Over the years, I have established some habits when running in winter. As soon as outside temperatures hit seven degrees, I run with just a t-shirt and short pants, even when it’s windy, or raining, or both. And when I step out and head for the park, I’ve made it a habit to not flinch in response to the cold.

My body, of course, wants to nope out immediately. But 10 minutes in, I feel how I’m generating heat from the inside. Arms, legs, face, they are still cold to the touch, but mere millimetres below, the body starts glowing.

Other runners wear long sleeve shirts even when it’s 10 degrees or warmer, and even others run bare-chested in subzero temperatures. The exact temperature does not matter. What matters is that there is some point when your body wants to nope out, when you instinctively want to return to the warm bed, sofa, or even office chair. And what matters then is to not flinch, to continue, to realize what’s happening and get going.

And the bigger the difference between your noping-out temperature and your comfy temperature, the faster you’ll be able to get warm on your own. And this is very, very similar to changes in emotions or behaviors. The larger the delta between the current crisis-ridden state of mind and your goal, the faster you’ll be able to make change happen.

So if you are a runner, start by undressing. Feel cold on purpose, and practice warming yourself with your own resources. If you’re in a crisis, realize that to change, learning not to flinch in the face of adversity is the first step. Then, start running.

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