April, the Month of the Cold Shower: Day 11 (the need for speed?)

April 11, 2013

When I first began this experiment series, I concluded that cold showering saves time.  This morning was amazing, too; I was in and out of the bathroom (shaving included) in less than four minutes)!  I was surprised with myself and how little time one actually requires to adequately prepare for the day.  I stepped out, looked at the sun coming up, and smiled; I woke up at 5:00 and by 5:15 I was out the door.  I was so excited that I had cut my preparation time so drastically!

That brings me to a big philosophical point that I debated on my drive to work: is there really any need to rush through the morning routine?  Isn't it more important to prepare for the day in a way that is positive?  Does that mean that cold showering might not be for everyone?  Does cold showering even matter?

Let's take a look at these questions one at a time and see where this leads my conclusions:

Is there really any need to rush through the morning routine?

Well, I think that a long, hot shower that lasts 20-30 minutes is wasteful of time, water, and money.  A shower routine that is this long could definitely stand to some time reduction and streamlining.  I'm actually not sure if I could stand for 30 minutes and not get bored!  But, is there really any need for a four-minute in-and-out routine, like mine was this morning?  Probably not.

Isn't it more important to prepare for the day in a way that is positive?

A person's day should start out right, and that would include taking a good shower, shave, etc.  While a super-fast morning preparation might not be right for everyone, dawdling and poking around, taking your sweet time, spinning your wheels, and wasting time is not a good way to start the day either.

Does that mean that cold showering might not be for everyone?

I think that certain health conditions might make cold showering dangerous and not advisable, but I think that many people could benefit from it.

Does cold showering even matter?

We shall see, by the end of this post series, how I conclude this experiment!