Member-only story
This 30-Second Face Trick Calms Anxiety Faster Than Meditation
Beat Anxiety with This Quick Trick
Who doesn’t get super anxious when they have to give a big presentation? I know I do! Someone I know was about to give the biggest presentation of her career a few weeks ago.
And when faced with the prospect, she broke out into a full-blown “fight or flight” response. Her heart raced and her palms grew sweaty.
But what played with her head is that her mind began spinning, creating worst-case scenarios:
Would I pass out? Would I forget what I was trying to say? These were all thoughts that flew through her mind as she prepared. 😱😨😱
But what to do about that anxiety? But instead of reaching for anti-anxiety medication or plopping into a chair for a meditation session, she did something unexpected: she dunked her face in a bowl of ice-cold water for 30 seconds.
When she pulled her face out of the chilly water, she said it was like hitting a reset button on her out-of-control nervous system.
“When I lifted my head, my heart rate had slowed, my mind was clear, and I felt ready to tackle anything.” 💪
What Sarah discovered wasn’t just a quirky stress-relief technique — it was her body’s ancient survival mechanism called the mammalian dive reflex. Are you familiar with the term?
It’s an ancient survival mechanism that kicks in when your face hits cold water. It’s the reflex that allows seals, dolphins, and other marine mammals to conserve oxygen and slow their heart rates while diving underwater.
The Science Behind the Splash
Here’s the good news. The evolutionary superpower, known as the mammalian dive reflex, is there for you, lying dormant, and ready to serve you. It’s a physiological response hardwired into our DNA, shared by seals, whales, and yes, humans.
Here’s how it works. When you plunge your face into ice-cold water, your body interprets it as diving deep underwater. In response, it goes into…
