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Cate Blanchett has shared the daily morning ritual that’s keeping her sane amid her busy work schedule.
The Tár actor, 55, who admitted she only manages to cram in four hours of sleep a night, said she and her husband, playwright Andrew Upton, start every day with a bracing ice bath.
Cold-water immersions are increasingly popular with A-listers, with celebrities from Joe Rogan to Jennifer Anniston adopting the practice to reduce stress and improve overall well being.
Speaking to The Guardian, Blanchett explained: “The only thing keeping me remotely sane at the moment is getting into cold water every day. I get up and get in. Five minutes and it just brings everything back down. Because you have to connect with where you are.”
When asked whether the experience was uncomfortable, the Carol actor remarked the pain is nothing compared to the experience of childbirth.
“You just have to breathe and be there. You can resist that pain or you can surrender to it. And I’ve done it long enough now that I can return to that place during the day.
“Otherwise, you know, my brain’s like a Pac-Man,” she added.
Blanchett revealed she, her husband and their four children spent New Year in the Arctic, cutting a hole in the ice and jumping in despite -30C conditions. “It was fabulous,” she said. “Everything…paused.”
The actor explained having an ice bath every morning puts her in the right mindset for the rest of her hectic day. “I always think you have to start as you mean to continue,” she said.
“I think that’s true of relationships, friendships, any enterprise. It’s a new day. And I’m just trying to start my day as I mean to continue – connected and open-hearted. That’s what I’m trying to do.”
When asked if the practice is working, Blanchett admitted it is a “monumental challenge” to remain open.
“My job is to connect. And there are a lot of nefarious actors at the moment striving for us to separate ourselves from each other,” she said. “It’s not my daily protest, but it was a magical holiday.”
Though bathing in ice and related cryotherapy practices have been documented as far back as 3500 BCE, experts are still divided over the potential benefits. Some research has found ice baths improve cardiovascular function, reduce inflammation and support mental wellbeing by alleviating stress and enhancing mood.
However, one 2025 study found that participant’s inflammation levels actually increased in the hour after taking an ice bath.
Additionally, although participant’s stress levels reduced significantly in the 12 hours after taking the ice bath, a significant reduction was not seen immediately, one hour, 24 hours or 48 hours after immersion.
“Whether you are an elite athlete or everyday wellness seeker – it’s important to understand the effects of what you put your body through,” researcher Tara Cain said.
“Right now, there isn’t enough high-quality research to say exactly who benefits most or what the ideal approach is to cold-water immersion. More long-term studies, among more diverse populations, are needed to understand its lasting effects and practical applications.”
