You’ve probably heard about the benefits of cold showers – smoother skin, quicker muscle recovery, fat loss etc. — but can cold showers benefit the mentality of entrepreneurs?

Taking one for the team, I’ve been taking freezing cold showers 1-2 times a day for the last month to see whether or not my business approach and general emotional intelligence would improve.

Here are a few things I’ve noticed after the first month.

1. Stepping out of the comfort zone

By starting the day with a cold shower and putting my body into immediate shock, everything that followed seemed to be more manageable. Stepping into a cold shower is equivalent to stepping out of your comfort zone and allows you to be more open-minded.

As you are already exposed and seemingly at risk, any business decisions you make thereafter, while still calculated, are much more comfortable and deliberate.

2. Cultivating empathy

Being exposed to freezing cold water in the morning removes all sense of feeling ‘protected’. Naturally, as we warm up post-shower, we build more empathy towards others as we know what it’s like to feel ‘exposed’, even if it’s just from taking a cold shower.

This allows us to be more hospitable to others and build more genuine connections, especially with our customers.

3. Saving skin

Hot showers are extremely satisfying; it feels like you’re toasting yourself under a hot sun. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what is happening to your skin. Hot showers are infamous for drying out your skin, yet so many people continue to take them.

How does skincare relate to entrepreneurs you ask? Well, as the director of a streetwear company, aesthetics is everything. Not looking after my skin is like wearing dirty clothes to meet a retailer or client. A shortcut for me is taking cold showers in lieu of hot ones.

Being presentable should be a priority for entrepreneurs in all industries, so while hot showers can be wonderful, it does no wonders for your skin.

4. Staying alert

At the core of it all, cold showers will force you to take short breaths as soon as you step in – try it and you’ll understand what I mean. This type of breathing is a lot more conscious and promotes both internal energy and alertness.

A newfound circulation of energy allows you to get more done. It shifts your perspective to use your time more wisely. If that isn’t the best way to start an entrepreneur’s day, I don’t know what is.

Final thoughts

It’s time to skip the morning coffee and start taking cold showers instead. This is an overlooked strategy that is extremely rewarding and beneficial, plus it requires no preparation (besides maybe a bit of mental toughness).

Taking a cold shower has no negative side-effects (no, you won’t get sick from it) and it doesn’t cost you anything extra (they’re actually cheaper than hot showers!).

If you want to take it a step further, why not try an ice bath? Whether you begin taking cold showers once a day or once a week, I hope you begin to realize its benefits as much as I have.

This article has been edited.

Hoang (Hunter) Bui graduated from the University of Technology, Sydney with a focus in Industrial Design. He has always had a passion for expression through words and design. He currently runs an Australian streetwear label and seeks to discover more about his entrepreneurial self. Connect with @latchapparelco on Twitter.

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