The cortisol hormone is considered the stress hormone par excellence. This substance, produced in the adrenal glands, can be triggered in multiple ways and it is also possible to reduce it through more or less effective strategies.

Since stress and anxiety are very common problems in developed societies, many people wonder how to lower cortisol. Next we will see about 15 ways to keep this hormone at bay.

Related article: “Cortisol: the hormone that causes us stress”
How to lower cortisol?
Next we will see several strategies, of all kinds, that have been shown to be effective, to a greater or lesser extent, to control cortisol levels.

How to lower cortisol:5 practical tips
Some easy tricks and recommendations to lower cortisol levels, the stress h

1. Give up caffeine

It is not a surprise to say that caffeine makes you nervous, but what may be a bit more interesting is how it influences cortisol levels.

This substance, present in coffee, tea, or even dark chocolate, causes cortisol levels to rise abruptly and maintains them for hours. This translates into being nervous for a longer time and suddenly.

The most effective way to avoid this effect is simply to reduce the consumption of beverages with this substance or to stop caffeine completely. In case you believe that you are suffering from caffeine addiction, it is best to go to a professional.

2. Good sleep hygiene

Going to sleep irregularly, without established schedules, is something terribly detrimental to our physical and mental health, in addition to being a factor that increases cortisol levels.

Having good sleep hygiene consists, among other things, of sleeping about eight hours each day (less in the elderly, who sleep less) and, preferably, going to bed between ten and twelve at night, helps to stabilize the levels of cortisol.

3. Relaxation

If we talk about how to reduce a hormone related to anxiety, it becomes clear that relaxation techniques cannot be ignored. Relaxation can be carried out in multiple ways, be it with yoga or simply meditating.

No matter the specific way in which you try to induce this relaxation, the important thing is that it serves to calm mind and body and, consequently, acquire greater well-being.

For those who find it difficult to relax with this type of technique, they always have the option of listening to music, although be careful! not every genre is valid. It is advisable to listen to relaxing environmental sounds or classical music.

You may be interested: “”6 easy relaxation techniques to combat stress”

4. Exercise

Exercise is always a very good option to enjoy great well-being. It is not surprising that in popular language there have been sayings that insinuate a solid relationship between mental and physical health, the best known being ‘a healthy mind in a healthy body’.

Playing sports helps regulate cortisol levels, which translates into reduced anxiety. In addition, physical exercise causes serotonin and dopamine to be released at the brain level, substances also related to emotional well-being.

The exercise does not have to be very intense. It is enough to take a walk for half an hour a day, although going to a gym or signing up for directed activities such as boxing, body pump or spinning are very good ways to reduce the cortisol hormone.

5. Organize time

A disorganized lifestyle is the main cause of being constantly stressed. That is why it is something truly necessary to try to bring order to our lives.

Organizing time, meeting deadlines and trying to have more or less well-established schedules give our lives structure and, therefore, make uncertainty less frequent.

Cortisol, as the stress hormone that it is, appears in situations that we don’t know how they will evolve. It is an evolutionary mechanism that serves to try to activate ourselves against a threat and find a short-term solution.

However, this mechanism is totally harmful if it makes us live stressed all the time. That is why, to the extent possible, if we can put an end to this hourly anarchy, we will prevent this mechanism from being activated and we will not suffer as much stress.

6. Find out what worries us
Everyone has their worries, with which they live and, to the extent that they can, try to deal with them. However, sometimes we find it more comfortable to do nothing against it, even though it wears us down emotionally.