10 Ways To Lower Cortisol Levels and Manage Anxiety 

Ways to Lower Cortisol: The stress hormone cortisol is one of the most common reasons for anxiety. Today we explore cortisol and some of the many ways you can lower stress and manage anxiety using healthy lifestyle habits, tools, and supplements.

Ways to Lower Cortisol: What is Cortisol

Cortisol is often referred to as the ‘stress hormone’ because it plays a crucial role in managing the body’s stress response. Indeed, the body releases this hormone during times of stress to help promote alertness and energy.

Cortisol is not, however, only a response to stress. This hormone also plays a crucial role in our circadian rhythm and is one of the hormones that wakes us up in the morning, and plays a role in many other functions. Almost all cells of the body have cortisol receptors. Cortisol plays a role in controlling blood sugar levels, regulating metabolism, influencing blood pressure, acting as an anti-inflammatory, controlling salt, and water balance. Cortisol also helps the development of the fetus and triggering the birthing process.

The thing about cortisol, like any hormone, is that for it to work correctly, the body has to be balanced. Balance, when it comes to stress hormones, means a healthy operating diurnal rhythm.

Your daily rhythm, similar to a circadian rhythm, operates on a 24-hour clock.

Blood sugar levels and cortisol are naturally elevated to wake you up in the morning as the sun rises, and they naturally drop off in the evening as melatonin hormone is produced to put you to sleep.

Within this typical hormonal flow, the body is also equipped to experience isolated bouts of stress, at which point the body will excrete cortisol, adrenaline, and glucose as a response to help you get out of harm’s way. Ancestrally, stress was generally a case of life or death: having to fight off from an invasion, or escape the attack of a wild animal. Once the stressor was gone, the body would go back to baseline, and the stress hormones did their job: keeping you alert and energized for fight or flight. [1, 2]

Ways to Lower Cortisol: The Cortisol Anxiety Connection

Modern-day cortisol is not limited to the isolated instances of the past. Whereas our ancestors would intermittently experience the need to fight or flight, today, many of us experience chronic stress all day, every day.

Stress encompasses three categories: chemical, emotional, and physical. Your body doesn’t distinguish from them when it comes to a hormonal response. Any type of stress will induce the release of fight or flight’ stress hormones. The problem is, our stress is no longer isolated to real classic stress, and for many people, it just runs on a loop 24/7. [1, 3]

Low levels of chronic stress, and therefore high cortisol, are associated with a wide range of health problems, including:

• Anxiety [4]
• Depression [5, 8]
• Weight gain [6, 7]
• Health complications [3]
• Exhaustion and adrenal fatigue [8,9]
• Impaired cognitive function [8-11]
• Infections [12]
• Insomnia [8, 13, 14]

Natural Ways to Lower Cortisol

Since most people are stuck in cortisol overdrive, finding hormonal balance will be rooted in lowering these chronic levels of cortisol. Cortisol balance is rooted in lifestyle choices, and the benefits of these cortisol-lowering habits will show a wide range of benefits on overall health markers.

 1. Sleep Quality

We often focus on how long to sleep, but the quality of sleep is just as (if not more) imperative when it comes to managing cortisol. [14] Having a regular bedtime and wake time is critical, and it is preferably in sync with the rising and setting of the sun. Frequent circadian rhythm disruption, like as a result of shift work, leads to a wide range of problems associated with chronic cortisol, particularly weight loss resistance and obesity. [15]

Having disrupted sleeping patterns or insomnia for one single night can lead to elevated cortisol levels for 24 hours, as well as other hormonal implications like a loss of insulin sensitivity. [16]

Some key pointers to improve sleep quality include:

• Having regular bed/ wake time
• Sleeping in total darkness without electronics
• Turning off the wi-fi at night
• Exposing yourself to the sun as soon as it rises
• Avoiding caffeine, especially after midday
• Don’t exercise 3 hours before bed
• Avoiding large meals 3 hours before bed
• Stay away from artificial lights and screens after sundown
• Using blue light blocking glasses if artificial lights are used after sundown
• Avoiding overstimulation in general too close to bedtime

2. Moderate Exercise

Although exercise increases cortisol in the short term, it causes a decrease in the long term if implemented mindfully. [17] The key to mindful exercise is not overdoing it, and considering it as a form of stress on top of other types of all the other stressors in your life. If your daily life is very stressful (think chemical, physical, and emotional), stick to lighter forms of movement like yoga, walking, and stretching.

Avoiding vigorous exercise too close to bedtime is also vital to balance cortisol and promote a night of deep sleep. Avoiding overstimulating your body 3 hours before bed.

3. Nutrition

Proper nutrition is key to balancing cortisol. Although dietary needs are highly bio-individual, there are still a few key factors that apply to the general population when it comes to eating well: [18]

• A diet high in good fats (like sardines, avocado, grass-fed butter, and other animal fats)
• Enough high-quality protein (from pasture-raised animals)
• A variety of organic vegetables
• Avoiding eating too close to bedtime (3 hours before bed)
• Properly preparing your food for optimal digestion and bioavailability (sprout, soak, ferment, and cook your food)
• Consider intermittent fasting (eating within a constricted feeding window of 6-12 hours daily)
• Consider implementing ‘diet variation’ with some higher carb days, some lower carb days, and some fasted days

4. Mindfulness: Calm the Mind

Cortisol is released into the body as a result of stress, but the body cannot distinguish between perceived or a real threat. This inability to distinguish means that thinking about stressful things (either past or future) leads to the same stress response that you would experience in times of real imminent threat.

Calming the mind can be done in various ways, and studies show that things as simple as making a daily effort to focus on positive aspects of your life can lead to drastically lower cortisol levels. [19]

Other ways to promote a calm mind include:

•  Mindful and slow, controlled breathing
•  Meditation
• Restorative or yin yoga
• Watching the sunrise and sunset
• Listening to mantra music or classical music

A large part of mindfulness is also rooted in equanimity: the act of observing what is. By distancing ourselves from our thoughts, we can start to see the stress as a thing we are experiencing as opposed to a situation that we are. Instead of identifying with it, ie. “I am stressed out,” you can take a step back and acknowledge that, “I am experiencing stress, but it too will pass.” One study even highlights that recognizing emotions alone can lower cortisol levels. It’s less about what you think, and more about how you relate to it. [20]

5. Relax: Calm the Body

Similar to calming the mind, there are many tools to ease the physical body to help wind down and lower cortisol levels. Many of the tools and tactics used to calm the mind will also ease the body and vice-versa. Mindfulness, when applied mentally or physically, can have a profound impact on reducing cortisol levels. [21]

Some ways to tap into a relaxed physical state include:

• Taking a long, gentle walk
• Earthing (walking barefoot in nature)
• Yoga (especially yin or restorative)
• Gentle stretching
• Tai Chi
• Qi Gong
• Sunbathing
• Take a nap

6. Faith/ Spiritual Practices

Having a faith-based practice is a powerful tool to calm the mind and body, and to lower cortisol levels. Various studies highlight the ability for spirituality to have a potential cortisol-lowering effect during periods of high-stress (like illness).

There are various reasons why spirituality may lead to lowered cortisol levels, including the ability to see a bigger picture (not get caught up in the potential hardship of the present moment), as well as the support that comes from a shared faith-based community. [22]

7. Play/ Laugh

Believe it or not, joy is one of the quickest ways to lower cortisol levels. Positivity, joy, and laughter, have a profound impact oh a variety of health markets, including heart rate, blood pressure, and also boost your immune system. [23, 24, 25]

There are various ways to promote playfulness and laughter, either alone or in groups; some ways include:

• Spend time with children
• Watch a comedy show on T.V.
• See a live comedy show
• Spend time with friends and family
• Join a recreational sports team
• Play with animals

8. Healthy Relationships

Human contact and building strong, healthy relationships is a vital tool for promoting joy and mitigating stress. We know stress promotes cortisol release, so having a community to support you through hard times is a great way to alleviate stress hormone production. Having supportive loved ones can also mitigate the stress response of a problematic situation before it happens. [26]

Two critical aspects of cultivating healthy relationships include communication skills and boundaries.

Learning to communicate your wants and needs is imperative to ensure that you can show up for those around you, be seen, and heard. Assumptions are projections that are at the root of many relationship problems, so learning to express yourself clearly is vital. Listening skills are equally important when it comes to being an excellent communicator. [27]

Boundaries are just as important, and they rely heavily on knowing when to say no. Start by setting your physical, emotional, and mental limits when it comes to your values in life. When people cross these boundaries, it’s up to you to be assertive and enforce your self-worth. This can be very difficult given our upbringing and past-traumas, but in time and with practice it becomes easier.

9. Earthing

Earthing has a positive impact on a wide range of health conditions including inflammatory responses, wound healing, and autoimmune. [28] It promotes deeper sleep, reduction in pain, and stress, as well as a profound reduction in cortisol levels. [29]

Earthing, also known as grounding or forest bathing, is the simple act of reconnecting your bare feet to the earth. Scientifically, the action releases positive ions, which helps balance out your body’s natural electrical field. Most cells of the body carry a negative charge. Still, a wide range of environmental toxins (like pollution, chemicals, pollen, mold, synthetic carpeting or paint, pet dander, and other harmful chemicals) carry a positive electrical charge. Other things that generate positive ions include electronic devices (like T.V.s, cellphones, and wi-fi), and fluorescent lighting. These positive ions can lead to an increase in cortisol and sensations of anxiety or depression. [30]

By getting back out in nature, preferably daily, you help reset your electrical charge and calm your nervous system. Although a local park will do, you want to make sure not to be barefoot in city grass that has been sprayed with herbicides. The further away from a big city/ the chaos of modern life, the better: the beach, a dense forest, waterfalls. The air is particularly charged with negative ions after heavy rainfall! [30]

10. Supplement

Although you cannot out-supplement poor lifestyle choices, there are a handful of great supplements you can lean on when times are particularly high stress, to help reduce cortisol and anxiety.

• Passion Flower [31]
• Ashwagandha [32]
• Panax Ginseng [33]
• Rhodiola [34]

Relax with a Weighted Blanket

How can a blanket change your hormones, lower your heart rate, and increase feelings of happiness and well-being? It may sound crazy, but the science-backed benefits of weighted blankets are strong. The only catch? You have to find the right ones.

>> Xalm™ is the best-weighted blanket on the market to help you calm anxiety, boost your mood, and even increase your chance of losing weight… as you sleep!

Xalm works by measurably lowering stress hormones and increasing a hormone called the Bliss Molecule. And yes, more of this hormone feels as good as it sounds.

Weighted blankets can help with restless nights, and promote deeper sleep.  These micro-bead blankets that can help anxiety naturally. They have 192 pockets each filled with tiny glass beads up to a certain weight. The way they work is by placing light pressure all over the body, which feels just like a warm hug. These blankets can really help with lowering anxiety, getting to sleep at night quickly, and staying asleep!

Summary

Many people live a lifestyle that puts them in a constant state of underlying stress. As a result, the stress hormone cortisol is continuously being secreted, which may lead to a wide range of ailments like anxiety, depression, weight gain, adrenal fatigue, insomnia, and more. By managing stress levels, using simple lifestyle techniques, you can re-establish a healthy stress response. These methods include sleep quality, moderate exercise, diet, mindfulness, relaxation, faith, play, healthy relationships, earthing, and supplementation.

 

References

[1] Esposito, Alonzo, and Vito Bianchi. Cortisol: Physiology, Regulation, and Health Implications. Nova Science Publishers, 2012.

 

[2] Levine, Ari, et al. “Measuring Cortisol in Human Psychobiological Studies.” Physiology & Behavior, vol. 90, no. 1, 2007, pp. 43–53., doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2006.08.025.

 

[3] Lentjes, E.G.W.M. Cortisol: Bioavailability and Receptors in Stress-Related Disorders. S.n., 1999.

 

[4] Vedhara, Kav, et al. “An Investigation into the Relationship between Salivary Cortisol, Stress, Anxiety and Depression.” Biological Psychology, vol. 62, no. 2, 2003, pp. 89–96., doi:10.1016/s0301-0511(02)00128-x.

 

[5] Burke, Heather M., et al. “Depression and Cortisol Responses to Psychological Stress: A Meta-Analysis.” Psychoneuroendocrinology, vol. 30, no. 9, 2005, pp. 846–856., doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2005.02.010.

 

[6] Chrousos, George P., and Constantine Tsigos. Stress, Obesity, and Metabolic Syndrome. Blackwell Pub. on behalf of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2006.

 

[7] Spencer, Sarah J., and Alan Tilbrook. “The Glucocorticoid Contribution to Obesity.” Stress, vol. 14, no. 3, June 2011, pp. 233–246., doi:10.3109/10253890.2010.534831.

 

[8] Kudielka, Brigitte M., et al. “Exhaustion Is Associated with Reduced Habituation of Free Cortisol Responses to Repeated Acute Psychosocial Stress.” Biological Psychology, vol. 72, no. 2, 2006, pp. 147–153., doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2005.09.001.

 

[9] Powell, Daniel J.h., et al. “Unstimulated Cortisol Secretory Activity in Everyday Life and Its Relationship with Fatigue and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Subset Meta-Analysis.” Psychoneuroendocrinology, vol. 38, no. 11, 2013, pp. 2405–2422., doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2013.07.004.

 

[10] Rubinow, David R. “Cortisol Hypersecretion and Cognitive Impairment in Depression.” Archives of General Psychiatry, vol. 41, no. 3, Jan. 1984, p. 279., doi:10.1001/archpsyc.1984.01790140069008.

 

[11] Het, S, et al. “A Meta-Analytic Review of the Effects of Acute Cortisol Administration on Human Memory.” Psychoneuroendocrinology, vol. 30, no. 8, 2005, pp. 771–784., doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2005.03.005.

 

[12] Buford, Thomas W., and Darryn S. Willoughby. “Impact of DHEA(S) and Cortisol on Immune Function in Aging: a Brief Review.” Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, vol. 33, no. 3, 2008, pp. 429–433., doi:10.1139/h08-013.

 

[13] Rodenbeck, Andrea, et al. “Interactions between Evening and Nocturnal Cortisol Secretion and Sleep Parameters in Patients with Severe Chronic Primary Insomnia.” Neuroscience Letters, vol. 324, no. 2, 2002, pp. 159–163., doi:10.1016/s0304-3940(02)00192-1.

 

[14] Hirotsu, Camila, et al. “Interactions between Sleep, Stress, and Metabolism: From Physiological to Pathological Conditions.” Sleep Science, vol. 8, no. 3, 2015, pp. 143–152., doi:10.1016/j.slsci.2015.09.002.

 

[15] Ko, S.B. “Night Shift Work, Sleep Quality, and Obesity.” J Lifestyle Medical, vol. 3, no. 2, 30 Sept. 2013, pp. 110–116., https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26064847.

 

[16] Chorousos, G, et al. “H.P.A. Axis and Sleep.” South Dartmouth, vol. 18, 18 Jan. 2016, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25905298.

 

[17] Chen, Chong, et al. “The Exercise-Glucocorticoid Paradox: How Exercise Is Beneficial to Cognition, Mood, and the Brain While Increasing Glucocorticoid Levels.” Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology, vol. 44, 2017, pp. 83–102., doi:10.1016/j.yfrne.2016.12.001.

 

[18] Price, Weston A. Nutrition and Physical Degeneration: a Comparison of Primitive and Modern Diets and Their Effects. Lightning Source, 2010.

 

[19] O’Connor, Daryl B., et al. “Stress-Related Thinking Predicts the Cortisol Awakening Response and Somatic Symptoms in Healthy Adults.” Psychoneuroendocrinology, vol. 38, no. 3, 2013, pp. 438–446., doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2012.07.004.

 

[20] Daubenmier, Jennifer, et al. “It’s Not What You Think, Its How You Relate to It: Dispositional Mindfulness Moderates the Relationship between Psychological Distress and the Cortisol Awakening Response.” Psychoneuroendocrinology, vol. 48, 2014, pp. 11–18., doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.05.012.

 

[21] Matousek, Rose H., et al. “Cortisol as a Marker for Improvement in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction.” Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, vol. 16, no. 1, 2010, pp. 13–19., doi:10.1016/j.ctcp.2009.06.004.

 

[22] Dedert, Eric A., et al. “Religiosity May Help Preserve the Cortisol Rhythm in Women with Stress-Related Illness.” The International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, vol. 34, no. 1, 2004, pp. 61–77., doi:10.2190/2y72-6h80-bw93-u0t6.

 

[23] Steptoe, Andrew, et al. “Positive Affect and Psychobiological Processes Relevant to Health.” Journal of Personality, vol. 77, no. 6, 2009, pp. 1747–1776., doi:10.1111/j.1467-6494.2009.00599.x.

 

[24] Charney, Dennis S. “Psychobiological Mechanisms of Resilience and Vulnerability.” Focus, vol. 2, no. 3, 2004, pp. 368–391., doi:10.1176/foc.2.3.368.

 

[25] Vlachopoulos, Charalambos, et al. “Divergent Effects of Laughter and Mental Stress on Arterial Stiffness and Central Hemodynamics.” Psychosomatic Medicine, vol. 71, no. 4, 2009, pp. 446–453., doi:10.1097/psy.0b013e318198dcd4.

 

[26] Syme, S. Leonard, and Miranda L. Ritterman. “The Importance of Community Development for Health and Well-Being.” Community Development Investment Review, pp. 1–13. School of Public Health, https://www.frbsf.org/community-development/files/syme_ritterman.pdf.

 

[27] Rosenberg, Marshall B. Nonviolent Communication: a Language of Life. PuddleDancer Press, 2015.

 

[28] Oschman, James, et al. “The Effects of Grounding (Earthing) on Inflammation, the Immune Response, Wound Healing, and Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Inflammatory and Autoimmune Diseases.” Journal of Inflammation Research, 2015, p. 83., doi:10.2147/jir.s69656.

 

[29] Ghaly, Maurice, and Dale Teplitz. “The Biologic Effects of Grounding the Human Body During Sleep as Measured by Cortisol Levels and Subjective Reporting of Sleep, Pain, and Stress.” The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, vol. 10, no. 5, 2004, pp. 767–776., doi:10.1089/acm.2004.10.767.

 

[30] Ober, Clinton, et al. Earthing: the Most Important Health Discovery Ever? Read How You Want, 2014.

 

[31] Akhondzadeh, S., et al. “Passionflower in the Treatment of Generalized Anxiety: a Pilot Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial with Oxazepam.” Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, vol. 26, no. 5, 2001, pp. 363–367., doi:10.1046/j.1365-2710.2001.00367.x.

 

[32] Auddy, Biswajit & Hazra, Jayram & Mitra, Achintya & Abedon, Bruce & Ghosal, Shibnath. (2008). A Standardized Withania Somnifera Extract Significantly Reduces Stress-Related Parameters in Chronically Stressed Humans: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study. Journal of American Nutraceutical Association. 11. 50-56.

 

[33] Rai, Deepak, et al. “Anti-Stress Effects of Ginkgo Biloba and Panax Ginseng: a Comparative Study.” Journal of Pharmacological Sciences, vol. 93, no. 4, 2003, pp. 458–464., doi:10.1254/jphs.93.458.

 

[34] Panossian, Alexander. “The Adaptogens Rhodiola and Schizandra Modify the Response to Immobilization Stress in Rabbits by Suppressing the Increase of Phosphorylated Stress-Activated Protein Kinase, Nitric Oxide, and Cortisol.” Drug Target Insights, vol. 2, 16 Feb. 2007, pp. 39–54., https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3155223/.