Smash Your Comfort Zone with Cold Showers
How to Overcome Unwanted Habits, Defeat Your Anxiety, and Boost Your Energy with Cold Showers
By Featured Guest: Jesse Harless
As a teenager, I experienced many of the same emotional highs and lows as any other kid. I experienced fear, self-doubt, and negative self-talk. However, my social anxiety caused me to live in a constant state of panic. I felt that people didn't like or respect me and that they were laughing behind my back. People’s opinions mattered a great deal to me, and this is a story I continued to tell myself. I turned to addictive behaviors such as online gaming and internet pornography to deal with my emotions.
When it came time to go to college, I attended a small college in New Hampshire after barely graduating from high school. In a short period of time, I found myself drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana on a regular basis, which led to me flunking out my first year. A short time later, I got the news my father had passed away as a direct result of his drinking. My life quickly spiraled out of control within a few months of this news. It only took a few short years to run my life into the ground. At 22 years old, I was facing federal felony charges as a direct result of my addiction to pain pills.
In my book Smash Your Comfort Zone with Cold Showers, I share more about my story and some of the tools that helped me early on in my recovery. Even though my life got exponentially better, I still struggled with other addictive behaviors, social anxiety, low energy and self-confidence.
Here’s a peak into the content from my book:
“On a cold December night, a friend of mine suggested I take a cold shower every day for thirty days. I thought to myself, “There’s no way I can do this. I love my warm showers too much! Besides, it is wintertime in New Hampshire and I’m okay with being a hot shower addict!” However, my roommate at the time didn’t hesitate for a second and immediately went upstairs to take his first cold shower. I was blown away by his decisiveness.
Right then I decided to try it, too. I turned the knob all the way to cold and turned on some music. I got myself pumped up and jumped in. The water was so cold it took my breath away, and I was in shock for the first thirty to sixty seconds. I stayed in the cold shower for five minutes.
When I emerged from that frigid shower, I was never the same again.”
Cold showers help break the familiar patterns and routines that have become automatic.
“You begin to take charge of your life and smash your comfort zone by tackling the hardest thing first thing in the morning: a cold shower. I wrote Smash Your Comfort Zone with Cold Showers for people in addiction recovery, but also for entrepreneurs, business professionals, salespeople, musicians, students, teachers, or anyone who wants to change their limiting beliefs and self-judgment, overcome unwanted habits, procrastination, and failure to commit. It’s for those who are looking to break through any self-imposed barriers. The result will be a life that excites you and helps you to thrive.
The anticipation of jumping under that cold stream is both terrifying and invigorating! I turn on the shower and crank the water cold. I hit ‘play’ on my favorite music track, do some jumping jacks to raise my heart rate and get my blood flowing, pull the curtain, and jump in. It’s time for rapid mindset and energy shift! The cold water is exhilarating. For the next five minutes, my plans for the day disappear and I am completely immersed in the present moment. My breathing is deep the entire time. My mind is clear. When the water stops, I feel unstoppable.”
Smash Your Comfort Zone with Cold Showers is about much more than turning a handle while bathing. My book is about reclaiming your life, your recovery, your self-confidence, and your potential.
Jesse Harless, M.A., is a person in long-term recovery as well as a Life and Recovery Coach, Facilitator, Speaker, Author, and Entrepreneur in Recovery. He is the founder of Entrepreneurs in Recovery, a platform to help people in addiction recovery reach their full potential. He works with several addiction treatment centers and programs in the Northeast where he facilitates his Appreciative Recovery Facilitation model
You can find more information about him at https://www.jesseharless.com/, and more about his book at: www.SmashYourComfortZoneBook.com.