Selena Gomez uses cold water and heating to improve her mental health after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and depression.

After being diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2018, the 32-year-old singer and actress found her own ways to improve her mental health. Selena Gomez uses somewhat unusual therapies, such as cold showers and full-body heat. In a September 10 interview with Vanity Fair , she shared that she has “tools and routines” for self-care. The singer uses heat as a “healing mechanism.”

Having suffered from depression , anxiety and panic attacks, she loved the feeling of cold water on her skin and basking in the heat from a heater. It may sound strange, but studies have shown that both cold and hot temperatures are key to improving mood.

Depression is a mood disorder that causes feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed. This state lasts for a long time and can affect a person’s ability to function on a daily basis.

Although it may not be pleasant, taking a cold shower can help improve your mood. A 2007 study by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine found that taking cold showers twice a week significantly reduced symptoms of depression.

Exposing your body to cold temperatures activates your nervous system and increases blood flow to your brain, which stimulates the release of noradrenaline, a neurotransmitter that has a positive effect on mood.