holistically improving your life in all areas.  Like me, if you are on a road to getting healthier, just look at cold plunging as one of your many mile markers.

Whether or not you choose to leave the rat race, cold plunging can support your health while you run your race.  Here are a few recommendations for supplementing the cold plunge:

• Visit your doctor annually. My first recommendation is to find a quality functional health practitioner. They traditionally go deeper into the treatment of root causes than a westernized approach to treating symptoms.
• Get blood work annually.  Go beyond the standard blood panels and work with your functional health practitioner to support what other panels to get pulled.
• Don’t compartmentalize your life.  What you eat, how you approach work when you exercise, and how you lead your family are all interconnected.  Strategically look holistically at your relationship with time, diet, sleep, movement, environment, geography, work, and home to bring harmony to your everyday life.  Download the Rat Race Escape Plan as your own starter guide to slow down and add quality time back to your day.

The Finish Line

Truman finally won the rat race by conquering the fear of the water and setting sail for his freedom.  He did not know where he was going, but his action cleared the fog into a new reality, one that was not orchestrated for him.  He found the door.  Likewise, if you are trapped in unhealthy patterns and rituals of life, find your boat and get in the cold water to start your journey to freedom.

Exiting the mundane routines of our daily lives sometimes requires extreme actions.  Cold plunging is just one action, but it has both symbolic meaning and a plethora of health benefits.  Leaping from your job or leaping into a cold pool of water takes courage, grit, and planning.  Be cautious on both fronts and be sure to do the preparation work in advance.