How To Lower Cortisol? 12 Ways To Reduce It And Feel More Relaxed

When we are stressed our body releases cortisol, a hormone that allows us to adapt to events that seem dangerous to us. If cortisol levels are maintained for prolonged periods, this can harm our body. In this way, if we manage lower cortisol of our body, we will have less feeling of stress and we will benefit from more calm and mental tranquility.

How to lower cortisol?

Over time, have high cortisol levels It can lead to a wide variety of health problems, such as weight gain, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, or experiencing sleeping difficulties, mood irregularities, and low energy levels. If you want to know how you can lower your body’s cortisol levels, you can follow the following tips:

1. Reduces stress: Stress is the main trigger for cortisol production, so by reducing stress, you also decreases cortisol The most effective way to reduce stress is precisely to try to avoid triggers whenever possible. Additionally, trying to be more in the here and now can also help you relieve stress, and therefore reduce cortisol.
2. Use relaxation techniques: Learning to relax our body, especially in those moments where stress may appear, will help you handle yourself better in tense situations and, above all, lower cortisol in your body For example, doing meditations regularly will allow you to better cope with daily stress. Breathing or visualization exercises can also help you relax mentally and physically.
3. Sleep enough: Having a bad night or not sleeping enough hours can also affect our cortisol levels Therefore, if you want to have low cortisol, one of the best ways is precisely to get enough sleep and have a regular sleep schedule. To get a good rest, you should focus on maintaining a good bedtime routine that relaxes you, such as reading or meditating before going to sleep.
4. Find a hobby: Having an activity that you love and doing it regularly will not only help you distract your mind, but it will allow you relieve stress and lower cortisol of your body. The reason is that you will stop thinking about what worries you and you will focus on the present, enjoying something that you are passionate about.
5. Do activities to relax: It’s very difficult to feel stressed if you’re having a good time, so spending some time each day having fun can also help you. reduce cortisol levels If you are experiencing adverse effects due to high cortisol, it is important that you take some time to enjoy yourself and have fun.
6. Exercise regularly: Regular exercise can help you lower cortisol of your body. Above all, it is important to do it in a balanced way, that is, without exceeding the limits of our body. In fact, overdoing it can end up having the opposite effect.
7. Learn to recognize stressful thoughts: Paying attention to those thoughts that are overwhelming you will help you reduce cortisol levels, especially if you try to reason with those ideas that are not under your control. This does not mean trying to eliminate them, but, on the contrary, accepting them without judgment or resistance and allowing yourself the ability to process them.
8. Maintain healthy relationships: Both friends and family are more than necessary support for life. In fact, having conversations with our loved ones can reduce cortisol in our body. The reason is that feeling supported by others can relieve us of the tension and stress of everyday life. Research shows that having a loving interaction, whether verbal or physical, could lower stress levels in a situation that provokes it.
9. Try to be your best version: Feelings of shame, guilt, or inadequacy can lead to experiencing negative thoughts and elevated levels of cortisol. Therefore, trying to improve day after day can help us change this perception of ourselves, even if you only take small steps. Furthermore, it is important to learn to forgive and accept oneself in order to move forward without becoming frustrated in the face of adversity.
10. Be consistent with your values: Following your own values ​​and respecting them will make you reduce cortisol in your body The reason is that you will feel prouder and gain more self-confidence, which equals experiencing less stress.
11. Eat a nutritious diet: Our diet can also influence cortisol levels, whether for better or worse. The foods we eat can relieve stress symptoms and help us better control cortisol levels. For example, consuming too much sugar can increase cortisol in our body. On the other hand, a diet high in whole grains, fruits, vegetables and polyunsaturated fats can help us reduce cortisol. In fact, research suggests that there is a strong relationship between a healthy gut microbiome and better mental health.
12. Go to therapy: Talking about our problems with a mental health professional can help us adopt healthier lifestyle habits that involve reduced cortisol levels

the best way to decrease cortisol levels of our body is trying to reduce those things that trigger its production. Therefore, this means that we must relieve the stress and tension that we experience in our daily routine. One way to do this is precisely to apply simple changes to our lifestyle that help us relax the nervous system and stop exposing ourselves to too much stress. Don’t let excess cortisol affect your mental well-being.