Monday October 21st 6.30 - 7pm
If you have visited Epoch before you will know that our primary focus as a chiropractic centre is your spine and nervous system, but you may have noticed that we take other aspects of your health seriously. This is because we want your body working at its best, and a key area to help support this is to be mindful of stress.
So in this week’s blog I share more about the stress hormone cortisol, why it is important for your body to produce it, the type of stress you can experience, and 6 tips you can implement to help regulate cortisol and keep your body in harmony.
What is Cortisol?
Cortisol is a hormone that your adrenal glands produce and release. Hormones are chemicals that coordinate different functions in the body by carrying messages through your blood to your organs, skin, muscles, and other tissues. These signals tell your body what to do and when to do it.
Cortisol affects several aspects of your body and mainly helps regulate your body’s response to stress. It has many important effects and functions throughout your body aside from regulating your body’s stress response.
It’s also important to remember that, there are multiple different kinds of stress, including:
Acute stress happens when you’re in sudden danger within a short period of time. For example, barely avoiding a car accident or being chased by an animal are situations that cause acute stress.
Chronic (long-term) stress happens when you experience ongoing situations that cause frustration or anxiety. For example, having a difficult or frustrating job or having a chronic illness can cause chronic stress.
Your body releases cortisol when you experience any of these types of stress.
More specifically, cortisol affects your body in the following ways:
During times of stress, your body can release cortisol after releasing its “fight or flight” hormones, such as adrenaline, so you continue to stay on high alert. In addition, cortisol triggers the release of glucose (sugar) from your liver for fast energy during times of stress.
Cortisol helps control how your body uses fats, proteins, and carbohydrates for energy.
In short spurts, cortisol can boost your immunity by limiting inflammation. However, if you have consistently high levels of cortisol, your body can get used to having too much cortisol in your blood, which can lead to inflammation and a weakened immune system.
Elevated levels of cortisol can cause high blood pressure, and lower-than-normal levels of cortisol can cause low blood pressure.
Under normal circumstances, cortisol counterbalances the effect of insulin, a hormone your pancreas makes, to regulate your blood sugar. Cortisol raises blood sugar by releasing stored glucose, while insulin lowers blood sugar. Having chronically high cortisol levels can lead to persistent high blood sugar.
Under regular circumstances, you have lower cortisol levels in the evening when you go to sleep and peak levels in the morning right before you wake up. This suggests that cortisol plays a significant role in the initiation of wakefulness and plays a part in your body’s circadian rhythm.
Optimum cortisol levels are necessary for life and for maintaining several bodily functions.
How can we reduce our cortisol levels?
There are several everyday things you can do to try to lower your cortisol levels and keep them at optimal ranges. Here are my 6 top tips to keep cortisol and your body in harmony:
1. Getting quality sleep
Chronic sleep issues, such as obstructive sleep apnea, insomnia or working a night shift are associated with higher cortisol levels.
2. Exercise regularly
Several studies have shown that regular exercise helps improve sleep quality and reduce stress. Exercising earlier in the day is best as your cortisol levels are at their highest. I would recommend strength/resistant training as this helps to maintain bone density and build muscle.
3. Learn to limit stress and stressful thinking patterns
Being aware of your thinking pattern, breathing, heart rate, and other signs of tension helps you recognise stress when it begins and can help you prevent it from becoming worse.
4. Practice deep breathing exercises
Controlled breathing helps stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system, your “rest and digest” system. At Epoch we suggest the box breathing technique which helps settle the body to a more relaxed state.
5. Enjoy yourself and laugh
Laughing promotes the release of endorphins and suppresses cortisol. Participating in hobbies and fun activities can also promote feelings of well-being, which may lower your cortisol levels.
6. Maintain healthy relationships
Relationships are a significant aspect of our lives. Having tense and unhealthy relationships with loved ones or coworkers can cause frequent stress and raise cortisol levels.
The human body is quite incredible, with all these functions going on without us even knowing! I hope this information had provided a useful insight into the importance of cortisol and how you can keep your body working at its best.
If you need any further support when it comes to stress management, please do ask myself or your chiropractor at your next visit, we would be happy to help.
With Love,
Sam
