By Karen Espig

Cortisol, aka the “stress hormone,” can have serious effects on physical and mental health when elevated. When stressed, cortisol levels rise, and chronic stress keeps the levels up, which has long-term effects.

So, keeping your cortisol levels in check is a good idea if you want to stay healthy. Here’s a guide to five healthy habits that can help you lower cortisol levels and bring your body and mind back into balance.

But First, A Brief Biology Lesson

We may be painting it as a villain, but cortisol is essential to maintaining a healthy metabolism. It controls how your body uses the foods you ingest and regulates blood pressure and blood sugar. It is also vital in managing your sleep-wake cycle.

Cortisol is a hormone mainly produced in the adrenal gland atop the kidneys. The pituitary gland determines how much is released. It primes your body to respond to stress or danger, increasing your alertness.

Lower Stress To Lower Cortisol

Outside of severe health issues like Cushing’s syndrome and tumours on the pituitary or adrenal glands, stress is the main trigger for an increase in cortisol. Of course, there are different kinds of stress, and not all types are harmful. 

But when you are experiencing chronic stress, your cortisol levels cannot return to their healthy rhythm, moving from high to low over the day.

If you want to improve your levels, here are five habits to develop:

Sleep Well

You have repeatedly heard, “Get a good night’s sleep”, and it’s good advice. Getting good quality sleep is a necessity. It allows your body to heal and helps keep cortisol in its natural healthy rhythm.

Cortisol plays a significant part in the sleep-wake cycle. Levels drop throughout the afternoon and evening until they reach their lowest around 3 a.m. They boost back up right before waking and peak around 8 a.m. 

Get Some Exercise

Yup, you’ve heard this one, too! But not just any old exercise; you need regular, low-to-medium-intensity activities (20-30 minutes on average per day) to reduce your cortisol levels.

High-intensity exercise creates a spike in cortisol (in the short term), so it is best to do that early in the day, especially if it is not already part of your routine. In terms of a specific exercise regime, various martial arts have been shown to reduce cortisol levels.

Find Your Zen

Nurturing your mental and emotional self is as essential as regular physical exercise. A recent German study revealed that mindfulness and gratitude exercises lower cortisol levels. Persistently high cortisol concentrations show up in hair, and the measured hair samples in the study dropped by 25% on average after six months of mindfulness training.

Many mind-body activities, such as yoga, tai chi, meditation, or a meandering stroll, similarly lower stress and cortisol. One of my favourite stress-busters is a long walk in the woods or along a river or lake. A UK study revealed that 120 minutes of forest therapy spread over a week can reduce stress and cortisol.

Embrace Joy And Get Your Giggle On

This is my favourite remedy for just about everything. A good laugh increases oxygen intake, stimulates circulation, and helps relax your whole body, lowering cortisol hormones. 

Long-term happy feelings and laughter improve your immune system, mood, and ability to cope with life’s stressors. So, next time you want something to stream, pick a comedy or a stand-up special instead of a horror movie… and check in with how you feel after.

Eat Healthy

For your body and mind to operate well, they need good fuel. Here is where a healthy diet comes in. Study after study points to the benefits of plant-based foods; if they are whole foods, they are even better! There is also evidence that omega-3 which is found in fatty fish oils, seeds and nuts, is particularly helpful in lowering cortisol.

If you find it difficult to change your diet radically, begin by eliminating any poor diet choices you’ve made. High-sugar and processed foods increase cortisol and put you at risk of diabetes and high blood pressure. Try making one day a week completely plant-based or choosing vegetarian options when dining out.

While we are in the kitchen, be sure to grab a glass of water. Dehydration increases cortisol, and stress contributes to dehydration, setting up an unhealthy cycle. 

High cortisol in the body keeps you in a heightened state of alertness, which is simply not a sustainable way of being. Chronic stress is linked to increased depression, anxiety, digestive problems, headaches, heart disease and cancer.

The good news is there are many ways to lower cortisol, and most of them don’t cost a thing!

Regular walks, good food, water, mindfulness, and a solid belly laugh can go a long way toward restoring and maintaining physical and mental health.