Jumping in a freezing pool gives your body a shock and your brain a complete shuffle. I highly recommend it, especially when you’re overwhelmed or overheated. I took my 10 year old son to play tennis today and it was over 100 degrees Fahrenheit on the court. It was his first lesson so we were running all around and after an hour at it, I must admit … this nearly 40 year old out-of-shape dad was ready to go get a cold drink and have some lunch. Believe it or not, as indefatigable as he is, he was ready to stop as well. We had a great time and I really enjoy spending time with my son.
After lunch, we spent some time doing yard-work. I mowed and he did a little weed whacking along the back fence. When we were done, both our shirts were soaked and we were sort of in that ethereal place being overheated and probably over-exercised.
That’s probably why I lost all sense and ran voraciously toward our backyard pool
I had enough presence of mind to remove my wallet with all my credit cards and notes about appointments for the next month. I also pulled my LG VU tv phone (which I really love) out and set it on the counter. But I tried to be fast about removing these things because I wanted to show my son he needs to be crazy sometimes. After all, it isn’t Summer yet and our pool probably is around 60 degrees or less. I just galloped straight in fully clothed to my son’s delightful amazement. Man, it was a full body shock but when I got out and peeled the wet clothes off, the peace was indescribable. It was as if a brand new fill of antifreeze was bringing a high temperature motor down to normal. I felt mentally refreshed.
The day that has followed has been full of letting old, dead ideas that aren’t working go. I’ve made “do-lists” based on healthy projects and cut bait from those thoughts and ideas that have been stealing my energy. My son is not yet brave enough to jump in a freezing pool. He is a bit more timid than I was at 10. But, I know he has seen me do crazy, healthy things like jump in a freezing pool to change my state of mind. I know he may “fall back” on them when he gets overwhelmed or overheated.
There is wisdom in doing crazy things once in a while. Have you done anything crazy to change your mind-frame lately? Id love to hear about it.
One Comment
This is great, and I applaud the example you’re setting in the “spontaneous craziness” department, but beware the stress a too-quick cooldown can put on your heart. Odds are, absent a pre-existing heart condition, it’s fine – maybe even good for you. But a slower cooldown might be healthier.
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