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Tried it out: from cold shower phobia to a morning routine - thanks to your tips
by Anna Sandner
I did it! Lukewarm water in the morning wakes me up quickly and keeps me going round the clock
22/1/2025
Translation: Elicia Payne
A glass of lukewarm tap water in the morning is said to work wonders. Is that really true? I gave it a whirl. Spoiler alert: there haven’t been any miracles, but I have a new morning routine now.
In fact, I soon feel more awake, and fortunately the queasy feeling in my stomach goes away after a while. I’m amazed at how the day unfolds – I should actually be terribly tired. The holidays are just behind me and my sleep-wake rhythm has been on a rollercoaster for weeks. After a bad night’s sleep, I expected to be much more tired today.
Day 2: warm is better
The next morning, I’m dreading the lukewarm water. Yesterday is fresh in my memory still. I can’t give up just yet, though. It wouldn’t be the first time that my first impression has changed during my experiment week.
Ultimately, there are good reasons why the water should be around body temperature: it indirectly warms the body, which can be very comforting, especially now in the winter months. Despite my experience yesterday, warm water is supposed to be more pleasant for the gastrointestinal tract than cold water. The heat also has an antispasmodic effect on the stomach and intestines and stimulates digestion. It’s also said to boost metabolism.
It all sounds incredibly logical, but I’m still not really looking forward to it. Anyway, deep breaths, day two is done.
Day 3: less isn’t more, but it still helps
I long for my cool lemon boost. Instead, I pour myself another glass of lukewarm water. But I reduce the quantity: instead of 500 ml, today I only have a small glass of 200 ml. For now, this is easier to digest and to some extent it works: I feel less queasy in my stomach today.
When I arrive at the office two hours later, I’m much more alert than I could have hoped for on a Thursday after the Christmas break. However, I’d also already completed a 20-minute walk in the cold January air. Of course, I’m not going to deny the positive effect this has on my alertness.
Day 6: now I really want to know the truth
After putting lukewarm water to the back of my mind the last two days, I’m pulling myself together again today. The experiment is with warm water, so I’m sticking to it now. No matter how I feel. After all, I can hardly get used to it if I don’t do it for at least a few days at a time. This was how I made the decision to turn one trial week into two.
I boil the water and wait until it’s cooled down to a good drinking temperature. Perhaps it tastes better this way than lukewarm from the tap. For the time being, I’m sticking to about 200 ml, and then I’ll gradually increase the amount over the next few days.
Day 7: getting there
The pleasant side effect of drinking water in the morning is that my obligatory morning coffee is postponed. This gives my internal clock time to get used to the new day without me upsetting everything again with a load of caffeine. I only have my coffee after my metabolism is already revved up. This saves me from the afternoon slump, which is a huge plus that I learned back when I did my coffee withdrawal week.
I’m now conscious of focussing on the idea that the warm water’s bringing my body up to operating temperature more quickly in the morning. This helps immensely, especially for someone like me who really feels the cold. Plus, its a good way to overcome my aversion to heated water.
As suspected, I’d probably already found the best solution back then and any alternative would inevitably be a disappointment. A glass of lemon water in the morning has a great effect and has proven its worth for me to this day. Now I’m just missing the lemon in the water.
So although lemon water is still my secret weapon against tiredness, it’s not a permanent solution for every day. Can lukewarm water now replace it?
But what I’ve taken away from this again is, it’s worth sticking to new habits for a while, even if they’re unpleasant at first. Some of them turn out to be good after all.
You can read about how I fared in previous experiments in the «I did it!» series here:
Header image: Anna Sandner
Anna Sandner
Senior Editor
Anna.Sandner@galaxus.deScience editor and biologist. I love animals and am fascinated by plants, their abilities and everything you can do with them. That's why my favourite place is always the outdoors - somewhere in nature, preferably in my wild garden.
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