Cortisol isn’t necessarily the enemy, but having consistently high levels of it due to chronic stress isn’t good for you
High cortisol levels are likely everyone’s number one enemy right now. Cortisol is a naturally occurring hormone that helps support our general health. The hormone normally fluctuates to help our energy levels, like rising when we wake up and falling when we’re about to sleep. The problem is when chronic stress forces our bodies to produce more cortisol.
And who isn’t chronically stressed in 2024 when every day is rife with unprecedented events?
Having consistent, high levels of cortisol due to stress can negatively impact our health. It can be responsible for different physical and mental issues like anxiety, trouble sleeping, weight gain, and even heart disease. Cortisol can also contribute to flare-ups of other diseases like eczema because it lowers your immune system.
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It’s important to understand that cortisol itself isn’t the enemy, it’s how our body keeps cortisol levels high as a response to the awful things that keep happening.
While we can’t do much about the external factors in our lives, there are still a few natural ways to deal with high cortisol to help us feel better. Here are a few ways you can manage those levels.
Control your caffeine cravings
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Too much of anything is bad, but too much coffee is much worse than we all think. It’s not a crime to enjoy a cup in the morning, but ingesting high levels of caffeine is linked to increased cortisol levels. And it might wake you up at first, but you’ll be reaching for another cup after you crash. It’s difficult (especially if you’re an iced coffee girly), but it’s for the best.
Eat more balanced meals
We all know that eating more nutrient-rich and well-balanced meals is good for us, but if you’re really trying to get your cortisol under control, it’s time to actually follow through. Diets that are high in sugar and saturated fats are directly correlated to increased cortisol production. Many of us (myself included) seek stress relief from eating good food, but the temporary joy of overindulgence can result in more stress down the line.
Touch some grass
If you’ve ever had the sudden urge to abandon everything you know and move to the mountains, you should temporarily listen to your body’s demands. City living is a main contributor to our collective stress because of the noise, pollution, pace, and cost. Ditching the city once in a while will do your mind and body wonders.
Exercise (sadly)
No matter how nice bedrotting is, exercising will always be better for us and our overall health. Aside from triggering endorphins (a.k.a. the happy hormone), it does a great job of lowering cortisol. This cortisol-lowering effect when you exercise is especially helpful when you get older.