How to reduce stress and cortisol levels
Stress is something we all encounter in our everyday lives. When it is periodic and short-lived, it is not a cause for concern. However, when stress builds up or is long-lasting, it can start to have an impact on your overall health and wellbeing, putting you at increased risk of a range of health conditions.
In this guide, we explore what stress is and how you can take simple steps to help reduce your stress and cortisol levels.
What is stress?
Stress is the body’s natural response to a threat and is inherently designed to protect you from dangerous situations.
When faced with a situation your body considers a risk it responds by releasing ‘stress’ hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones prepare the body to either fight the threat or run away, a reaction known as the ‘flight or fight’ response. This response is designed to be short-term to help you quickly escape any dangers.
However, in our modern lives, many people find themselves chronically stressed. As a result, their cortisol levels remain elevated for too long, which can lead to a multitude of health issues, from chronic diseases and inflammation to weight gain.
Acute vs. chronic stress
Acute stress is short-term stress that goes away rapidly. It is perfectly normal to experience episodes of acute stress in daily life.
For example, you might feel acute stress before sitting an exam or having a job interview. It can make you feel more alert and focused and raise your heart rate. However, the stress goes away once the situation is over, and your heart rate will return to normal.
Chronic stress is long-term stress that lasts for weeks, months, or even years. It most commonly occurs when you’re dealing with an ongoing problem or a series of problems. For example, it could be caused by a difficult job or ongoing financial issues.
When experiencing chronic stress, the levels of stress hormones, like cortisol, remain high in your bloodstream, which can cause symptoms such as headaches, high blood pressure, muscle tension, and chest pains. In addition, you may experience emotional symptoms like increased anxiety, depression, and irritability. Over time, it can also lead to various health problems, including some chronic health conditions.
What is cortisol?
Cortisol is often referred to as the stress hormone and it is released by your adrenal glands in response to many different sorts of stress.
In the short-term, the release of cortisol helps protect you from danger by ensuring you can quickly react to a situation. To do this, cortisol affects nearly every organ and tissue in your body in various ways, including:
- Regulating your stress response
- Suppressing inflammation
- Regulating blood pressure and blood sugar
- Controlling your sleep cycle
- Helping to control your metabolism
While acting in this way short-term can be beneficial to your body and help you respond to a stressful situation, if you experience a prolonged release of cortisol, it can have a negative impact on your health.
Common symptoms of high cortisol levels
Common symptoms that may suggest you are experiencing high cortisol levels include:
- Weight gain, especially around your face or abdomen
- Lack of energy
- Difficulty sleeping
- High blood pressure
- High blood sugar – which can lead to type 2 diabetes
- Brain fog
- Muscle weakness
- Impaired immune system – making you more susceptible to infections
Common causes of stress
Although everyone responds differently to situations, and different things will trigger stress in different people, some factors commonly cause stress, including:
- Work – Deadline pressures, workplace conflicts, or poor workplace environments can all cause stress. If these problems continue and are not addressed it can result in chronic stress.
- Relationships – A breakdown in a relationship or problems with family or friends can all be stressful situations, especially where there is no resolution to the conflict.
- Financial issues – Worrying about your finances, whether that’s being able to earn enough money, pay your bills, or manage debt can be incredibly stressful and feel overwhelming.
- Health concerns – Living with or caring for someone with an ongoing illness, injury, or health concern can be very worrying and cause chronic stress.
The best ways to lower cortisol levels and reduce stress
If you are concerned about your stress levels and how elevated cortisol levels may be affecting your health, there are some simple lifestyle changes you can adopt to try to reduce your stress levels:
Prioritise sleep
Getting a good night’s sleep can help reduce your cortisol levels, so it’s important you prioritise getting enough quality sleep. To do this, make sure you have a set sleep schedule with a regular bedtime and waking time every day. In addition, it’s a good idea to:
- Limit your caffeine intake for at least six hours before your bedtime
- Reduce your exposure to screens at least half an hour before bed
- Establish good sleep hygiene by sleeping in a cool, quiet, and dark room
- Have a bedtime routine with relaxing activities before bed, like taking a bath, reading, or journaling
For more top tips on how to get a good night’s sleep, read our guide ‘Why is sleep important?’
Practise mindfulness
Incorporating a daily mindfulness practice can help to reduce stress and balance your cortisol levels. There are many ways to practise mindfulness so it’s easy to find what works for you. You could try meditating, deep breathing exercises, yoga, or tai chi.
The key is to find an activity that ensures you are focused on the present and allows you to be curious about what you can see, hear, or feel around you. This can help you become more aware of stress triggers and mean that when you do encounter stressful situations you are able to relax and naturally reduce your cortisol levels.
Stay active
Low-intensity exercise, like walking, cycling, or swimming, can help to reduce high cortisol levels. You should aim to incorporate at least 30 minutes of exercise into your day, but any amount of exercise you can fit in can be beneficial.
You can even try being more generally active throughout your day by getting off the bus or train at a stop earlier on your commute and walking the rest of the way, or choosing to take the stairs instead of the lift.
Stay hydrated
Keeping yourself hydrated is essential for your overall health and can help you to manage your cortisol levels. The exact amount of water you need depends on many factors, but generally, healthcare professionals encourage people to drink between six to eight glasses of water daily. Although water is best, you can also stay hydrated by drinking herbal teas, low-sugar squash, milk, and milk alternatives.
Make time for the things you enjoy
When experiencing chronic stress, it is important you make time to do things you enjoy, as this can help lower your stress and cortisol levels. Whether you enjoy meeting up with friends, spending time with a pet, or taking part in an activity, having positive interactions can help you experience feelings of joy and restore a sense of calm.
Spend time outdoors
Getting outside, especially in green spaces, can calm your body and may help reduce your cortisol levels. You don’t have to go far; you could simply try sitting in your garden or taking a walk in your local park. Any time spent outdoors will help restore your body’s sense of calm and reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed.
Eat a healthy diet
Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet can help support overall hormone balance and manage your cortisol levels. Some studies have also shown a link between foods high in saturated fats and higher cortisol levels, while foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, like some fish, seeds, and nuts may help to lower cortisol levels.
You should try to eat a diverse range of fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates like oats or brown rice to ensure you get a well-balanced diet.
To find out more about eating healthy, read our guide to the healthiest diet.
Take a proactive approach to monitoring your health with Bluecrest Wellness
Reducing your cortisol levels by managing stress is just one way to help promote your overall health and wellbeing. If you’re keen to take a proactive approach to understanding your health, our private health checks are ideal. These full body health MOTs are designed to provide comprehensive insights into your general health by including a range of private blood checks, such as a full blood count, liver and kidney tests and cholesterol and diabetes checks, as well as insights into your risk of certain health conditions.
You can book private health MOTs across the UK, so it is easy to find a convenient location for you. Plus, you can be confident that we will deliver fast, efficient and accurate results as we have established links with leading UK laboratories and are fully accredited for a wide range of private blood checks.
