Cold Water
Cold Water is a skill that helps you calm down fast or reduce stress using cold water, ice, or cold temperatures.
Stories
You know, I don’t want to die. I just wanna stop feeling what I’m feeling. Doing those cold water and paced breathing as grounding was super helpful.
My stress level was at a 10 out of 10. I felt the need to jump out of my body. If that was an option, I would have done that...because my body was so uncomfortable.
Cold water is one of my favorite skills. I use it when I'm feeling so anxious I can't function ‑ like when I'm having a panic attack or about to have a panic attack.
You can change your emotions by changing your temperature.
I'm super stressed and I'm going to get into a cold bath. Are you? Do this with me.
One time I was really anxious and having a hard time focusing, concentrating ‑ you know functioning. And I had this friend and they gave me an ice‑pack and said 'put that on your forehead.'
Community Tips
Why Use this Skill
When you’re really upset or stressed, you probably feel physical discomfort—like tense muscles or shortness of breath. This agitation happens because the body’s stress response is activated. The Cold Water skill works with your body’s nervous system. It’s designed to deactivate your “stress response” and activate your “relaxation response.”
Cold Water is a great skill for Choice 1 (Survive), as well as Choice 2 (Self-Care).
*Ask your doctor about using this skill if you have a history of cardiovascular issues, have other serious medical health problems, or take beta blockers.*
When to Use This Skill
Use Cold Water when:
- You feel super stressed out, really angry, or emotionally “on fire” and in the red zone.
- You just want to de-stress, even if you’re not feeling overwhelmed.
- Your thoughts are racing and they won’t stop, or you can’t think clearly.
- You feel dissociated and want to get back into your body.
- You need to practice Stop Drop and Roll for suicidal urges.
How to Use This Skill
When people get really upset, they often feel physically hot. Using cold temperatures can help you “cool down” emotionally.
If you practice the skill in specific ways (described below), you can activate your body’s “mammalian dive reflex” which naturally slows your heart rate and deactivates your stress response.
Ways to use Cold Water to calm down fast:
-
Make sure your eyes and nose are totally covered. Hold your breath for at least 30 seconds, or as long as you can. Take a few, slow, deep breaths, and then submerge your face again. Repeat as many times as you’d like, until your stress reduces or you feel more grounded.
-
Cover it in a wet (paper) towel. Hold it over your eyes and nostrils, and hold your breath.
-
Drink a cold glass of water. Hold an ice cube. Take a cool shower. Put your face in the door of a freezer. Go outside when it’s really cold.
Resources
TIP Skills: Reduce Extreme Emotions Quickly
Brief animated describing the “TIPP” skills from DBT, by DBT‑RU YouTube channel
Cold Water with Now Matters Now
A series of videos from Now Matters Now on how to use Cold Water
Slowing the Flow
Description of the mammalian dive reflex from the American Museum of Natural History
Mammalian Dive Response
Video demonstration of the mammalian dive reflex ‑ Stig Severinsen lowers heart rate in icy water
How to Calm Down Fast from Dr. Kiki Fehling
Video of how to practice this skill