I started taking cold showers when the war between Russia and Ukraine made the bills go up and I could not afford to pay so much anymore. The first three days were awful to say the least. The water is freezing cold even in the summer because I think it comes from deep underground. I dreaded getting into the shower, but I had no choice. I either had to stay clean or in debt. So I went in and groaned like a monkey, cursing in between shallow breaths for a few minutes, but it became less unbearable after a while. I felt a headache, some dizziness and a general malaise afterwards. But once I got out of the shower, I stayed cool for three to four hours, actually feeling better than before.
From the fourth day on, it got easier and easier. At first, I could take a cold shower quietly with mild discomfort but later on, I could just get in right away without minding the temperature. Now I enjoy it so much that it has become an addiction and not a nightmare. It took more or less a week to get to that point.