Let's Talk About Cortisol Management...
Cortisol is the hormone that our body makes in response to stress. We need cortisol to stay alive: it helps to control sleep-wake cycles, regulates metabolism, keeps inflammation down, regulates blood pressure, helps to control blood sugar levels, and allows us to focus in a state of emergency. The problem is that when we’re making too much, it can down-regulate other important processes (immune function, digestion, ovarian function, growth...), and over-time our body can become less responsive to this hormone. We start to see anxiety, depression, brain fog, digestive concerns, trouble sleeping, menstrual and hormonal concerns, skin concerns, etc.
Cortisol is likely not going away anytime soon (actually it’s never going away, we NEED it to live), but we can put steps in place to decrease our overproduction of cortisol and our response to cortisol.
The two areas that are most impactful for the majority of people are:
Blood sugar management
Sleep
The first place to start for blood sugar management is to make sure that your breakfast (or first food of the day) is high in protein. Aim for 20g of protein. For context, that’s about 3 eggs, a scoop of most protein powders, ⅓ cup hemp seeds, 2 slices of higher protein bread + 2 TBSP peanut butter, or 1 cup Greek yoghurt. This dose of protein will allow your blood sugar levels to rise slowly and fall slowly - which makes for stable fuel and energy. We want to avoid sharp spikes and falls. Ensuring there is some sort of protein with every meal and snack will allow us to keep it stable throughout the day, but focus on that breakfast first!
For sleep, the first step is to look at your bedtime routine. Set a consistent bedtime, turn those screens off the hour before bed, and ensure that hitting the pillow is not the first time in the day you’re allowing yourself to process your thoughts and emotions. I have a few more sleep hygiene tips here. If this isn’t working I highly encourage reaching out for more support. When you’re well-rested you can handle so much more.
There are many other habits that can be helpful for cortisol management, but these are some of my favourites:
Watch your news/social media intake (do NOT intake first thing in the morning or last thing before bed) - we want to start and end the day grounded. This is SO IMPORTANT right now.
Try 2-5 minute guided meditations daily (check out Headspace, Calm, or Insight Timer Apps). This is a great thing to add to your bedtime routine if you’re struggling to sleep. You don’t need to be good at it, just try!
Get outside daily (at the minimum open your window or stand on your porch or balcony for a few minutes to feel that breeze on your face and hear the birds).
Move your body, but do it mindfully. Pay attention to what feels good - if you’ve been in a high cortisol state for a long period of time - you’ll likely need to stick to walking/yoga as more intense exercise might leave you feeling depleted. But if you’re feeling a lot of physical anxiety - high-intensity exercise can often help to release that.
Pick an affirmation to hold onto throughout the day or the week, or things that you’re grateful for. As much as possible, ground yourself in these.
As we’re realizing that this will be the new norm for a while, it’s a good time to look at what kind of habits and patterns we’re creating. There’s never been a more important time to focus on mental and physical wellness, but please do it in a gentle, inquisitive and forgiving way and don’t hesitate to reach out if you need support.