November 6, 2021
- Air Temperature: 6° Celsius (43°F)
- Water Temperature: 13° Celsius (55°F)
- A desperate act.
- I was already dead…
At this point, I had been battling severe burnout for six agonizing months. My journey toward burnout cold plunge recovery felt hopeless, until a desperate cold plunge offered an unexpected reset and the map I needed.
Six Months of Crisis: The Medical Dead End
I threw everything at the problem:
- Psychiatrists.
- Antidepressants & Anxiolytics.
- All kinds of supplements.
- Major dietary changes.
Zero progress. Nothing worked.
I followed advice from doctors, experts, specialists, and coaches specializing in burnout recovery and mindfulness. I tried every technique. It changed absolutely nothing at all.
From the depths of my despair, I made a private joke: “Maybe I need an exorcism?”
The Intervention: “Aphy, You Think Too Much.”
Out of nowhere, my wife’s friend, Emily, truly listened.
She holds no degrees. She’s not a doctor, therapist, or coach. She simply listened, then gave me the simple, blunt truth: “Aphy, you think too much.”
She was right. I had no way to stop the exhausting noise in my head. It had been this way since childhood.
So Emily proposed something crazy, a surprise! A session of cold water therapy.
The Act of Despair: Entering the Lake
Early one Saturday in mid-October 2021, she drove me to a freezing cold lake. Her instruction : go completely into the water.
I thought it was a prank. She was serious. She had a change of clothes ready.
All the courage in the world would not have been enough to convince me.
So why did I go in?
Six months of chronic fatigue and burnout with no hope.
Do you know the word despair? Now picture an ocean of despair.
It wasn’t courage. It was simply that in my eyes, I was already dead. What was dying a little more?
I began to change my clothes.
The Physical Shock (and the Brain Reset)
The Escalation
Feet and ankles in the water: An instantaneous, aggressive shock. I hate the cold. I’ve always hated it. I told myself it couldn’t get worse. (Wrong.)
Calves in the water: A thousand times worse.
Knees, then legs: My heart hammered. The shock was beyond comprehension.
The Moment of Clarity
We reached the waist: Everything before was nothing. I lost access to language, to reflection. My brain experienced an overwhelming shock, like a temporary defense mechanism.
I was in the total unknown, my mind neutralized. But strangely, slowly, I moved forward, without thinking.
I made it to my neck, stopped, and held still.
After two or three minutes, the miracle happened:
- I relaxed in an extraordinary, sublime way.
- For that short 10-20 minute window, all burnout symptoms disappeared completely.
The Real Cure: A Memory of Well-Being and Recovery
The symptoms quickly returned once I got out, but the change was profound.
The plunge didn’t cure my burnout.
It provided the memory of normal.
For the first time in six months, I had a clear, visceral memory of what it felt like to be okay, what “normal” and “well-being” actually felt like in my body.
This was the key. It wasn’t a cure; it was the map and the goal. I now had a concrete, physical feeling to chase, marking the start of my recovery through a vital mindset shift.
Thank you, Emily.
Take the Plunge (With a Guide)
If you are suffering from recurrent burnout and chronic fatigue, and you’re tired of running in circles with methods that fail, I understand.
I now offer targeted, rapid immersions – metaphorical and literal – to help you reset your internal map and find your own “memory of normal.”
Contact me today. Let’s find your rapid “immersion into well-being.”
⚠️ Disclaimer: Cold water immersion is powerful. Do NOT attempt this alone, especially with severe health conditions. Always seek professional guidance.
My name is Aphy, but you can call me APHY’LGOOD.
Links :
A comprehensive list of challenges faced by a person experiencing burnout