7 Ways to Lower the Stress Hormone Cortisol
Lower Cortisol Without Medication
So for those that don’t know, cortisol is the stress hormone and in small doses and in moderation it ain’t a problem.
For example, it’s cortisol that gets you up first thing in the morning.
In a fight-or-flight situation when you need to act, it’s cortisol that gets you to do that.
So in those situations cortisol is not a problem.
The problem with cortisol is when it is chronic — meaning when it is high and elevated for prolonged periods of time.
And the side effects of cortisol when it is there for prolonged periods of time aren’t pretty.
So think anxiety, think muscle loss and fat gain, think a weakened immune system.
All things that ain’t good for a man.
So let’s get into the article and talk about seven things that you can be doing, that lowers cortisol levels naturally.
#1 Make Sleep a Priority
I’m just going to be honest with you from the get-go, and that is I’m not going to be talking too much about sleep in this post.
And the reason why is that I’ve already done an article explaining the benefits of deep sleep.
So if you want to learn more, click this link and check it out.
Anyway, sleep is one of the best things you can do — to basically destress. And study after study backs this up.
Well, I’m going to take this a little bit further and say, that you probably don’t even need to read the studies.
Because you probably know from personal experience how you feel when you’re sleep-deprived versus how you feel after a good night’s sleep.
I know myself that when I’m sleep-deprived I tend to be ratty, moody, and irritable.
I’m just not myself.
Contrast that to when I’ve had a good night’s sleep and I just feel much, much better.
#2 Laugh as Often as You Can
The reason why this is #2 is because laughing, just like sleep, is free.
You don’t need to pay anything to laugh.
And again, you probably don’t even need to read studies on the benefits of laughing because you probably already know this from personal experience.
Just think back to a time where you laughed so hard that your stomach was hurting.
My guess is, you probably felt good in that moment.
And you know what? I get it — because of the stresses of modern-day life, especially as an adult, sometimes you can just forget to have a laugh.
But there’s things that you can do.
For example, you can watch stand-up comedy.
Watching 60 minutes of stand-up comedy is not time wasted — it’s an investment in your health.
Because when you’re laughing your head off for those sixty minutes, it’s going to make you feel good and it’s going to help you destress.
Even better, if you hang around with people in the real world — who are just generally funny, have a sense of humour, and don’t take life too seriously.
Find ways to laugh every single day.
#3 Be Careful With Exercise Selection and Avoid Over-Training
Physical exercise is really a double-edged sword because when it is done properly and in moderation it will destress you — it will get your endorphins moving around so you’ll just feel better about yourself.
However, pick the wrong forms of exercise or do too much of it and it will do the opposite:
It will stress you out.
A really good example of this is let’s say you’ve got a guy who works super long hours and the job in itself is super stressful.
The worst thing that you could do for that guy is put him on a powerlifting program because lifting super, super heavy weights is just going to stress him out even more.
He probably needs to be doing lighter forms of exercise such as yoga and walking.
Yoga and walking tend to destress you.
So the word ‘personal’ in personal training really matters here.
And what studies show is that endurance training — so think long-distance running ramps up cortisol production.
For most people who just want to look better naked, the sweet spot is two to three days a week of strength training and walking every day.
#4 Be Mindful of Your Caffeine Consumption
I know a lot of people aren’t going to like this because, let’s be honest, coffee tastes so damn good and smells so nice.
But here’s the thing:
Caffeine can ramp up cortisol production.
There’s a reason why they put it in pre-workouts — it’s because it works.
It gets you buzzed up and gets you going.
And to be fair to coffee, it ain’t all doom and gloom because there are some benefits to consuming coffee.
For example, it can help with bowel movements, so it’s basically cleaning out your system — not a bad thing.
According to my research, it can also help with diseases like Alzheimer’s and type 2 diabetes — again, not a bad thing.
It’s full of antioxidants — again, not a bad thing.
The problem with coffee is when it is abused, because at the end of the day it is a drug.
So when it comes to general recommendations what is it we’re looking at?
Three cups per day is what’s recommended and not drinking it too late during the day, so that it interferes with your sleep.
Because remember it is a stimulant.
The problem with caffeine for many people, is overconsumption of caffeine.
However when it is taken at the right time and in moderation, it’s generally speaking ok for most people.
#5 Use Adaptogenic Herbs
Did you know that there are certain herbs you can take called adaptogenic herbs that are known to lower cortisol levels?
Some good examples of these herbs are Cordyceps, Ashwagandha, and Rhodiola rosea.
Basically, what these herbs do is just balance things out — kind of like a thermostat.
When the room gets too hot, it cools down.
When the room gets too cold, it heats up.
I’m not going to talk too much about these herbs because I’m not a healthcare professional, so this is something you need to look into and research yourself.
And obviously, use your common sense.
If you’ve got any questions, speak to a qualified healthcare professional who can guide you on whether these herbs are right for you or not.
#6 Make Time for Relaxation
This probably matters more than ever before because we’re working longer hours and we’re also spending more time looking at screens.
And depending on what sort of content you are consuming online, this can impact your cortisol levels for the better or for the worse.
Let’s say, for example, you’ve got somebody who just consumes the news day in and day out for hours on end.
This is probably going to negatively affect that person’s cortisol levels because, let’s be honest, the news generally speaking is just pure negativity — it’s all doom and gloom, it’s all the things going wrong in this world.
So it’s just something to be mindful of.
And there are things that you can do to just relax yourself.
So, for example:
Cutting down on your screen time, especially before bed.
Going on nature walks — walking in nature is known to lower cortisol levels.
If you can afford it, getting massages on a regular basis.
It’s the old saying:
“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”
And there’s a lot of truth to that proverb.
So yes, work hard and yes work smart, but just as importantly play hard as well.
#7 Be Conscious of the People You Hang Around With
A big, big stressor for many people is relationships.
So this could be a toxic work environment, this could be family dynamics, this could be friends and associates that you hang around with.
The point I want to get across here, is that you want to cut out the negativity because it affects you whether you like it or not.
So this can be people that complain on a regular basis — these people more often than not, don’t look for solutions, they just like to moan, groan, and do nothing.
You can put your negative Nancys in that group as well — these people just tend to have a negative outlook on life.
Obviously, people that do drugs and get up to no good — you don’t want to be around those types of people aswell.
In this article here, I basically said you are the people that you hang around with. In other words, association breeds similarity.
If you’re interested, feel free to check it out.