Wim Hof
EPISODE 84
In this week’s Episode #84 we explore the ‘Iceman’ Wim Hof, and what it takes to have absolute control over your body and mind.
Wim Hof (born 20 April 1959), also known as The Iceman, is a Dutch extreme athlete noted for his ability to withstand freezing temperatures. He has set Guinness world records for swimming under ice and prolonged full-body contact with ice, and still holds the record for a barefoot half-marathon on ice and snow.
He attributes these feats to his Wim Hof Method (WHM) (Buy on Amazon), a combination of frequent cold exposure, breathing techniques and meditation.
SHOW OUTLINE
INTRO
Wim’s personal struggles led him to discover the power under the ice
Silence is salvation (3m53)
HOW TO MAXIMISE YOUR BODY & YOUR FEELINGS
Tip for taking attention today?
Take cold showers! (46s)
We all have the capacity and power to achieve any challenge
Embrace the challenges (1m40)
How to use suppress feeling stress, anxiety, fear - with the mind
Take Control (1m 31)
HOW TO MAXIMISE YOUR MIND
Focus is the key to accomplishing your mission
Don't let Fear stop you (52s)
There is no situation that the mind can’t ADAPT TO
Awaken the healing mind (1m58)
OUTRO
What does Wim believe is a secret to managing the best version of himself
Just Breathe and Believe (1m29)
TRANSCRIPT
[00:00:00] Hello and welcome to the men chefs podcast. It is a icy, icy cold episode, 84. I'm your cohost, Mike Parsons. And as always, I'm joined by the man who brings nothing but chill, the one and only Mark Pearson Freeland. Good morning. Good morning, Mike. Good morning, Mike. Who long as I'll call you from now on how you doing this fairly blustery Sydney day?
Well, it might be blustery outside, but it is calm. Somewhat chilling here as we go to one of the most unusual places that we've ever gone on the moonshots podcast. Mark, what is in front of us today? I'm really pumped about today's episode. Because, like you say, we're [00:01:00] stepping a little bit away from maybe some of the authors we've done in the past, and instead we're going for something a little bit more physical.
We are covering Wim Hoff, AKA the ice man. Now, um, give us some context here for some of our listeners who might not be familiar with the good Dutchman VIM Hoff, um, Like paint us a picture because he is one remarkable human being. It's really, really fun. Reading his background, watching videos. He goes with him and listen to his podcast.
He is so. Positively full of good energy, but just to give a little bit of background before I reveal too much about his voice, everybody's going to hear him throughout this episode. Let's have a quick look at some of these backpacks, the achievement, because they are enormous. He's actually got 21 Guinness world records, including I quite like this one.
The Guinness world record for the [00:02:00] longest ice bath, which was just shy of two hours, which I think is pretty spectacular, but he's also run through the desert without drinking any water. He's climbed Kilimanjaro in his shorts. He's run a half marathon around the Arctic circle barefoot and he swung underneath ice.
The 66 meters, which is pretty substantial. And when I read an article with him talking about it, he was under water for three, four, five minutes, which is crazy. Mark. I believe he also lost his way under the ice and that swim back to find the hole to get out. So just incredible, incredible story. And what I think is exciting is that VIM.
Starts with the mind and the mind, your, your mindset, your, your mental models is [00:03:00] such a big theme on the moonshots podcasts, everywhere, whether it's Elon Musk, whether it's Oprah Winfrey, Richard Branson. Some of the great authors, it starts with them mind. And I think that whilst some people might be like, Oh Mike, uh, Mike, we love the Simon Sinek shows how possibly can VIM Hoff relate.
Well, I'm going to pitch to you Mark into our listeners that what is central, uh, in our. In our beings is that there is one thing that we can control, which is our thoughts. And if we do so, we can do amazing things, but you didn't leave. You didn't get a chance to share with our audience the biggest, uh, perhaps the most dramatic accomplishment from VIM half using his mind.
Well, this one that I didn't want to give away too much until [00:04:00] we start listening to some of the clips, but he's actually proven that with his mindset, not only did he accomplish this, but a number of patients that went along with it, we're able to fight off a virus and become immune to it through nothing but their mindset and their breathing patterns.
Which is mind blowing, isn't it? I think, I think that could, could in fact be the theme of today's show mindblowing, but. Before we get into some amazing things that we have coming up on the show, how to think, how to breathe. The key, one of the key jokes, he talks about his breath and taking cold showers.
We've got a ton, a ton of good things. Laying ahead. What we're going to do is we're going to give you some of the backstory to have him VIM Hoff actually arrived at this breakthrough. [00:05:00] And is there a. An amazingly personal story with a lot of struggle and grief in it, but it's what unlocked this amazing gift that he has for the world.
So let me now just get a little bit of context and get the backstory of the Iceman himself. There are Wars and IMAX, a beautiful woman, the mother house, Nigeria to come. And I lived with her for 15 years and we had two children. There were eyes there, those windows to the soul as she was alive, he wants.
So alive, it's so sensitive
as you became touch by. I don't know. So I didn't stress. Cause depression came in. She became a different person, not a face. [00:06:00] Such a beautiful woman. So open the mother of my kids. My love, 15 years later, she jumped from eighth story down.
I didn't see it coming, but as to what a declining line of life getting out of her control, that was alone with four kids. This is life beyond is. I was hoping it was powerless. Couldn't do it anything, but I always had this deep, strange feeling. There's something more, and I don't know what it is and it's not in words, it's a feeling it's a graving from the inside, aside from the soul from survival, but it got into me like a flash [00:07:00] and I had to go on the spot to show the world.
Don't we don't need to be powerless in the face of death. The face of darkness, depression, fear, trauma, PTSD, bipolar schizophrenia. It wasn't that I was looking for it. I just wanted the answers of life. Like it is a booth ride to know why you're here, why you're here as a father of two children to bring purpose and sense.
That is as simple. And it is being torpedoed and both bought by old guys with thinks and confusing sets in. No. This was too much. This was your motion torn in my heart to be healed, not only to become aware how to [00:08:00] do that and to take away the darkness for those to come. That was my journey. So how to begin.
The only thing I had was my instinct, my intuition. That's the way it started. What do you do? You do 26 brackets in ice. Cold water is the most dangerous. You go to climb Mount Everest in your shorts that would kill most people. You swim under the ice and lose the way and you don't know where you're at and it's frozen.
Don't know, there you go. You survive. I was able to stay for five to seven minutes every time under the ice. And the only thing I ended up down
at the side of awareness [00:09:00] D bedside, which we have lost. Silence. Silence is dense. It's what I found.
Oh, what a, what a start to the show. Wim Hoff telling us is, you know, frankly, terrible heart wrenching story, but it's got such a positive outcome. I mean, it's. It's amazing that he was able to overcome something so personal and, and horned, but actually makes such a difference around him at the same time.
You know, this was such an event in his life that could have easily overcome him as well as his family. And what did he do? He refuse to give up that resilience is something that we talk about on the show a lot. And what he did was he went and did what was [00:10:00] seemingly impossible. Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro doing these unbelievable feats of human endurance.
And he came out and proved with science and data that actually the human body was far more powerful and far more resilient, I think then than anybody ever really assumed a it's actually very exciting to hear all of this from women. Isn't it? Yeah. And the interesting thing, it was almost like. He had to experience this extreme grief that drove him into extreme physical conditions in order to resolve the suffering.
Now, I know that all sounds a bit dramatic and, and what we're trying to do here is work out how to learn from innovators. But I think. Uh, the story and the takeout for me [00:11:00] there is that if we're embarking on any, creating anything new in the world to make our dreams come a reality, there is actually going to be moments of stress and fear.
And we learn a lot about that, uh, with Brenae Brown. But what VIM is showing us is the other side of this, the physical side. And, um, what I've learned in my life is that if I want to be great in the office, I need to go be great at the gym, or I need to go be a great running, uh, you know, five, 10 Ks. Those things are interlinked.
And I think the story of him shows us that the linkage and the relationship there, and I think the big takeout for all of us on the show today. Is that we live in a [00:12:00] world where we don't, uh, you know, have to chase tigers away and scavenge for food. So we often sit inside, comfortable places all day long.
And now we sit in front of technology. Often all day long and we become detached from our body, from our feelings because of that. So that's why we're looking at millennials being, uh, one of the highest suffering generations of anxiety, uh, yet the world, um, has, uh, so many good things. Happening. And I think it's this disconnection from our bodies that we're going to learn about VIM is going to bring us back into ourselves with breath, with cold showers.
And I think what we're going to reveal over this show is truly you are what you think, and you can do anything if you put your mind to it. And, um, we're going to get some very powerful tips [00:13:00] and tricks, rituals, behaviors, and habits on how to do that. It's going to be a block Busta, Mark. I'm hoping that you and all of our listeners are really, really ready to embrace the code as VIM half would want us to, I can't wait to get started.
I'd say it's going to be a hot episode, but really the truth is it's going to be ice cold and very cool. Indeed. Indeed indeed. Now, um, we've been, um, very fortunate to, uh, receive some more feedback and suggestions from our audience, which really truly does these days never stopped surprising me, uh, where we can find.
Uh, our wonderful, uh, audience, uh, giving us reviews and ratings and sending us emails. What's been new in the mailbox, Mark. Well, [00:14:00] it was lovely waking up one day this week and receiving a very nice email from Frederick who got in touch and said he loved the Jim Collins series. One of our series on. Um, an incredible innovator that you can find on our, on our show.
And he also gave us a good recommendation for Patrick Leon T on the, who will add to the list and hopefully get to very, very soon. Thank you Frederick for getting in touch. We love receiving your emails. We do and we popped up, um, I thought this was rather neat. We've popped up in the top hundred lists, uh, for the podcast in, uh, none other than, uh Tsipras.
Uh, where else did we pop up for the first time, New Zealand, hello, to all the new Zealanders and, um, the, the Brits are showing their hand as well. So it is wonderful to receive feedback and thoughts and suggestions from all around the world. And I would. Ask all of you. If you're listening to the [00:15:00] show right now, and you have the chance to grab your device, go give us a rating.
Give us a review, please, because this is how new people can discover the show. It's critical to getting the word out, to help all of us learn from innovators. And with that said, Mark, I think it's well and surely time to kick off, um, the next clip from VIM half. So. Where shall we start? Well, we, I wanted to, there would be no sense in stuff, this incredible episode on whim without really delving into one of his most well known techniques.
So the first part of the show, we want to talk about, uh, physicality and your body, where we're going to start with is women telling us a little bit about how we can all take a attention and ownership. From the first moment in our day and how we can take ownership of something that will affect your body, [00:16:00] uh, as well as your mind, but really, really give you a moment.
Uh, should we say sharp, um, energy from the very, very get go. So here's whim telling us a little bit about, yeah. Attention right now with a cold shower. Killer number one in our society is cardiovascular related. It's big time. And that is because we wear clothes. We are never being iSTEM stimulated through cold, warm and pressure.
It's no longer there. So there's a mediocre state of our vascular conditioning and that, and for that we take cold showers. Then there's some shock to the system that does into the format hormesis, or we do it consciously. And with that, we connect even with the brain, with the vascular system all over.
And it's amazing how simple it can be, how simple we can. Tech tackle this serial killer they're cardiovascular related diseases. We can tackle it. A cold [00:17:00] shower a day, keeps the doctor away, taking a cold shower a day, keeps the doctor away. That's a new one, but I will tell you this. Um, we have both.
Recently converted to this idea. And I have to say as much as it is challenging and hard to take cold showers. I actually think it really, my personal testimony is it really, really works. Have you found it, man? Yeah. I think this is such an interesting topic to really go over, uh, this idea of hormesis and reigniting those good pillories, uh, as well as, you know, giving yourself that wake up in the morning.
It is it's, it's certainly a challenge, but I love it because you really. Get out of the shower feeling totally awake. Um, what I think is quite an interesting topic to talk about on the show is this [00:18:00] developing as a new habit? So Mike, how long have you been taking these cold showers now? Uh, I think for a fair part of the year, so I would say at least three weeks.
I see that. So that's perfect. So you've really, really developed this as now a daily habit, which is fantastic for me, who, um, you know, wants to pick up. Taking cold showers as a brand new habit. How long did it take you approximately until you weren't so frightened to hop into a cold shower every morning.
Um, I think, uh, I think, let me, let me try and reflect back on it now because you know the interesting thing now a bit like when you've broken the hump of exercise, I'm at the point. Um, much like when you don't exercise, you know how you can get grumpy it's if I don't take a cold shower, I can get grumpy as well.
That's what I was, what I was gonna poke around for, because yeah, my [00:19:00] nice cold shower is similar to adopting a new habit such as writing a journal every day or making your bed every day. And. I read that it can take a good couple of weeks before your body starts responding well to it. And when it does, it can actually almost push back when you've stopped doing it.
It does. And, and first of all, before I talk about the habit process, the thing that, what I want to share with everyone, if you want to awaken in the morning, Wholeheartedly, you know, exercise is fantastic, but taking a cold shower is equally powerful. So yeah, I just went for the TriFactor and every morning I wake up, I take a cold shower.
Followed by a double espresso followed by a five K run. And I cannot tell you how on top of the [00:20:00] world, that makes me feel, it sets me up for the day. Like basically the days of success after that, it is incredibly hard for it, for me to get to the end today and feel pretty down on the day. I think the most, uh, I want to get really specific about the benefit of the culture, the feeling I have.
Like I'll go back to this morning. The feeling before and after the shower. So basically the ritual is before you shower, you do some really deep breathing because, um, I'm not a scientist, but my general understand planning is that when you jump into cold water or take a cold shower, your breathing treaters and goes really crazy.
And that can be a, like a flight response. Um, so you want to control your breathing, control the situation. So I go into the shower. And I start, um, right in the middle. And generally I've always been sort of a, I don't know, I guess two-thirds, if you look at [00:21:00] the, the actual tap in the shower, starting at the halfway point is, um, a little bit on the chilly side.
It's not, not uncomfortable and what I've basically done. Is I try to stay under a cold shower for 30 seconds. The big difference over the last month is that I stay in the absolute a hundred percent cold range for longer, and I start colder and colder over the weeks. Um, and what I find is even on the weekends, I choose to do the same ritual.
That I have every weekday because I just feel so damn good. And after I go into the shower, I'm breathing deeply. I'm trying to be as in control as I can. And I turn the faucet as cold as possible, and I fully move around. I let the water go in my head and in particular, my [00:22:00] shoulders and my back cause it's big muscle parts across my arms and it gets really cold.
And then I just go until I can't go any longer. And I just try and last a little bit longer every week now within. Seconds of stopping the water. My body has like this electrical, current running through it. That's the best way I can describe it. And by the time I've dried up and got into my running gear, I am so.
Calm but alive I'm um, I, it, it was like I had an espresso 20, 30 minutes ago. Um, and it's a bit different from the, you know, caffeination, um, it's a bit different from the run is high. You get up to run. It is, and this is a big theme of Intuit. I'm incredibly peaceful. I'm incredibly calm, [00:23:00] but very awake. So I'm not like kind of dopey sleepy later at night, come I'm really present.
And my breath is great. My body is great. And this time I'm doing my best job to be an Iceman here and to present the benefits to you and all our listeners smart, taking this culture is. Really transformational. You've certainly described it in incredible detail and actually the way that you've described it.
I now want to go and have a cold shower, this idea of electrical current. I do know what you mean. I can't, I can't claim that I've done it for as long as you have. And 30 seconds to me sounds. Terrifying, but maybe I'll get this. I think you're exactly right. This is exactly what Wim is talking about in the rest of our clips.
This idea being present in the moment, but also being very, very calm laser-focused [00:24:00] and awake. I think that's such a powerful word. Isn't it much like you were saying at the beginning of the show, this. Anxiety, uh, that I think a lot of people have nowadays is because there's a slight disconnect from our bodies.
But I think at the very cause of that, one of the simplest ways, which is exactly what women saying here is to just take a cold shower. We can all do it when we're at home. And that connects you back in. Yup. Yup. And you can't look at, you cannot think about anything else. Then breath and the cold fulfilling be seconds because it's so intense.
Yeah. I find that. So refreshing, I've such a, a heavy mental work day that the fact that you can be very early in the morning, you can have just. Being in yourself in the moment. It is such a nice anchoring point for the day. And it really, it, I think what it does is it [00:25:00] sets you up to understand that. This technique that VIM Hoff is bringing to us, um, gives us amazing capacity and amazing power, uh, to feel alive and to, to really go out in the world, uh, and be our very best self.
So we have this next clip, which is all about. Embracing the things that come our way and to really harness both our capacity and our power. So let's again, have a listen to the Iceman, mr. VIM Hoff. If you go in to the eyes, you're really not thinking about your mortgage or your wife or this or that.
You're not going to picnic. You feel the focus will be on your feeling. How to get this feeling into adaptation and to overcome the whatever is coming and it goes directly. [00:26:00] And I tell you, Nicole has been my teacher. I just followed teacher. The feeling learned to let go intuitively I felt I want to do this.
I did yoga. I did Kung Fu all kinds of things and great. But the cold is really merciless, but righteous and I was ready to go in. I felt intuitively I want to go in because it has got something. I don't know what it is. And yes, I went in. And I felt it, the connection was there beyond any word. And that's what I was looking for.
This tapping into deeper parts of the brain of feeling pure energy, feeling, power, innate capacity, power. We have to deal with that. I was looking for that. And since then I went on and on and on and off, I [00:27:00] did all these records and challenges. I did crazy stuff, really the sitting old at night in your shorts, outside in freezing temperatures.
Great. That is something that, that is power and I've been venturing and discovering more and more. And finally I began to realize, but it's all in the mind. This idea of cold or the pain of that experience being a teacher, I think is pretty aligned with some of the, uh, topics and innovators we've discussed in the past, actually on the show, this idea of embracing.
The discomfort, embracing challenges using that, you know, pain or that, like I say, or as women says the cold as an opportunity to, you know, get a little bit tougher, get a little bit more power from it. Like you say, with the electronic vibe that you have, and you've experienced cold shower for me, that is your body kind of getting the energy from that [00:28:00] discomfort.
Um, and I think he's, he's, he's directing us to find. Challenges or speed bumps or, or stresses in our lives and to go and experience them. What would you, what do you get from that mic? I think what he's, um, touching upon is, I mean, I love that point that you made, it was very Joe Rogan ish, which is embracing the discomfort, but I think it, what it is, is it's.
More than that. If you follow this line of thinking, it's resetting yourself, and I think this physical reset, um, through maybe a cold shower or a hot sauna because of their intensity, I think part of the, the benefit is the stimulation that it gives to your senses into your nerves. But I [00:29:00] think more so.
Where it really helps us as we're trying to be. The very, very best version of ourselves is I think it is the perfect antidote to this always on hundreds of emails, notifications, lots of calls, lots of means meetings, which are all in your mind and more than ever, we're often working from home. And so.
We're not getting out into the physical world and putting our bodies, which are designed to go hunting together. And, um, we are not, um, balancing this high cognitive load with a high physical load. And this idea that he is bringing to us is that we need to actually keep those imbalanced otherwise. We start to get, um, some symptoms.
Uh, we get some mental imbalances [00:30:00] that lead to physical and emotional problems. And we see this as rife in society. I really think this is the gold of what VIM is doing. He's getting us back to our primal state. To be the very best we can be in the 21st century or like that that's a great, uh, direction.
And I think you're actually spot on that's exactly what he's trying to encourage. So for me, what I, what I take away from what you've just said is as well as all women saying is, is a challenge. I, I, I wake up in the morning. Um, one of the first things I'll do either when I get to the office or from home is exactly, as you say, check emails, I'll see lots of notifications.
And for me, my way of dealing with that, um, you know, perhaps anxiety is either to go straight in and start responding to it, or [00:31:00] take a moment, have a breath and go for a run. We'll do some exercise and try and maybe work off some of that in might've what used to be called nervous energy. Maybe it's just now energy, I suppose, this idea of throwing, um, exercise or something physical at it, I think is what you're saying.
And what whims saying, which is, is finding that balance between an old stimulated mind and an under-stimulated body. Exactly. And what this leads us to is this idea of don't be a victim to the circumstances, right? Don't let the information drown you take control. And we actually have the means of doing this, whether it's in positive rituals and habits, not only of the mind, but also of the body and of how you feel.
[00:32:00] Uh, so this just sets us right up to go into the next gift from the Iceman. So let's have a listen to VIM Hoff talking about taking control. The scientist after giving me a endotoxin virus and bacteria, they, so I have no symptoms. I can control my fever. I can control it all through breathing and believing or the mind using the mind plus breathing suddenly I was able to serve press where others couldn't in all those controlled studies, all these audit test subjects, they didn't show dose or results of bringing down.
These inflammatory markers and showing to be able to go into the endocrine system controlled and race, such air controlled adrenaline, shoot out through the body, making the body, being able to function to the utmost completely under the will. Then bacteria has [00:33:00] no chance. Cold has no chance. Heat has no chance.
Stress. In general, it has no chance. People who are under stress, like anxiety, depression, fear, trauma, DSD, name it, and he mental moot this or mental disorder he's able. Now, if we bring this on through competitive study, done able to counteract and not be effective of distress or the out of control brain.
Bring back the sense of control, make it feel good. Does this big demon is just for removing. This is a clip that I think demonstrates women as being a real innovator. He's experienced this trategy as we heard it earlier in the show and he's. Essentially hurled himself into experiences and challenges that have [00:34:00] allowed or sorry, trained him to understand his body and understand his mind and what he he's now proving through data and science is that if others were to follow him and others words who listened to his teaching, You can control and suppress, or maybe channel some of this anxiety that we're offering for me, that's kind of, it's kind of like a new product, isn't it?
It's a totally new way of thinking. It's a new approach to all of our lives. Um, and what I like most about it though, is it's founded in science, which I think is quite unique. Yeah. Well, look, let's put this in context. Um, Do you realize anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U S affecting nearly wait for this nearly one in every five people in the U S [00:35:00] according to the who that is 20%.
That's huge. That's a massive lot of the population of the nation suffering from anxiety. And that affects your work life, your home life. Oh, thanks. Yeah. And so I think that, I mean, there's a couple of parts to this. I also want to, just for a moment, focus on some of the details. Yeah. This test that VIM was talking about.
So he was injected with a, uh, viral bacteria. And he did this in a hospital, in the company of doctors and medical experts. And he was able through nothing but mental will to show no Tim's of the virus. So [00:36:00] everyone and said, okay, VIM, half the Iceman is just a unique character. So he says, okay, I'm going to teach, uh, um, 12 other people to use the same technique.
And Mark, what happened when they gave the bacterial virus to those? Exactly the same as what happened to whim? Nothing. Isn't that amazing. They were completely new. Aren't they? They were. And so. Take this with a grain of salt, but I think what it demonstrates what we've been able to take from VIM, remembering that this all started with a suicide of his wife, leaving him with four children as he has gone to explore in that sort of that grieving process.
These extreme physical States. In order to balance out that physical, emotional risks. Once you have greed [00:37:00] and through breath and cold showers, what he's learnt is that we have this enormous capacity and power, and this is perfect for the modern age, for the post COVID age of suppressing stress and anxiety and fear.
And it shows you this, this long, long lasting truth. You are what you think. And the greatest gift that we have is that we do have, we might not control some of the crazy geopolitical things that are going on. We might not, might help correct control some of the societal disconnects, but what we do control.
Is our mind is our thoughts. And I think this is so powerful. If you're going out in the world, trying to design, build, create a product or service. If you're trying to build a company, if you're just trying to be the best you can be in the office or at home, I think this central thought of. [00:38:00] You are what you think, and you can introduce these rituals kind of frame your thinking through your body and your feelings.
I think this is powerful, powerful stuff, but more than anything, Mark, I think there's never been a time where this thinking from VIM Hoff, the Iceman, there's never been a time where this is more relevant and more applicable to how we work. I think you're totally right. You're totally right. It's something that we all struggle with, you know, 20% of the U S wow.
I mean, I, I certainly, as I've referenced already, I wake up, I see lots of notifications and it does, it's, it's pretty off putting isn't it. And I'm like, I'm sure you're the same, if not worse with your emails. Oh, I will. I will tell you that, that, that. The greatest gift is batching, uh, your emails and, um, don't no matter what's happening, [00:39:00] no matter what's happening, don't read your emails.
First thing in the morning, at least make a diary entry, at least take a cold shower. Think about what you want to get out of the day, because once you, yeah, open up being books and your, your mind's racing and, um, You know, the, the sprint is is on, but let's, let's just pause for a moment because we've still got a ton more to give you.
I hope all of you out there listening in all these wonderful, exotic places. Sweden, Brazil, Mexico, Norway, Denmark, Japan, the Netherlands. Good on you. Netherlands. VM Hoff. . Hope you're tuning in and enjoying it right through to, you know, chill, Vietnam, Slovenia, Estonia, Nepal. We've got listens all around the world.
We hope you're enjoying this journey where we kind of, we kind of learn out loud. Don't we Mark it sort of you and I just breaking [00:40:00] it down, trying to work out. How to do things just a little bit better, say it, and we love it when our listeners get into. Gotcha. So thank you again to Frederick for reaching out and giving us a recommendation on who he'd like us to cover.
We've had a handful over the past few months have great suggestions. And what I'd love to encourage is if you're listening to us, Leave us a review, leave us a rating, share it around with friends, but also send us an email@helloatmoonshots.io and let us know what you're thinking. Let us know your feedback.
Uh, if it's criticism, please be gentle. Um, but also send us any recommendations for innovators. You'd love us to cover because our list is always growing and we're always keen to hear what you all listeners really, really get from the show. Absolutely. And, um, I think, uh, There's nothing better than, than receiving suggestions from our audience, because it's a [00:41:00] real gift to, to break down these amazing innovators and then share it with the world.
So we love it. When you send us your ideas. People who inspire you. Um, we can always find something to learn from these great people and talking about learning something from someone surely reminds cool VIM, half the ice man has gotten more intense. So for us, in fact, I think it's safe to say Mark. We're about to go next level in the power of thought in the power of your mind, where shall we go now?
Well, I think based on the clip that we just heard about suppressing these feelings of anxiety and stress, I think a lot of that comes from fear. Whether it's opening your emails in the morning or considering where they're going for a run in the rain. I think this idea of, of fare is, is, is quite powerful.
So the next, okay, we're going to step into is a little bit more around your [00:42:00] mind. Okay. And this first clip of this section of the show is about whim telling us that the key to getting there is really about laser focus. I'm a man on a mission. I want to tell, take away fare, you know, irrational fears, traumatic fears, fears created because you do not handle mental issues.
Ice grief, emotion, PTSD, trauma, depression, those things we are going to tackle, and somebody has got to do this and I shoot have no fear to accomplish that. You know, a man on a mission should not think in fear. He should go and accomplish his mission and be focused. So there I am I a like everybody, because it's natural to you, fear, fear of failures, or you said no, no, I fear.
I feel fear like everybody, but your, it doesn't hold you [00:43:00] back from moving forward. Absolutely not. Come on, man. It's much too important. Come on, man. It's much too important. So, um, He's talking about focus, uh, in your mind and really eyes on the target, but there are things that come along that can cause us this stress and this fear.
Um, so. What's your little habit and your little ritual of when there's something that could cause you this anxiety, what do you try and put in place so that you don't get blocked by fear? Yeah, I, it, it's great. I'm so glad you asked me because I wanted to delve into it with yourself as well, Mike, I mean, for me, It's particularly prevalent when I'm really busy when we're doing late nights or early mornings or lots of heavy work during the day.
[00:44:00] And sometimes it just comes from doing new things. It doesn't, it can be a little bit of a personally I get a little bit afraid of trying something that I haven't tried before. So the way that I counteract that is, uh, when my mind is very busy. And it's running a marathon, thinking about different things and tripping over itself.
I look at something I focus on. Maybe it's a white board or the keyboard or my pen and paper. And I look at the details. I'll look at their little shape of something. I'll look at light reflecting or the material of, uh, of my jeans or whatever it might be. And for me, that's, that's a nice way of, of anchoring myself back into.
Reality. So to speak, bringing myself back into this present moment. And then for me, at least it, it anchors me again and I can start to think a little bit straighter. So rather than my mind running. Nice. [00:45:00] Yeah, it's kind of like my own version, I guess, of a cold shower. Maybe not quite as confronting, but, but a little bit more private, perhaps focusing on the detail.
And then a little meditation, right? That it sounds like you're just disconnecting for a second, taking a breath. Just getting context. Yeah, exactly. That's it taking context of the situation reminding myself. Okay. Where am I? Okay. On I'm here. I'm in the office. Perfect. Perfect location to do work. Now I can get back into it and he contextualizes it.
Yeah. Yeah. I think that that's really interesting. And how do you feel, so think about a moment that you did that recently. How do you feel when you've had this little, uh, this little meditation? How do you actually feel not too dissimilar from your electric current? Actually. Very interesting. So that's fascinating.
[00:46:00] Yeah. You feel a little bit more awake sometimes. You get a little bit cloudy when you're mine is overrun with anxiety or stresses, doesn't it, it kind of feels like you've got a lot of cotton in your ears or around your eyes and you can't see everything in detail because you're laser focused. It's something in your brain.
You're thinking about an email or something that somebody said. And for me, this is a nice way of sort of. Giving everything, a bit of a wipe kind of sticking your head under a cold shower or on top of a mountain, you know, you got all the breath, uh, and the wind, um, kind of rustling everything away. Um, D dusting, everything, perhaps and for the, I feel more awake.
I feel more focused. I think. Oh, the, um, the interesting thing that I do is I do a couple of things, very different. So I'm going to try the little meditation thing. [00:47:00] Um, In line with what you do. I create movement. Like I physically just get up and move. Um, whether it's walk around the office, go for walk outside.
I, I find that very, very helpful. Um, but to kind of frame sort of a different type of behavior, uh, this is gonna sound very different. Is I attack the fear. Okay. So, so what I'm talking about there is if something's bothering me, I tried to identify it. I tried to break it down. Uh, I tried to speak to people directly related or seek advice because.
What I have learned in my early career is I kind of avoided [00:48:00] the fees and the wineries, and they would always just fester and come back and be 10 time's worse. So habit that I've built, if something doesn't feel right, I attack it. And I don't mean. With aggression. I mean, forensically, I get into the problem.
I write it down. I seek advice. I actually try and explore what actually is worrying me the most. And it's generally it's the possible most negative outcome. So if you break things down, if you attack it, Um, what you will often find is that if you do a couple of things, you can minimize the stress, anxiety, and fear related to that.
Then one of the greatest gifts that I'm still trying to work out and adopt is. To compartmentalize, which is the capacity that once I have it, what is causing me anxiety, stress, or fear, I try and put it in box and I try and go through a [00:49:00] ritual of resolving that I've done, what I can and what will be will be.
And this. Uh, is something that I'm really exploring. So I encourage everyone to go and explore it. And if we have any listeners that have got some advice on compartmentalizing, putting things in a box so that they don't worry, um, I would love to hear from you@helloatmoonshots.io, but here's the thing, Mark.
I want to be in a place, no matter how big or how small the issue, I want to do everything that I can, that when I turn off for the evening or when I have finished with the thing itself, that it doesn't continue to return to my mind because if it's returning to my mind, it tells me I haven't dealt with the fear itself.
Because my brain is coming back and saying, Hey, what about this? What about this classic example? Ma have you ever thought about something that happened [00:50:00] at work through Monday to Friday? Have you ever thought about that on the weekend too many times? Absolutely. Right. So I have the same thing. So what I try to do is this ritual of compartmentalizing by the end of play Friday.
So. As little as possible comes to me through a negative lens over the weekend. Sometimes I get some really nice thoughts about work on the weekend, um, which are growth related. Uh, breakthroughs on some products I've been thinking about or whatever. But the thing that, that for me is key here is don't let the fear block you.
That's what Veem Hoff is really reminding us of. And whether it's the, the, the Mark Pearson Freeling meditation, or are there. You know, attacking the fear, forensically riding it. I am breaking it down because you [00:51:00] know, she break down the things that worry they're often not nearly as big as you think. And distress really comes from the unknown, not knowing what might happen, but if you're taking ownership of that, writing it down, working out what worries you and taking a course of action.
It can actually be deeply relieving of stress. And it shows that if, whether it's the meditation or the compartmentalize, we can get on the bike, we can go and be the best version of ourselves we can do. Amazing things. And I think this is the power of what we can take from VIM Hoff right now. It's so powerful that ownership noticing those moments when you feel that anxiety and then trying to take the proactive approach of dealing with them is exactly what he's telling us here.
I think you will, compartmentalization is so valuable. I think we all [00:52:00] struggle with that. Um, For me, especially in my previous job, what I'd used to find was encouraging somebody who was dealing with something very stressful to talk about it to me or, or any other colleague really who was not directly involved with that project was quite a nice way to allow them to voice over their concerns or maybe their solution.
And like you just said, once you've written it down, once you set it out loud to somebody, you kind of work out the problem as you go. It's not quite as bad as I thought now I've said it out loud or now that I've put it to paper, I think once it's in that. Maelstrom of your mind, and it's not until you take ownership and write it down, talk about it with somebody or, you know, compartmentalize it and, and, you know, deal with it.
It'll just keep on being in there, stowing away, distracting you from. You know, [00:53:00] a enjoying yourself, but also be getting good work done. I guess. I totally agree. I think this is bang on exactly what we'll be saying to us here. Yeah. And this next clip from VIM speaks to exactly that it is really the power of this mind to heal and to adapt to any situation imaginable.
And I can tell you if Hoff he's been in, some situations are running out in deserts, swimming in ice. Um, so let's have a listen to the ice man himself talking about the healing capacity of the mind. The power to adapt to the stressor. In general, we lost this connection is because we were close all the town and we live in their comfort zone behavior.
We think we can control nature, but by being non stimulative in our behavior, [00:54:00] we lost the connection in the depth. Of our physiology, because we are able to adapt about to anything. We are built to be able to adapt without stress into any stressful situation. I get a solution. The body knows. But because we got into this zone behavior, hundreds of years, is, would genetics have changed?
Our physiology has changed. Everything has changed and we lost actually the full power we're of the mind. And I'm here to bring it. Back. So how do we bring it back? I did many studies already because I don't like speculation. I go through study the scrutiny and let any scientists prove me wrong. Cause I like to go through root.
Cause I think there is more than meets the eye. I did many studies and yes, [00:55:00] I could resist the bacteria as thought off, not being able by humans. We changed the medical history by showing a group of people compared. Two 16,234 people becoming sick after injection of a endotoxemia and then suddenly 1200.
That sounds cool. Within a quarter of our complete control over the innate immune system and the specific. By the way, the adaptive immune system. And how did I learn to do that and to pass it on because it's already there in us. It only needs to awake. That's he summed it up really well at the very end of the clip.
Adaption this idea, no matter how difficult something might seem matter, how impressive could become or how incomprehensible it might be when you read that email or when you get that brief or when you hear some really [00:56:00] troubling news, you can adapt to it. There's nothing that you can't your body, as well as your mind.
Can't adapt to you just need to take control of it. You need to take ownership of your, your body, your mind, your breathing, your ability to have cold showers in the morning. And once you start doing those, they, um, they're collective and they build up and then you can adapt to that situation. I think that's really, really, uh, encouraging, empowering from whim.
Isn't it, Mike? It is. And I mean, what's really fascinating is, um, this really speaks to this idea of building new habits and new behaviors. So actually is a little bit of a teaser. The next three shows will be our habit design series, where we're going to investigate the work of James clear. Charles do HIG and William H McRaven.
What a great name that is indeed. [00:57:00] So if or really digging a bit of him, Hoffman, the power of the mind you are going to love the cup coming series. We are going to go deep on habit design. And so listening to VIM often, it just reminds me that we do a little bit every single day. Don't try and climb the mountain on day one, but just start.
For example, if you're inspired to start having cold showers, just have a normal shower and just finish for a second on call, doesn't have to be totally cold. And then the next day, maybe start your share just a little bit. Uh, less warm and then over time, make these gradual improvements and you will be amazed at how adaptive we really are.
And I think is reminding us, we have this enormous capacity inside of us. We just need to awaken that healing mind. And I think that is such great advice on a mindset. If you're [00:58:00] going out into the world. And trying to do something brave and audacious. I think being adaptive is sort of an essential trait.
Don't you mind? Yeah. And it's a real trait of being an innovator, isn't it? Um, a recent example could have been Elan Musk. Uh, he was so focused on getting off the planet and then he heard his, his life, uh, life heroes. The astronauts kind of went against him, but he was adaptive enough to. Not focused too much on the negatives, not focusing on the criticism and instead use that as, as a little bit of fuel for his own, um, you know, achievements.
So I think it's a real trait of being a good innovator. I agree. Totally. And it brings us to, to a very powerful final clip. Um, and this is very much a celebration of breath, a celebration [00:59:00] of believing in oneself. So for the last time on the moonshots podcasts, let's have a listen. To the man himself, but in own as the ice man, mr.
VIM Hoff, there's a lot of unnecessary suffering going on just because people believe the wrong things. They believe in pills who believe in medicine. They believe depression cannot be tackled. They believe you cannot enter into your brain. And I tell you, we found a way to get back to yourself, but get back to mother nature within us and make us.
Sense within yourself. You are the one who is able now to make yourself happy, strong, and healthy, and that is entering all those systems. Just by mind you, we are showing this through science, but do you need to science when I already show this? Science with [01:00:00] data scientific results, brain scans, no speculation.
I'll tell you, but it takes time for publishing and, and to get it into books and to get it in mainstream. I tell you, here I am right now, if you just believe and breathe and take a cold shower for, for God's sake, because it's good for your blood system, then you will become. Ability to realign with the control within yourself to become happy, strong, and healthy, to control your mood and your energy management and all, look it out a wise up because it is simple, very effective.
It's here right now. So my message to you is just breathe and believe. Oh, well, thank you for that perfect outro clip. It really, really ties it all together. Believe in yourself. You can do it. You take ownership, you control the ability to have cold showers in the morning to [01:01:00] compartmentalize your challenges and speed bumps and so on.
And it all starts with something so simple breath. That's where we can go and do does perfect. It's a perfect way to, to wrap up a journey, uh, with Wim Hoff, which had just the most, uh, tragic start the journey, uh, into the power of breath and cold showers and how it revealed to him, the power that lays within us.
And I hope that. You Mark are feeling turbo charged. Uh, do you think you'll turn the dial down even colder tomorrow, tomorrow morning, I'll start with another quarter inch towards cold for sure. 100%. I'll be there. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. I can just feel it right now. Um, well, listen. Mark. It's been wonderful to take a bit of an outlier for the tip, [01:02:00] go moonshot podcasts.
To find that once again were confirmed that the mental models and the mindsets that we take, uh, can really help us be the best version of ourselves and that there is just. So much to learn from innovators and it's, market's pretty good, fun, learning out loud and sharing these lessons with thousands and thousands of listeners all around the world.
Right there. It really is. I love the process of researching the recommendations that our listeners give us as well as having a chat with you. Mike, I think this is great. So. Let's keep, keep it going. And I can't wait for that next series that you've just teased as well. I think we're gonna have, Oh yes.
The habit series. And if you, if you want to get ahead of, uh, ahead of things, you can, uh, you can totally go to moonshot, start IO. You can see the list of future shows and they you'll be able to look up. Jane's clear. [01:03:00] Charles Duhigg and William H McRaven, some amazingly powerful habit design advice will be coming your way.
But we did say we started with the mental model, the first and most primary thing that you, what you think. So just, and believe it, we take a cold shower too, and you can two amazing things, Mark it. Thank you to you. Thank you to all of our listeners, whether you're a. Cambodia Vietnam, the USA or India. We know that your tuning in from all four corners of the world and sharing this journey with us, as we learn out loud, as we find millions and millions of loopers points on how to be better versions of ourselves, how we can learn from innovators.
Thank you for being part of this journey here at the moonshots podcast. We've come to another episode with him. The [01:04:00] ice man that syrup.