Why ICe Baths are my secret weapon in business

When you go into business you often think about the things you might need to be successful.

  • A website
  • A business plan
  • Marketing materials
  • Equipment
  • Some coaching maybe

One thing I never imagined needing was an Ice Bath.

Now, stay with me people, I am being super serious here…and yes I know you are still recovering from seeing me in a leopard print bikini so it might be hard to take me seriously but please do.

As a solopreneur, and I have been one for close to 30 years it is 100% your job to look after yourself as the primary member of staff in your business. You don’t have a HR manager, and you probably don’t have a workplace wellbeing programme either…you are the boss, and the truth is when you are not functioning properly the business will suffer.

But why an Ice Bath Julie, isn’t it just all hype.

Now look, I have run a fitness business for 12 years. I have run 6 marathons, climbed mountains, done tough mudders, tested every type of protein shake going, I know a thing or two about looking after yourself, and the benefits of Ice Baths are well documented.

Ice baths have been utilized particularly among athletes and fitness enthusiasts for recovery and various health benefits. However, it’s always advisable to consult with a healthcare provider before introducing such practices, especially for individuals with pre-existing health conditions. Here are seven potential benefits of ice baths:

  1. Reduced Muscle Soreness
  2. Reduced Inflammation
  3. Improved Circulation
  4. Mental Resilience
  5. Enhanced Immune Response
  6. Metabolic Boost

But these are not what I want to talk about.

What I want to talk about is the Ice Bath’s ability to stop what I call The Solopreneur Spiral. 

Now I don’t need to tell you what a roller coaster being a solopreneur can be.

We swing from one emotion to another from month to month, week to week, day to day…but it is when its hour to hour you really notice the impact on your productivity, sense of purpose, and ability to stay focussed on the important stuff.

You know what its like, one minute you are ploughing through your work feeling good about stuff, and the next minute you are filled with a sense of impending doom.

ICE BATHS CAN HELP WITH THIS

Now, I will caveat this with saying I work from home, and have a big garden with a private area for my ice bath…so I can nip out of my office and jump in whenever I feel the need.

When I was living in my 2 bed apartment with no outside space this may have proved more of an issue…however on reflection during the pandemic when my spiraling was at an all-time high, I would often disappear for a cold bath…or at least it was cold time I came out from it. 

For me my regular ice baths set me up for the day, I usually do them first thing and occasionally at the end of the day if I need to ground myself.

I can often become hyper-focused on things and not know how to switch off…the coldness of the bath helps you to only really be able to focus on your breathing. 

I found myself last week in the middle of the day having a particularly uncomfortable emotional wobble (mainly about the launch of my new book), and within 15 minutes I was in the bath and I felt ok again, and within another 20 minutes, I was back at my desk wrapped in my robe writing the blog that came to me while I was in there, before showering and then getting on with my day.

We must all have self-care habits that help us to stop the spiral, and not only the spiraling down but the spiraling up too. Especially during high-emotion times, like during a launch, or when you have a lot of important things happening simultaneously.

For you it might be a walk in nature, or a meditation, maybe a bit of yoga…but for me, I quite literally enjoy freezing my tits off in a bath filled with ice. 

Resources List

 

want to join the how not to be broke sales challenge?

Come and join a bunch of other ambitious solopreneurs as we get behind the psychology and the activation of doing sales, and making some proper money in our business.

We kick things off with a workshop on Monday 25th at 2pm, which is all about “Bouncing Back” from financial crisis, and then its a week of live training 12pm-1pm from Monday 2nd October to Friday 7th October…and a whole heap of action taking.

How much money could you make?

Register for £69

Looking for a business legacy strategist?

If you are a solopreneur doing all of the doing, AND all of the thinking, and have got yourself in a bit of a pickle. I might be able to help. As a business legacy strategist I help solopreneurs to get clear on their vision, their strategy and the best tactics to deploy, but most importantly I help them turn their ideas into sustained, successsful action…and before it’s too late and they have run out of time or steam to reach their full potential.

I have been a solopreneur for close to 30 years, and have been supporting freelancers, artists, coaches, creatives, experts, speakers and sole traders of all kinds of proffesions for more than 20 years. I am a keynote speaker on the topics of productivity, purpose and profits and the author of the book How NOT to be Broke. 

Book in a Call