Wim Hof is a Dutch motivational speaker and extreme athlete noted for his ability to withstand freezing temperatures. His most notable accomplishments include climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in shorts, running a half marathon above the Arctic Circle barefoot, and standing in a container while covered with ice cubes for more than 112 minutes.He’s recently featured in a reality tv programme on BBC 1 called “Freeze the fear” where he mentors celebrities to complete various challenges in freezing temperatures. His belief is that we can all control our mind and body in order to achieve incredible things.This isn’t a new concept, but it’s been interesting to see the process being played out and learning more his methods which include breathing techniques and cold-water therapy.since watching the programme I’ve found myself in a rabbit hole, researching the benefits of cold-water therapy in particular and looking at how I can apply the same principles in my own life to make improvements both physical and mentally.What is cold-water therapy?Quite simply, it’s the benefits that come from being submerged in cold water, anything below 15 degrees C. Think ice baths, plunge pools, freshwater swimming, cold shower or even an ice chamber!The reported benefits of cold-water therapy include: improving recovery, sleep, mood, circulation, metabolism as well as boosting energy levels and immune system.Why is this relevant?Well, submerging yourself in cold water is much easier than it sounds! The key is to “get comfortable with being uncomfortable” and this is true of so many other aspects of our lives.If we stay in our comfort zones, we’re likely to just be existing. Pushing ourselves outside of our perceived boundaries and challenging ourselves is where we begin to thrive.What’s interesting about cold water therapy is that it’s not just about taking the leap in to the discomfort of the cold. It’s then harnessing the power of our minds to withstand it for a period of time. Again, “getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.”In this instance it’s achieved by regulating our breathing, and this can be translated into our daily activities too. We often hear people talking about mindfulness or meditation and the reality is that both of these practices involve being more in tune with our breathing. This strategy helps us sit in those moments of discomfort and harness those feelings instead of running away from them.Feeling the fearFear is one of the biggest obstacles people face when they’re considering their goals. It stops people from going for that new job, starting a business, seeking out that adventure.Why? Because so many people can’t sit with those uncomfortable feelings of “failure.”If we can get used to feeling uncomfortable in certain aspects of our lives, it’ll become easier to translate this power into other areas too!Now, I’m not suggesting you jump into a bath of ice straight away but the principals of feeling that shock of cold and that of fear are similar.The key message is that by understanding how our mind works and being able to identify the stages it goes through during these uncomfortable scenarios gives us a huge amount of power over how we respond.Knowing those feelings of discomfort are temporary and often come just before feelings of positivity makes it much easier for us to sit with them and then reap the rewards afterwards.The saying “do one thing each day that scares you” gets right to the core of this message because pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone, feeling that fear, is all worth it once we get over those initial feelings.Try putting it into practice, aim to do one thing per week that scares you initially and track how you feel before, during and after. In a short space of time you’ll notice the pattern and you’ll also realise that that power all comes from within you!Follow me on social media for more helpful tips! Facebook || Twitter