You’ve probably heard of the stress hormone cortisol and maybe even read about the havoc it can cause on the body when it stays elevated for an extended period of time. While we need small spikes of cortisol to give us energy throughout the day, high levels of this stress hormone tiggers a cascade of inflammatory factors in the body. High cortisol tricks the body into the sympathetic nervous system state, meaning the fight or flight response, and makes it more difficult to get into the rest/digest state.
Chronic stress can cause:
- Anxiety and depression
- Digestive issues
Nutrient absorption and digestion can only happen in the rest/digest state so high cortisol can cause loose stools, constipation, bloating, and nausea. IBS is actually treated from a nervous system/stress response lens in addition to gut health.
- Hormonal imbalances
Cortisol triggers the release of estrogen from the ovaries via the HPA axis. This is why chronic stress can lead to estrogen dominance causing symptoms like heavy, painful periods, hormonal acne, bloating, and depression.
- Sleep disturbances
- Cardiac problems
Chronic stress has been linked to hypertension, heart disease, stroke, and heart attack.
- Inflammatory conditions
High cortisol plays a role in immune and autoimmune activity often triggering inflammation in the body.
Tips for becoming more resilient to stress
While you can’t always control the environment around you or remove stress from work, relationships, family, etc., you can help your body/mind become more resilient to external stressors. Here are some tips which help regulate your nervous system:
1. Do daily breathwork
Breathwork is incredible for nervous system regulation. Not only does it have the same effects as meditation on the body and mind, the physical act of deep breathing helps switch from a fight/flight state, into rest/digest mode. Also breathing deeply helps relax the pelvic floor which is the base of the nervous system. A daily breathwork practice in the morning can help ground you for the rest of the day, decreasing your reactivity to stress. Here is my favorite breathwork I do almost daily:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v15B2FxaIvY
Don't have time for a full breathwork session? Try taking 3 deep breaths before each of your meals. It will help your body digest your food and give you a small mindfulness practice multiple times per day.
2. Regulate blood sugar
When your blood sugar is fluctuating too much it can mimic the physical reaction of anxiety. If you ever oscillate between overwhelm and fatigue throughout the day or experience the “wired but tired” feeling, that’s a sign your blood sugar is out of wack. Some tricks to regulate this are:
- Eat a protein-rich breakfast within 1 hour of waking which will set the tone for your insulin levels for the rest of the day
- Avoid "naked carbs" meaning meals/snacks without protein and fat to anchor blood sugar
- Shoot for 30g of protein at each meal
- Eat every 4-5 hours and try to avoid getting "hangry"
- Take a short walk or stretch after meals which has been shown to reduce glucose spikes regardless of what you ate
3. Avoid caffeine on an empty stomach
Have you ever slammed your morning coffee a little too quickly and experienced a pounding heart, jitters, and anxiety? Much like dysregulated blood sugar, caffeine can add a physical stressor to the body and increase cortisol levels. I recommend eating a protein-rich breakfast then having caffeine no sooner than 90 minutes after waking. If you’re an afternoon caffeine person, make sure to eat a snack with your beverage of choice. This is especially important if you are struggling with hormonal issues like PMS, cramping, and acne because caffeine triggers the cortisol release which tells your ovaries to over-produce estrogen.
4. Get regular acupuncture
Acupuncture is like a a training program for your nervous system. Sitting with the needles for about 30 minutes shows your nervous system how to get into the rest/digest state making it easier to adapt to external stressors when you aren’t on the table. Acu once per week is enough to help ease cortisol levels in the moment and allow your body to be more resilient.
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