Summer is coming - Quiet as an early morning #2

I'm saying goodbye to the icy fjord

One of the greatest joys and easiest ways to shut up my mind this winter has been ice bathing.

When you dive into the fjord that holds 4 degrees celcius you stop thinking. The only thing you can and should focus on is your breathing. Deep controlled breaths and you will be fine.

Start gasping for air and you truly will feel the cold.

If cold exposure and ice bathing is something you want to try now is the time to prepare (if you live in the Northern Hemisphere).

Wim Hof, known as “The Iceman”, has a free video course available that will introduce you to his special breathing technique, and how you can start with cold showers.

Take up outdoor swimming over the summer, and then just don’t stop.

I started in September last year, when the water temperature was still fine.

Sauna view at Oslo Badstuforening

My ice bathing is combined with sauna, and in the beginning I would go into the water after heating up inside. A few weeks later I started to test the waters before entering the steam room.

And early in November I craved the cold water and couldn’t wait to have the temperatures drop below zero.

Here are some of the benefits of cold exposure:

• Increased immune system

• Less depression & anxiety

• Reduced stress levels

• Increased willpower

• Heightened focus

• Better sleep

I could talk about how great this is for hours. If you have questions let me know!

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🖊️ This week I wrote about

Self-care for part-time creators: Fill your cup and win the day to avoid burning out

Is your creative mind in overdrive? Here is one easy way to sort your thoughts and quieten your mind

It’s my birthday. I don’t feel old, but I realize I have an expiration date

What I learned from having a dog for a week: Switching up routines might reduce productivity, but will enhance creativity

You know what you need to do. And some days you don’t want to. Just push a tiny bit.

One day is like the other. I need a strategy to keep them apart.

3 reasons we never have time anymore to do and enjoy the things we love

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🕯️Inspiration to go slow

Meditation is a great way to slow down and quieten your thoughts.

Not everyone likes or enjoys meditation. My thoughts often go into overdrive, especially if I have a problem at hand.

“Can’t seem to meditate? 7 joyful activities for you to try instead” by Ingrid Fetell Lee explores alternatives to meditation.

Those are:

• Visualization

• Coloring

• Drumming

• Cloud gazing

• Morning pages

• Walking

• Watching Bob Ross painting videos

Which one of those is your favorite?

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📖 Currently reading

“The shining girls” by Laura Beukes

This is a crime story with fairly short chapters. So it’s easy to pick up and then walk away again if you don’t have much time to read every day.

The plot: How do you catch a killer that is time traveling? Laura Beukes manages to weave historical events into the story. so in addition to being entertained you also learn something. That’s always a plus for me.

I have been powering through the book as the writing is easy and the story drives you forward. I’m also fascinated by the subject of time-traveling, and how the killer discovers events in the future that he will later set in motion.

Dive too deep and it will wreck your brain. It’s part of the classical question, what came first? The chicken or the egg?

The book has recently been turned into a tv-series with Elisabeth Moss as the lead. Currently streaming on AppleTV.