Cold shower routine may reduce sick days while cutting carbon emissions

by Noemi Kern, University of Basel

edited by Sadie Harley, reviewed by Andrew Zinin

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How can we encourage people to adopt more environmentally friendly habits? To explore this question, a psychologist asked participants in a study to take cold showers. Those who stuck with the routine experienced several benefits.

Many people know that their behavior harms the environment, yet they struggle to change their habits. "This is especially true when they feel they have to give something up or spend more money," says University of Basel psychologist Dr. Lena Glaser. As a psychotherapist, she regularly encounters this reluctance to change in her work.

Small changes that fit into everyday life

In her recently completed doctoral dissertation at the Faculty of Psychology, Glaser explored whether people are more willing to adopt habits that benefit both the climate and their health if those habits are easy to incorporate into everyday life and offer personal rewards. She investigated this question by studying the effects of regular cold showers.

"When people talk about changing their behavior to protect the climate, the discussion usually centers on transportation, diet or recycling," Glaser says. But in these areas, sweeping measures such as banning flights or serving only vegetarian meals in workplace cafeterias often meet with resistance.

For some, it even feels like their lifestyle choices are being policed, despite knowing that flying contributes to climate change and that eating meat has negative consequences for both the environment and their health.

"We need a more empathetic approach if we want people to change their behavior," Glaser believes. She points out that water temperature and water consumption rarely come up in climate-action discussions, even though changing shower habits has an environmental impact comparable to recycling.

"Taking a cold shower isn't exactly pleasant, but it's a small change to make. After all, we shower anyway." It's also a relatively easy step that can save money.

Fewer sick days

The study included 719 participants aged 18 to 65 who were asked to take showers as cold as their shower would allow for 12 weeks. To qualify, they had to be in good health and not already take cold showers.

Many participants dropped out during the first two weeks, but the dropout rate declined afterward. "That suggests people gradually get used to it," Glaser concludes.

As the study progressed, the remaining participants reported feeling increasingly better, both mentally and physically. According to Glaser, these subjective improvements also showed up in their sick leave: On average, participants took 31% fewer sick days than the control group.

Good for the environment and your wallet

When asked about the immediate benefits of a cold shower, participants said they felt more awake and refreshed. They also took pride in having pushed themselves to do something uncomfortable. "Experiences like these can be motivating," Glaser says.

Over time, taking cold showers also saves you money. People tend to spend less time in the shower, reducing their water consumption. They also use less energy because the water doesn't need to be heated. For a 45-liter (12-gallon) shower, lowering the water temperature from 40°C (104 degrees Fahrenheit) to 15°C (59 degrees Fahrenheit) saves 1.3 kWh of energy. That means lower utility bills and a measurable reduction in CO₂ emissions.

Over the 12-week study, participants reduced their CO₂ emissions by 15 kilograms (33 pounds) per person, roughly equivalent to the emissions from driving 100 kilometers (62 miles). In other words, cold showers make sense both environmentally and financially.

More generally, Glaser says, "When people see a personal benefit from changing their behavior and don't feel that they're giving something up or missing out, they're more motivated to stick with it."

Whether participants continued taking cold showers after the study ended is unknown. It's also unclear how environmentally conscious they were in other areas of their lives, or whether they compensated for the discomfort of cold showers by treating themselves in other ways. Such behavior could reduce or even cancel out the environmental benefits.

Find the temperature that works for you

Glaser has encouraging news for anyone who still dreads stepping into a cold shower: Even small changes in water temperature can have a positive effect. It doesn't have to be all or nothing. Finding a middle ground is perfectly fine.

"If we force ourselves to give up every comfort and pleasure, it will eventually take a toll on our well-being and mental health. And getting sick doesn't help the environment either."

Anyone interested in trying cold showers can start gradually, test their limits, and perhaps push them a little further over time. "The water doesn't have to be equally cold every day. We don't feel equally brave every day, and that's OK," Glaser says.

For someone trying it at home, the study's instruction to shower "as cold as possible" could be interpreted a little differently: Make the water as cold as you feel comfortable with that day. "It's important to listen to your body and pay attention to how you feel. But sometimes it's worth pushing yourself a little."

More information

Lena Glaser, Breaking the habit: psychological strategies to promote health and sustainability 2026 hdl.handle.net/20.500.14716/223384

Clinical categories

Healthy livingPreventive medicineCommon illnesses & Prevention Provided by University of Basel Who's behind this story?

Sadie Harley

BSc Life Sciences & Ecology. Microbiology lab background with pharmaceutical news experience in oil, gas, and renewable industries. Full profile →

Andrew Zinin

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