For 4 weeks I tried…

The Wim Hof Method - A personal account of my observations & Experiences

For 4 weeks, I tried the Wim Hof Method®, a wellbeing approach which claims to be a “practical way to become happier, healthier and stronger”.

Developed by Wim Hof, a Dutch extreme athlete known as 'the ice man', this technique was born from an intrinsic motivation to find alternative ways to not just manage but optimise mental and physical health and is centred around three key pillars: Breathing, Cold Therapy, and Commitment.

Within this article I am simply sharing my own observations and insights from my experience trying this popular wellbeing method. It is intended to provide a glimpse into how these practices are applied and share the outcomes I experienced. I do not detailed application steps including safety precautions or seek to provide scientific evidence, reasonings or causes. If this is a method you’d like to explore, I encourage you to do your own research into whether this is a suitable and safe practice for you given your unique situation.

Why I explored this intervention

My interest in this method piqued after hearing Wim speak at an event in Sydney in 2023. During his talk he shared his thoughts on how our lives are now designed with ease and comfort in mind. Whilst this brings benefits, it may also be contributing towards greater levels of stress and illness. Therefore he believes it’s important to train our mind and bodies to be in uncomfortable situations, so we can effectively recognise and manage our reactions to stress and the nervous system.

At that time, I had been hearing a lot about the benefits of deliberate cold exposure, ranging from increasing our ability to cope with stress, enhancing focus and learning and boosting the metabolism, to name just a few. And whilst breathwork and ice baths could be seen as the latest wellness gimmick all over social media, many others beyond that world have endorsed these practices, from professional athletes to neuroscientists. All of this was enough to encourage me to explore this method myself and see how practical it is within my typical routine and whether the results would be worth incorporating the practices.

Application

Fast forward some months, and I was participating in a research study into the impacts of wellbeing interventions, run by a researcher and expert in Emotional Intelligence and Performance under Stress. The study involved one group of participants consistently applying the Wim Hof Method® in a prescribed manner, over a period of 4 weeks. This incorporated:

·       Daily 15 min breathing exercises when you first wake,

·       Followed by a cold shower which gradually increased in time over the 4 weeks, and

·       Weekly guided ice baths, again gradually increasing in time.

Over the four weeks and prior to the start of the study, daily psychological and cognitive assessments were completed by participants and key physiological data was collected.

My experience and observations

Reflecting on my experiences, I noted the below:

·       Breathing exercises – I noticed that as the study went on, my ability to stay in the moment during these exercises increased and I became less distracted by thoughts of upcoming tasks. At the time I was able to incorporate this into my morning routine without a lot of adjustments, although typically, I prefer to use this time to exercise. If my schedule was a little more rigid, I may have struggled with consistency, or I would have been required to wake up earlier. Outside of the study I believe these exercises can be incorporated elsewhere into your day, but with provisos[1].  

·       Ice baths - Despite initial apprehension these quickly became a highlight for me. These were completed at the same time and place each week, with other participants in the study.  This created a sense of camaraderie and almost ritual. I appreciated the mental and physical challenge and the dopamine hit left me invigorated and with sustained improvement in mood throughout the day. I found myself thinking, “why am I in such a good mood today?” Unfortunately beyond the study I’ve struggled to keep a consistent practice due to logistical challenges but I continue to look for ways to incorporate these back into a regular routine.

·       Cold showers - I struggled with these and whilst I still dislike them, I have incorporated them back into my morning routine. It is a very different experience to intentionally introduce discomfort into a daily, habitual activity and to me this was a harder than completing the immersion into the ice bath. I had no intentions to continue with these post study.  Yet I quickly missed the wide-awake feeling which supported me into action in the mornings. It is also the easiest way to incorporate cold exposure into your day and experience some benefits.

·       Enhanced mood and energy levels - Overall, these improved during the 4 weeks. I noticed this the most post interventions when I returned to my typical routine. Whilst I felt in a good mood, when I reflected back on how I felt during the study, my mood seemed a little more meh! Good - but nothing to write home about.

·       Reduced procrastination and greater focus – A week or two into the study, I noticed I was less distracted, procrastinated less throughout the day and my ability to be present in the moment and focus on the task at hand improved.

·       3pm sugar cravings disappeared - I have no explanation as to why this may happen and whether this is linked to the method or is simply a knock-on effect of building healthy habits. Either way, for me this was a great result, and I can confirm post the study period and without the consistent application of the full method, the cravings returned!

·       Improved confidence - When you sit in a tub of ice you believe you have developed a superpower 😉. This is likely to align to Wim’s third pillar of consistency, as we can all appreciate that with consistent practice of any activity, we will typically build confidence in our ability to do it.

My thoughts

This method will not be for everyone, and personal safety and suitability should be considered. If you have any queries or concerns, appropriate guidance should be sought.

Saying that, my personal experience with this method resulted in improvements in my holistic well-being and performance levels. It helped me to build grit and confidence in my ability to do hard things whilst also positively impacting my mood, energy levels and ability to focus. To continue to reap the benefits I have continued with the cold showers and I am looking for ways to consistently incorporate ice baths and breathing back into my routine.

The great thing with wellbeing interventions is that there are a wide variety of activities you can explore and what works for one, won’t necessarily work for another in the same way. So experiment, keep an open mind and try new things to see what works for you.

Once the findings from this study are published, I hope to share these here, so watch this space…

[1] If you are intrigued to learn more about this method and it’s practices, safety considerations or how to obtain optimal benefits, I’d recommend you visit the Wim Hof site for further guidance.

If you’re interested in learning more about this method, I’d encourage you to check out The Wim Hof Method® website or youtube channel.

If you’re into the science, an easy, digestible starting point is Dr. Andrew Huberman’s (neurobiologist, researcher and professor at Stanford University) playlist of podcasts where he explores some of the research and impacts of cold exposure on the body and brain.