It works

Immediate brain effects

Short cold-water immersions trigger a surge in key neurotransmitters involved in attention, mood, and stress regulation.[pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih]

• Whole‑body cold immersion increases serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, cortisol, and β‑endorphin, which are central to emotion regulation, stress response, and reward processing.[pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih]

• After a single cold‑water bath, participants report feeling more active, alert, attentive, proud, and inspired, and less distressed and nervous.[pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih]

Cold exposure also changes large‑scale brain network connectivity in ways that may relate to antidepressant effects.[pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih]

• fMRI work shows increased coupling between medial prefrontal cortex and anterior insula/dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and decreased coupling between medial prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex after cold immersion, patterns linked to better emotion regulation and reduced depressive rumination.[psychiatrypodcast +1]

• These connectivity shifts track with increased positive affect rather than just reduced negative affect, suggesting enhanced cognitive flexibility and self‑regulation.[pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih]