Dunk First, Think Later: The Ice Water Morning Routine That Took Over the Internet
It begins with a bowl.
Cold. Still. Slightly threatening.
You fill it with ice, then with water. Not just cool water…shock-you-awake water. You stare at it for a second longer than necessary.
And then…dunk.
Head first, face submerged, eyes burning, brain pulsing, breath caught between are we okay? and this is everything.
This isn’t a spa treatment.
This is Ashton Hall’s morning routine.
And it’s got the internet absolutely obsessed.
Who Is Ashton Hall, and Why Are People Copying Him?
Ashton Hall, TikTok creator and personal development guy with a flair for simplicity, has amassed a following by showing us something radical:
A moment of discomfort that becomes a ritual of presence.
Each morning, he films himself dunking his head in a stainless steel bowl filled with ice water, sometimes laughing, sometimes grimacing, always emerging awake, alert, and transformed.
No 20-step skincare. No protein pancakes. Just water. Ice. And willpower.
And viewers can’t get enough.
It’s primal. Visceral. Almost poetic.
But is it actually doing anything for your health?
Or is this just another digital placebo?
Let’s dive in…cold, clear, and unflinching.
The History of Cold Water as Wake-Up Call
Ashton didn’t invent this.
He just stripped it down to its essence.
Cold water immersion has been a staple of human health rituals for thousands of years:
Ancient Romans ended their baths with cold plunges.
Nordic cultures alternate between hot saunas and icy rivers.
Japanese samurai practiced misogi, spiritual purification through cold water.
Modern science now confirms that exposure to extreme stimuli (light, cold, fasting) can activate powerful regenerative systems in the body.
What Ashton did was remove the barriers.
You don’t need a fancy tub.
You don’t need $40 cryo packs.
You just need ice, a bowl, and a reason. (And Saratoga Spring water, I guess)
What Happens to the Body During a Cold Water Dunk?
Here’s what goes down, physiologically, when your face meets 34°F water:
1. It activates the “diving reflex”
Your body thinks it’s submerged underwater, triggering:
A slowed heart rate
Blood redirected to vital organs
Immediate focus
It’s the same reflex that lets whales dive for 90 minutes without breathing.
In humans, it’s like hitting the reset button.
2. It shocks your vagus nerve
The vagus nerve runs from your brainstem down through your body and is key to regulating anxiety, inflammation, and digestion.
Cold stimulation of the face activates this nerve, calming your nervous system even as your skin screams.
It’s like slapping stress in the face with a glacier.
3. It floods your brain with adrenaline
That gasp when you hit the cold?
That’s your body releasing epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine.
Translation:
You feel alert
Mood lifts
Focus sharpens
Pain thresholds rise
It’s why people who cold plunge in the morning report feeling invincible for hours.
What About Just the Head, Not the Whole Body?
This is where Ashton’s version gets interesting.
Most cold immersion routines involve full-body exposure. Ice baths. Cryo chambers. Wim Hof-style mountain plunges.
But Ashton just dunks his head.
And that might be exactly enough.
Because many of cold exposure’s key benefits are triggered by facial receptors, particularly around the eyes and forehead.
It’s the face that engages the parasympathetic nervous system.
It’s the face that holds tension, expression, identity.
By submerging the face, you’re sending the “reset” signal straight to the command center.
The Psychological Power of Starting With Discomfort
There’s also something deeper at play.
This isn’t just physical. It’s symbolic.
Dunking your head in freezing water first thing in the morning is a declaration:
“I do hard things. I choose my discomfort. I start the day on my terms.”
It’s a ritual of ownership.
And rituals matter.
We need anchors in the chaos.
Moments where the body knows what to do even if the brain doesn’t.
In that way, Ashton Hall didn’t just start a trend.
He offered people a mirror, and said: “Face it.”
Are There Risks?
For most healthy people? No. It’s safe.
But there are caveats:
If you have cardiovascular issues, consult a doctor before any sudden shock stimulus.
If you get migraines from cold, ease into it, don’t submerge your whole face immediately.
Don’t stay submerged longer than 30 seconds at a time.
And if the water is so cold it burns or gives you frostnip? It’s too much.
A great way to try it gently is with a reusable ice facial mask like this one on Amazon. It lets you simulate the effect without a full dunk, and can double as a tension reliever post-work.
Does It Really Work Long-Term?
Like most wellness trends, the magic is in the consistency.
One dunk = a shock
Daily dunks = a pattern
And patterns are what train the brain.
There’s growing research showing that micro-stressors like cold exposure, fasting, and breathwork increase resilience by teaching your body to handle discomfort without panic.
In that sense, Ashton’s morning ice ritual becomes a mental rep, a workout not for your muscles, but for your will.
Why This Took Off Now
We live in a time of noise:
50-step morning routines
Productivity hacks
Optimization culture
But Ashton’s video?
It’s quiet. Simple. Raw.
A man. A bowl. A breath.
It cuts through the clutter like ice through steam.
It says: start with sensation, not structure.
And in an age of burnout and overwhelm, that simplicity feels like a balm.
My Take: I Tried It
Okay, confession time.
I tried it. My husband tried it too.
I filled a mixing bowl with ice, braced myself, and went under.
And? It was awful.
And also…electric.
I came out gasping, eyes wide, heart pounding, but clear.
It didn’t erase my to-do list.
It didn’t give me abs. (Zak already has those, so I guess it worked for him!)
But it gave me a moment. A sense of aliveness. A breath that felt earned.
And that’s worth something.
Want to Add a Ritual Like This to Your Life?
Here’s what I’d suggest:
Start with 10 seconds.
Use a clean, stainless steel or ceramic bowl.
Add plenty of ice. Let it sit for a minute before dunking.
Take a deep breath before you submerge.
Focus on what it feels like, not how it looks.
And then?
Write down how you feel.
Because that’s what makes it real.
