Cold showers will change your life Here s why Chris Williamson VCP Shorts
00:00[Music] [Music] so i noticed that you do some uh wim hof so i noticed that you do some uh wim hof so i noticed that you do some uh wim hof cold water um uh work and so i run a cold water um uh work and so i run a cold water um uh work and so i run a network called the articulate ventures network called the articulate ventures network called the articulate ventures network and a few months ago network and a few months ago network and a few months ago or a few weeks ago somebody said hey we or a few weeks ago somebody said hey we or a few weeks ago somebody said hey we ought to do a month of everybody in the ought to do a month of everybody in the ought to do a month of everybody in the network take cold showers and network take cold showers and network take cold showers and immediately i was like oh hell no i do immediately i was like oh hell no i do immediately i was like oh hell no i do not want to do this not want to do this not want to do this i've done it before uh when i when i i've done it before uh when i when i i've done it before uh when i when i last summer last summer last summer and i was like i've learned everything i and i was like i've learned everything i and i was like i've learned everything i needed to learn but i started doing it needed to learn but i started doing it needed to learn but i started doing it again again again and i wanted to like hear from somebody and i wanted to like hear from somebody and i wanted to like hear from somebody that has not been clouded by my way of that has not been clouded by my way of that has not been clouded by my way of thinking thinking thinking why do you do it and what happens when why do you do it and what happens when why do you do it and what happens when you first embrace the you first embrace the you first embrace the and step into cold water i enjoy doing things that challenge me i enjoy doing things that challenge me mentally mentally mentally and for me the effects physically are and for me the effects physically are and for me the effects physically are great it feels like having a great it feels like having a great it feels like having a about 10 cup of coffees at once for about 10 cup of coffees at once for about 10 cup of coffees at once for about half an hour afterward about half an hour afterward about half an hour afterward i enjoy the clarity of thought that it i enjoy the clarity of thought that it i enjoy the clarity of thought that it gives me and i enjoy gives me and i enjoy gives me and i enjoy the i enjoy the fact that i've done the i enjoy the fact that i've done the i enjoy the fact that i've done something hard first thing in the something hard first thing in the something hard first thing in the morning
01:00morning morning but what's more important than that to but what's more important than that to but what's more important than that to me is the moment just before you get me is the moment just before you get me is the moment just before you get into the water into the water into the water because i feel like there is so much because i feel like there is so much because i feel like there is so much that we have to learn that we have to learn that we have to learn from adversity which is cliche to say from adversity which is cliche to say from adversity which is cliche to say now right that now right that now right that in a time where this hyper convenience in a time where this hyper convenience in a time where this hyper convenience and you can deliver and you can deliver and you can deliver or uber eats a michelin star meal to or uber eats a michelin star meal to or uber eats a michelin star meal to your couch while you watch your couch while you watch your couch while you watch amazon prime like this is a counter amazon prime like this is a counter amazon prime like this is a counter to that to that to that but more than that it teaches you that but more than that it teaches you that but more than that it teaches you that so many of the so many of the so many of the programmed responses you your body has programmed responses you your body has programmed responses you your body has aren't to be feared like a lot of the aren't to be feared like a lot of the aren't to be feared like a lot of the things that we get anxious about we get things that we get anxious about we get things that we get anxious about we get anxious anxious anxious about that meeting i've got at work about that meeting i've got at work about that meeting i've got at work tomorrow in the same way as if there was tomorrow in the same way as if there was tomorrow in the same way as if there was a cheetah a cheetah a cheetah uh 500 yards away from us on the plains uh 500 yards away from us on the plains uh 500 yards away from us on the plains but they are not but they are not but they are not the same thing like you will be fine the same thing like you will be fine the same thing like you will be fine even if you get fired even if you get fired even if you get fired you're still gonna be fine and the more you're still gonna be fine and the more you're still gonna be fine and the more that we can expose ourselves to these that we can expose ourselves to these that we can expose ourselves to these things voluntarily expose ourselves to things voluntarily expose ourselves to things voluntarily expose ourselves to these things of discomfort these things of discomfort these things of discomfort i think there's so much wisdom to be i think there's so much wisdom to be i think there's so much wisdom to be gleaned from that so i enjoy the way it gleaned from that so i enjoy the way it gleaned from that so i enjoy the way it makes me feel makes me feel makes me feel and but more than that i enjoy the
02:00and but more than that i enjoy the and but more than that i enjoy the place it forces me to go mentally before place it forces me to go mentally before place it forces me to go mentally before i do it i do it i do it tell me your justification well so you tell me your justification well so you tell me your justification well so you know one thing i think is everybody that know one thing i think is everybody that know one thing i think is everybody that does it has to have a reason so you're does it has to have a reason so you're does it has to have a reason so you're right you turn that knob all the way to right you turn that knob all the way to right you turn that knob all the way to cold cold cold and then you step into it and my belief and then you step into it and my belief and then you step into it and my belief is there has to be is there has to be is there has to be something that is more powerful than the something that is more powerful than the something that is more powerful than the voice of resistance voice of resistance voice of resistance telling you you don't have to do this telling you you don't have to do this telling you you don't have to do this you're fine take a step back it's no big you're fine take a step back it's no big you're fine take a step back it's no big deal deal deal but then once you do it like and you but then once you do it like and you but then once you do it like and you have control over i kind of think of it have control over i kind of think of it have control over i kind of think of it as riding over a bucking bronco it's as riding over a bucking bronco it's as riding over a bucking bronco it's it's a little bit like being in a rodeo it's a little bit like being in a rodeo it's a little bit like being in a rodeo because because because there's so many times in our lives when there's so many times in our lives when there's so many times in our lives when we give in to we give in to we give in to our will that wants us to just stop or our will that wants us to just stop or our will that wants us to just stop or not even start or i don't know how to not even start or i don't know how to not even start or i don't know how to try try try and so for me being able to be like i and so for me being able to be like i and so for me being able to be like i know every other know every other know every other part of me except for whatever my demon part of me except for whatever my demon part of me except for whatever my demon or something or something or something wants to get out of here and the fact wants to get out of here and the fact wants to get out of here and the fact that i'm able to stay here that i'm able to stay here that i'm able to stay here is just like riding um riding a bull or
03:00is just like riding um riding a bull or is just like riding um riding a bull or something something something and then as soon as i um am done with my and then as soon as i um am done with my and then as soon as i um am done with my 60 seconds or 100 seconds 60 seconds or 100 seconds 60 seconds or 100 seconds one of the new things that i've added in one of the new things that i've added in one of the new things that i've added in is instead of stepping is instead of stepping is instead of stepping out of the water and then turning it up out of the water and then turning it up out of the water and then turning it up and then having the warm part of the and then having the warm part of the and then having the warm part of the shower at the end shower at the end shower at the end i just turn the water back up just a i just turn the water back up just a i just turn the water back up just a little bit warmer little bit warmer little bit warmer and it feels so much more comfortable so and it feels so much more comfortable so and it feels so much more comfortable so to your point to your point to your point i've just taken the set point which was i've just taken the set point which was i've just taken the set point which was probably you know three-quarters warm probably you know three-quarters warm probably you know three-quarters warm one-quarter cold one-quarter cold one-quarter cold and now made it three-quarters cold and and now made it three-quarters cold and and now made it three-quarters cold and one-quarter cold and or one-quarter warm one-quarter cold and or one-quarter warm one-quarter cold and or one-quarter warm and that means i am at a different place and that means i am at a different place and that means i am at a different place with my with my with my myself psychologically and and so i myself psychologically and and so i myself psychologically and and so i think these are the weird things that think these are the weird things that think these are the weird things that you can get by choosing you can get by choosing you can get by choosing completely benign ways of suffering for completely benign ways of suffering for completely benign ways of suffering for small amounts of time small amounts of time small amounts of time yeah it's a perfect way to put it man i yeah it's a perfect way to put it man i yeah it's a perfect way to put it man i mean why do people go flock to crossfit mean why do people go flock to crossfit mean why do people go flock to crossfit and and spinning and brazilian jiu jitsu and and spinning and brazilian jiu jitsu and and spinning and brazilian jiu jitsu like i know it's a technically beautiful like i know it's a technically beautiful like i know it's a technically beautiful art but if you actually art but if you actually art but if you actually do it it's savage you're knackered you
04:00do it it's savage you're knackered you do it it's savage you're knackered you want to throw up want to throw up want to throw up like you're tired you're sweating you've like you're tired you're sweating you've like you're tired you're sweating you've got another person stopping you from got another person stopping you from got another person stopping you from breathing and you just keep giving breathing and you just keep giving breathing and you just keep giving everything so that you hopefully don't everything so that you hopefully don't everything so that you hopefully don't get strangled right like but get strangled right like but get strangled right like but people do these things because it people do these things because it people do these things because it reminds them reminds them reminds them i think it reminds us that we're human i think it reminds us that we're human i think it reminds us that we're human like there's not many extreme like there's not many extreme like there's not many extreme things left to do the people that are things left to do the people that are things left to do the people that are listening a good thought experiment for listening a good thought experiment for listening a good thought experiment for this is when was the last time the last this is when was the last time the last this is when was the last time the last time that you were genuinely scared time that you were genuinely scared time that you were genuinely scared like absolutely terrified afraid like absolutely terrified afraid like absolutely terrified afraid i can't remember for me years perhaps i can't remember for me years perhaps i can't remember for me years perhaps and it's very infrequent like we don't and it's very infrequent like we don't and it's very infrequent like we don't do things that cause us to get into do things that cause us to get into do things that cause us to get into extreme levels of discomfort extreme levels of discomfort extreme levels of discomfort and most of them most of the things that and most of them most of the things that and most of them most of the things that we do choose to do this is a total we do choose to do this is a total we do choose to do this is a total another rabbit hole i think there's another rabbit hole i think there's another rabbit hole i think there's another level of learning another level of learning another level of learning to be gleaned from unchosen adversity to be gleaned from unchosen adversity to be gleaned from unchosen adversity so perfect example of this is i ruptured so perfect example of this is i ruptured so perfect example of this is i ruptured my achilles playing cricket last year my achilles playing cricket last year my achilles playing cricket last year which is like the most british way which is like the most british way which is like the most british way that you could rupture and that you could rupture and that you could rupture and [Laughter]
05:00[Laughter] [Laughter] and um i did that and and um i did that and and um i did that and i learned more in the i learned more in the i learned more in the month and a half after my achilles month and a half after my achilles month and a half after my achilles repair and during my achilles repair repair and during my achilles repair repair and during my achilles repair um operation then i've learned in three um operation then i've learned in three um operation then i've learned in three and a half years of and a half years of and a half years of cricket and cold showers because i cricket and cold showers because i cricket and cold showers because i didn't choose it didn't choose it didn't choose it even though you've stepped in to the even though you've stepped in to the even though you've stepped in to the shower you know you chose to do it you shower you know you chose to do it you shower you know you chose to do it you got yourself to that place right got yourself to that place right got yourself to that place right but for almost all of human history our but for almost all of human history our but for almost all of human history our adversities have been bestowed on us not adversities have been bestowed on us not adversities have been bestowed on us not chosen by us chosen by us chosen by us what does that mean that means that i am what does that mean that means that i am what does that mean that means that i am in the in the in the fire i'm in the crucible of whatever the fire i'm in the crucible of whatever the fire i'm in the crucible of whatever the hell is going on hell is going on hell is going on and i didn't choose to be here but i and i didn't choose to be here but i and i didn't choose to be here but i still need to find a way to make it work still need to find a way to make it work still need to find a way to make it work and um yeah i learned i learned so much and um yeah i learned i learned so much and um yeah i learned i learned so much from that and it was a beautiful from that and it was a beautiful from that and it was a beautiful in a way that it you will get something in a way that it you will get something in a way that it you will get something from a situation that you don't want from a situation that you don't want from a situation that you don't want from some adversity that's from some adversity that's from some adversity that's gonna befall you a loved one's going to gonna befall you a loved one's going to gonna befall you a loved one's going to die or a die or a die or a business is going to collapse or business is going to collapse or business is going to collapse or something's going to happen
06:00something's going to happen something's going to happen but the saving grace of that is that you but the saving grace of that is that you but the saving grace of that is that you are going to get are going to get are going to get some wisdom from that situation which some wisdom from that situation which some wisdom from that situation which you couldn't you couldn't you couldn't get in any other way no matter how many get in any other way no matter how many get in any other way no matter how many cold showers and crossfit workouts you cold showers and crossfit workouts you cold showers and crossfit workouts you do do do you're not going to learn that unless you're not going to learn that unless you're not going to learn that unless you get thrown in you get thrown in you get thrown in and um it's a very reassuring thing to and um it's a very reassuring thing to and um it's a very reassuring thing to know when you're facing adversity know when you're facing adversity know when you're facing adversity thanks for checking out this podcast thanks for checking out this podcast thanks for checking out this podcast short if you like this interview make short if you like this interview make short if you like this interview make sure you hit the like and subscribe sure you hit the like and subscribe sure you hit the like and subscribe button and button and button and hit that bell so you always get notified hit that bell so you always get notified hit that bell so you always get notified about this podcast about this podcast about this podcast and if you're really interested in and if you're really interested in and if you're really interested in conversations like this you may want to conversations like this you may want to conversations like this you may want to consider joining the articulate ventures consider joining the articulate ventures consider joining the articulate ventures network to find out more go to [Music] network.articulate.ventures