Cortisol is the “stress” or “fight or flight” hormone and is released when we anticipate pain or discomfort. Let’s look at what cortisol does and how we can lower cortisol in our bodies.
It helps fuel your body’s “fight-or-flight” instinct in a crisis, but cortisol plays an important role in many things your body does.
For example, it:
- Manages how your body uses carbohydrates, fats, and proteins
- Keeps inflammation down
- Regulates your blood pressure
- Increases your blood sugar (glucose)
- Controls your sleep/wake cycle
- Boosts energy so you can handle stress and restores balance afterward
Chronic stress = too much cortisol
Cortisol is not only released during pain but also when we anticipate it. So it is possible that the pain never comes, but our body has released the cortisol to prepare for the event. This means that much of the cortisol that we create and release may get stuck in our bodies.
You may feel that there is a threat and experience stress over it, but that threat may never actually happen. This happens often with the weather here in Houston. We are warned that a storm in coming and to prepare, but the storm doesn’t end up actually coming our way. The stressor (storm) may not come to fruition and yet your body will still release cortisol to prepare for it (stress).
The “pain” our brain thinks may happen can be life or death pain, but most of the time it is “pain” from a failure at work, not meeting our expectations, or anticipating a flub in a social setting.
If the thought of going to the gym is uncomfortable and the idea gives you anxiety, your body may release cortisol because you think that you will experience the pain of being uncomfortable at the gym.
If you can recognize that your brain is releasing cortisol because it feels a threat AND that this threat is not going to kill you, you can move past it. It helps to normalize your feelings by acknowledging that other people have encountered the same things that you might and they are okay.
When your body is stressed cortisol can alter or shut down functions that get in the way. These might include your digestive or reproductive systems, your immune system, or even your growth processes.
If you are constantly stressed your cortisol levels can get out of whack. This “stuckness” can lead to health issues such as anxiety, depression, headaches, heart disease, memory and concentration problems, digestion issues, difficulty sleeping, weight gain, and lowered immunity.
Ways to lower cortisol and stress
There are things we can do to help lower our cortisol levels so that we are not feeling stress.
Turn on some music and enjoy it. Music helps to reduce the amount of cortisol in the bloodstream and increases the antibodies that fortify the immune system.
Moving your body some every day helps to reduce your cortisol levels. Whether you move it quickly like dancing, or slowly like yoga, the act of moving your body helps your body to process the cortisol.
Monitor your sugar intake. Sugar increases and decreases cortisol levels. Eating lots of sugar every day increases your cortisol levels. But eating something sweet in response to a stressful event (not every day) can lower your cortisol level. What’s a girl to do? LOL. Monitor your sugar intake and focus on foods that support a healthy cortisol level like dark chocolate, fruit, and black and green teas.
Guided imagery can decrease cortisol levels as well as negative moods decreased and positive moods increased.
Focus on the good. Spend time with people who bring out the best in you. Laugh!
Get enough sleep, preferably at night so that your body is following its natural rhythms.
Breathing and meditation are some of the most convenient ways to quickly lower your cortisol levels because you take your breath with you everywhere you go. Throughout your day be mindful of your stress level, heart rate, and thoughts. Be willing to stop and breathe when you notice yourself getting stressed.
Pray. Studies have shown that people who participate in a spiritual faith have lower cortisol levels.
Do you want more tools to lower your stress?
Are you interested in learning more about how you can lower your stress levels through mind-body methods? If so please reach out to me about getting in a local or virtual mind-body small group. These groups are usually 8 weeks long (one 2-hour meeting for 8 weeks), but sometimes there are special 4-week sessions offered too. If you have the time I encourage you to do a full 8-week group, but even if you do the 4-week group you’ll walk away with multiple stress-relieving tools in your personal self-care toolkit.
Email me or use the contact form for more information.
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