Cool-Down Reset
Cool your wrists, temples, or face with cold water or a cool object for about 30 seconds while breathing slowly.
Cool your wrists, temples, or face with cold water or a cool object for about 30 seconds while breathing slowly.
Mild temperature shifts can signal the nervous system to slow down, helping to dampen feelings of stress and settle the body.
Pair this with two rounds of Box Breathing (4–4–4–4) to engage the relaxation response more deeply.
Overview
The Cool-Down Reset is a physiological strategy often used in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) as part of the TIPP skills (Temperature, Intense exercise, Paced breathing, Paired muscle relaxation). It leverages a natural body response known as the 'Mammalian Dive Reflex.' When the face or sensitive areas like wrists contact cold water, the body receives a signal to conserve energy. This can trigger the parasympathetic nervous system to lower the heart rate and cool down emotional intensity. It is widely recommended for moments of high stress when talking or thinking clearly feels difficult.
Understanding the Guard Dog and Wise Owl
The Guard Dog
The Amygdala lives in the basement. Always on alert. Reacts fast to keep you safe, but sometimes barks at things that aren't really threats.
The Wise Owl
The Prefrontal Cortex lives upstairs. Thinks things through, makes plans, and helps you make good decisions—but needs a moment to wake up.
Think of your brain like a house with two floors. The Downstairs Brain is home to the Guard Dog (Amygdala). Its job is to keep you safe at all costs. When the Guard Dog senses danger, it barks loud and fast, causing your heart to race, your palms to sweat, and your body to heat up. This is helpful for running from a physical threat, but less helpful for sitting through a stressful test. The Upstairs Brain is home to the Wise Owl (Prefrontal Cortex), who handles logic, planning, and staying calm. When the Guard Dog is barking intensely, the Wise Owl often flies away, making it hard to think clearly, remember facts, or find the right words. The Cool-Down Reset works like a biological 'brake' for this system. By applying cold to specific areas like the face or wrists, you send a direct physical signal to the Guard Dog that it is time to slow down. This drop in physical arousal creates a window of calm, inviting the Wise Owl back into the house so you can decide what to do next. It addresses the physical reaction first, allowing the mind to follow.
How to Use This Skill
This technique acts like a “physical reset button” for the nervous system. It uses the body’s own reflexes to lower the intensity of stress.
Find the Cool Source
A student steps into the washroom to use the sink or grabs a cold water bottle from their bag.
Why this helps: Preparation involves identifying a safe, accessible source of cold, which helps shift attention away from internal worry and toward the external environment.
Apply and Breathe
The student splashes cold water on their face or holds a cold bottle to their wrist while counting slow breaths.
Why this helps: Stimulating the vagus nerve (via cold on the face or wrists) while slowing the breath triggers the parasympathetic nervous system to lower heart rate.
Notice the Shift
The student pauses to notice that their heart is beating slower than it was a minute ago.
Why this helps: Interoception (sensing the body's internal state) allows the brain to recognize that the threat level is dropping.
"**The Trigger:** You are about to walk into a final exam, and your heart is pounding so hard you feel dizzy. **The Sensation:** The Guard Dog is barking, telling you to run away. Your hands are shaking, and your face feels hot. **The Reset:** * **Step 1:** You go to the nearest water fountain or washroom. * **Step 2:** You run cold water over your wrists for 30 seconds or splash your face, taking slow, deep breaths. * **Step 3:** You feel the temperature change. Your heart rate slows down just enough for you to think, “I have studied for this. I can go inside.”"
Try to imagine yourself in this situation as you practice the skill.
You can experiment with temperature to see what works best for your body. Try these variations: **The Ice Pack:** Keep a small ice pack or cold gel mask in the freezer for when you are at home. **The Cold Can:** If you are out, holding a cold soda can against your wrist or neck can offer a similar effect. **Splash and Breathe:** Simply splashing cold water on your face while holding your breath for 10 seconds can trigger the reflex.
Pro Tip: This skill is most effective when your emotions feel "hot" or overwhelming. It addresses the body first, so the mind can follow.
Educators and therapists recommend this because it works quickly to lower physiological arousal without requiring complex thinking. This works because it uses the body's hard-wired biological reflexes to force a 'slow down' signal to the heart.
Key Research Points
- Fast-Acting: Temperature changes can alter heart rate in seconds, faster than cognitive strategies alone.
- Bypasses Logic: It does not require you to think rationally when you are too stressed to focus.
- Portable: Water or cold objects are usually available in schools, workplaces, and homes.
Research-based evidence supporting this skill
This strategy draws on research into the Mammalian Dive Reflex and Polyvagal Theory, which explain how cold stimulation of the trigeminal and vagus nerves regulates heart rate.
Books & Manuals
- Linehan, M. M. (2015). DBT skills training manual (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
- Porges, S. W. (2011). The polyvagal theory: Neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation. W. W. Norton & Company.
- Siegel, D. J., & Bryson, T. P. (2011). The whole-brain child. Delacorte Press.
Peer-Reviewed Journals
- Kinoshita, T., et al. (2006). Cold water face immersion per se elicits cardiac parasympathetic activity. Clinical Autonomic Research, 16, 773–776.
- Schwartz, P. J., et al. (2008). Autonomic nervous system control of the heart and sudden death. European Heart Journal, 30(1), 1–13.
Websites & Online Resources
- Behavioral Tech. (2021). What is DBT?
- MindUP. (2020). The neuroscience of stress.