SHOW YOUR BODY WHO’S BOSS

Your first step couldn’t be simpler, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. ‘Turn your shower as cold as it goes,’ says writer and motivational speaker Julien Smith, author of The Flinch. ‘And get in it. As the cold water hits, you might shout or squirm. But the discomfort lasts only a second. You get used to it. Remember your reaction.’

There’s method in the madness: Smith defines the ‘flinch’ as that instant when you leave your comfort zone – and argues that embracing it is key. ‘Your instinctive flinch will seem so uncomfortable that you might talk yourself out of this. You need to build a habit of seeing the flinch and going forward, not rationalising your fear and stepping away.’

Spend at least two minutes in the shower, and keep it up for a week. Don’t worry, it does get easier.