Chilling Out
Dear Ones,
Usually when we refer to chilling out or being chill, we’re talking about a relaxed attitude or feeling low-stress… which is a fun play on words, given all the ways that LITERAL chilling or being chill (as in lowering the temperature to COLD) can be our friend in times of stress or overwhelm.
The first way that cold can be helpful has to do with the vagus nerve – remember, from Check Your Tone? Exposing your body to acute cold conditions, such as taking a cold shower or splashing cold water on your face, stimulates the “diving reflex” and increases stimulation of the vagus nerve. While your body adjusts to the cold, sympathetic activation (fight-flight-freeze stress response) declines, while parasympathetic (rest-digest-relax) activation increases. You may also experience a slower heart rate as a result, according to this article. Even drinking ice-cold water can be enough to tone the vagus nerve and induce relaxation.
Another way that cold can be an ally in stress reduction is through sensory interruption of anxiety and panic symptoms. In this Huffington Post article about Anxiety Hacks that Therapists Swear By, Sheri Heller, a NYC-based psychotherapist, recommended plunging your hands into ice water or splashing some on your face, and explained that “Sensorial stimulation with cold water can break through dissociative feelings that accompany anxiety and offer immediate relief from heightened cortisol levels.” Keeping a cold pack in your freezer may offer a quick rescue from moments of severe anxiety or panic.
Finally, the simple act of holding an ice cube is one of the core “distress tolerance” skills in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), which teaches strategies for managing intense emotions. For persons who may engage in self-harm behaviors in response to emotional overload, holding an ice cube seems to provide the same degree of sensory engagement/distraction without injuring the body. Turns out that it’s hard for your brain to focus on stress when there is an ice cube in your hand!
In times of intense emotions, elevated stress and increasing fear/anxiety, “chilling out” with literal cold sensations can offer options for quick relief for body and mind. Cheers to putting your stress on ice!
Peace,
Glynn
