The Shiver: Is the Cold Plunge a Mental Health Hack?

Kris Rice, founder of The ChillPod, joins me to share her transformative journey with deliberate cold exposure. Growing up with a grandmother who battled bipolar disorder and later supporting her daughter through mental health challenges, Kris developed a deep appreciation for wellness practices. While meditation and yoga provided benefits, they demanded significant time commitments she couldn't sustain as a busy parent.When a persistent friend suggested cold plunging, Kris initially resisted, but eventually filled a horse trough with cold water, took the plunge, and experienced immediate mental clarity, focus, energy, and mood lift.This episode is primarily Kris's lived life experience, with science sprinkled throughout. I also share my first-hand experience trying cold plunging at different temperatures, and we discuss common myths surrounding cold therapy, particularly for women. Kris explains how her passion for cold plunging led her to design the ChillPod—a cold plunge specifically created with women's bodies and aesthetics in mind, though suitable for everyone.This conversation breaks down cold plunging, and makes it feel accessible to anyone in good physical shape (always consult with a doctor before deliberate cold exposure). Are you ready to take the plunge?Check out The ChillPod HERESupport the showHelp Bipolar She Today! Buy Me A Coffee is a platform for podcasters to receive support, even if just a micro-donation. It's finally time to grow! Let's amplify voices of mental illness in all their raw details.Bipolar She is dedicated to real conversations for women living with mental illness. Hosted by Janine Noel, the majority of episodes give voice to a woman who has lived-life experience with mental illness--or who has experienced the illness of someone close to them. Along the way, I interview experts in the field that address additional mental health concerns.Frankly, coping with a mental health condition can be exhausting. Here's a place where you can land and find an episode that resonates with you. Some topics we've covered: being a bipolar mom or having a bipolar mom. Anxiety, agoraphobia, chronic depression, ECT, borderline personality disorder, ADHD, a psychiatrist that breaks your trust. A therapist who goes above and beyond to help you. The impact of trauma on your brain. Bipolar She couldn't have thrived without guitarist, JD Cullum's original music.Editor Brandon Moran makes everyone's voice sound both crisper and smarter.Sponsored by Amy Vincze's Emotional Freedom Technique App: Soar With Tapping....