Having high cortisol levels can negatively impact your health. Learn 8 ways to lower cortisol levels and improve your overall health.
When you’re facing a stressful situation, your body releases a hormone called cortisol. While it may be temporarily helpful, too much of it for prolonged periods of time can hurt your health.
According to various studies, moderately high cortisol levels can result in multiple health problems. These include weight gain, fatigue, infections, impaired brain function, and chronic complications like hypertension, osteoporosis, and type 2 diabetes.
Furthermore, in rare cases, very high cortisol levels can result in a serious disease called Cushing’s syndrome. On the bright side, you can reduce your levels by following these 8 simple lifestyle tips.
1. Get Some Rest
Sleep deprivation, rotating sleep schedules, and quality of sleep can all lead to high levels. To get better sleep, try exercising and limiting caffeine, distractions, and exposure to bright light before bed.
2. Exercise Moderately
Regularly working out is good for your health but intense exercise can increase cortisol levels in the short term. However, mild-intensity exercise does not spike your levels, so try working out at 40% to 60% of your maximum effort.
3. Recognize Stressful Thoughts
When you think about past stressful experiences, it can increase your levels. To avoid this, be mindful of what thoughts will trigger your stress levels and learn how to react appropriately to prevent a stress response.
4. Make Time to Relax
According to studies, various relaxation techniques can help reduce cortisol levels such as yoga and tai chi. Moreover, you can try deep breathing techniques, massage therapy, and listening to relaxing music.
5. Be Happy
While it’s easier said than done, simply being happy and having a positive disposition can lower cortisol levels. Find activities that will increase your life satisfaction and promote feelings of well-being.
6. Have Healthy Relationships
Having a stable and warm environment in your relationships will result in lower cortisol levels. Conversely, relationships with high levels of conflict will result in an increase in levels.
7. Get a Pet
The reason why therapy dogs exist is that interacting with a pet can reduce cortisol levels and stress levels. Moreover, pets experience similar benefits, so the positive interaction is mutually beneficial.
8. Change for the Better
Often, negative feelings about yourself can result in elevated cortisol levels. One way to deal with this is by making a change in your life, learning to forgive yourself, and improving your sense of wellbeing.
The Outlook
High cortisol levels can result in hypertension, weight gain, diabetes, fatigue, and an inability to focus. By following these simple tips, you can lower your levels along with your stress.
Furthermore, you can improve your energy levels as well as your health. Another way to improve your heart health is to take heart supplements like L-arginine Plus.
Its ingredients help promote healthy circulation, cholesterol, blood pressure, energy, and more. Take care of your health by lowering your cortisol levels and adding L-arginine Plus to your routine.