Wim Hof Method: A Game-Changer for Stress Management and Mental Health
Cold water and holding your breath and a chaotic Dutch man… What? No way.
I kept hearing it coming up; Wim Hof this, Wim Hof that. I’d heard he’d gone on Gwyneth’s Goop Lab, which didn’t do a lot to persuade me. I even listened to him on the brilliant Rangan Chatterjee podcast (for a run down on my favourite podcasts, see this post). but for some reason, I don’t think I finished it, and I just never really got onboard.
Until the day my best friend told me we were doing it together. And since that day, I’ve been hooked.
It’s all a bit bizarre, really. You literally hyperventilate for 30-40 breaths, breathing fully in, then fully out, repeating that process without a break in between. Then, when you get to the end, you hold your breath for as long as you can manage, before breathing in and holding for a further 15 seconds.
I immediately felt benefit from doing it - it made me feel calmer, more in control, more focused. But over time, doing it most days, I think the benefit is much greater than just that. I actually also read his book about it, and indeed, the evidence speaks for itself.
The other pilar of the WHM (Wim Hof Method) is cold exposure. Now, I would have considered myself what cold exposure researcher Susanna Søberg calls a ‘cold water sissy’ (as was she - and that’s another great podcast episode). But slowly, over time, I have built up my ability to withstand the cold. Ok, the water doesn’t get super cold in Australia, but as Susanna says, the main thing is to shock the system. And the research coming out around the benefits of this for mental and physical health is really exciting.
For example, the WHM (the breathing and the cold exposure combined) has been shown to have the following potential benefits:
Improved Immune Function: Studies have shown that the WHM can boost immune system activity and reduce inflammation. This may help to prevent illnesses and improve overall health.
Reduced Stress and Anxiety: The breathing exercises have been shown to reduce stress and anxiety levels, which we could all do with, to be honest
Increased Energy and Focus: Many people report feeling more energised and focused after practicing the WHM. This may be due to the increase in oxygen intake and the release of endorphins during the breathing exercises.
Increased Resilience: The method activates the sympathetic nervous system, triggering the "fight or flight" response in a controlled environment, which releases stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, helping the body cope with stress and increase resilience. In other words, regular practice can increase the body's tolerance for stress, as it gradually exposes the body to stressors.
Improved Physical Performance: Wim Hof has these wild stories of coaching people to endure great physical feats, like scaling huge mountains in record time without experiencing altitude sickness. For the rest of us, it seems to have some good health benefits for just general fitness and training.
Increased Mental Clarity: It has been reported to improve mental clarity and cognitive function, resulting in clearer thinking and better decision making.
Improved Sleep: Many people report that practicing the method helps with better sleep. This may be due to the reduction in stress levels and the relaxation benefits of the breathing exercises.
I’ve also heard anecdotally, that it could help with conditions such as depression, MS, autoimmune disease, and PTSD - but this is just from individual case studies (you can read more in his book). I’m not claiming that any of this is guaranteed, just that it’s an exciting area of development, and I’ve certainly seem some benefits in my own life.
If you’re interested in looking more into it, I recommend his (slightly chaotic) interview with Rangan (which guides you through the breathing exercise at the end), and you can also do the breathing exercise with him on youtube.
As for the cold exposure… crank that music, have your warm shower as usual, then just turn it cold for a few seconds at the end. Day one, you may yelp and jump out in shock after one second. Day two, maybe three seconds. But then I assure you it does get easier. And as many cold water swimmers say: if you can jump into freezing cold water in the middle of winter (or push through a short cold shower), you can handle anything.