Author:
Laura McKinney
Date Of Creation:
3 August 2021
Update Date:
22 June 2024
Content
Cortisol is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands that stimulates the liver to release sugar into the bloodstream. Naturally, cortisol helps maintain equilibrium in stressful and crisis situations, also known as the "fight or flight" response. However, the high concentration of cortisol in the blood will negatively affect the body and mind. Elevated cortisol levels can affect learning, memory, weight gain, high blood pressure, heart disease, depression, and psychological problems. Stress management is the most effective way to control cortisol levels.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Managing stress
Practice deep breaths. Stress makes you breathe faster and not as deeply as usual. When you practice deep breathing, you can lower your stress and cortisol levels. Abdominal breathing exercises for 20-30 minutes a day will significantly help feelings of anxiety and stress. Deep breathing increases the flow of oxygen to the brain, stimulating a state of calm. Increasing breathing exercises will help you connect your mind and body, and also prevent the stress response caused by cortisol secretion.
- Combine deep breathing and visualization therapy to suppress the negative effects of cortisol. Imagine holes in your feet so that hot air can enter your body. Take a deep breath and visualize that hot air is circulating from the hole in your leg and throughout your body. Relax your muscles as you exhale, pushing the hot air down and out the holes. This exercise takes about 6 seconds and is called the "quiet response".
- Create harmony between body, mind and emotions through natural breathing. Rhythmic breathing exercises help eliminate stress, fatigue and anger.
- Try lying on your back and put one hand on your chest, one hand on your stomach. When relaxing your whole body, eyes closed, inhale slowly through your nose. Hands placed on the abdomen raised. Take a 3 second deep breath, then exhale. Do this exercise until you feel really relaxed.
Relax for 12 minutes every morning. Bathing, preparing breakfast (and lunch too), taking your kids to school, getting ready for work and dealing with traffic jams each morning can be stressful. So, you should relax for 12 minutes after waking up and before starting the reel.- Research shows that you can lower levels of the "stress hormone" cortisol by taking 12 minutes each morning to relax. Cortisol is usually released early in the morning and is responsible for maintaining homeostasis.
- Instead of starting work by rushing to check email or turning on your computer, make a cup of tea and sit in the early morning sun to relax your soul.
Meditate. Meditation has been known to help reduce stress and help calm mind. Moreover, recently, meditation has also been found to have biochemical benefits, or chemical changes in the brain to reduce cortisol levels, increase serotonin and release endorphins.- Meditation produces alpha brain waves (focus alertness) and theta (relaxation).
- All meditation activities stimulate a relaxation response, relax the body and reduce the effects of cortisol on the body.
- New research has clarified the relationship between meditation and reduced stress, anxiety, and fatigue.
Take a yoga class. Yoga helps to clear the mind and reduce stress levels. Research shows that practicing yoga (even for the first time) helps normalize cortisol levels, bringing balance to the body. Yoga helps to reduce muscle tension, thereby neutralizing the stress response. Yoga moves help your mind relax to feel your own thoughts, feelings and feelings.- Relax your facial muscles and breathe deeply, slowly through your nose to relieve stress and anxiety.Close your eyes, at the same time keep quiet for a moment and feel about everything around you.
- The combination of exercise and meditation helps produce soothing hormones that have been shown to be very effective at lowering cortisol levels and improving mental calming abilities.
- Or you can try a massage. Massage is the best muscle relaxation response stimulant to aid in the soothing process of the body.
- If you don't have time to study yoga in outside classes, you can teach yourself online or on DVD.
Walk in the woods. Take a walk in the woods or a park to relax your body and mind. Nothing can bring peace of mind like walking in the woods and listening to birds singing, watching fallen leaves and small squirrels dancing among the trees. Nature brings tranquility and helps you get rid of the noise of modern life.
- If you want to enjoy nature and relax your mind, away from noise pollution, keep your electronic devices at home. Don't let modern technology disrupt the tranquility and tranquility.
- If you live in the city, you can have a pet. Playing with pets increases levels of oxytocin, endorphins and many other soothing hormones, while also helping to lower cortisol levels.
Listening to music. Listening to music under stress will affect the psycho-biotic system to help you recover from stress faster. Listening to music or playing music stimulates the body to produce more immunoglobulin A - the cells that attack the virus and help stimulate the immune system, while lowering cortisol levels.
- Writing music, playing music, listening to music, or being creative all stimulate the production of endorphins and other active neurotransmitters.
- Music helps reduce anxiety, depression, improves the immune system, relieves physical pain, lowers heart rate, lowers blood pressure and slows breathing.
- Vibration from the music also creates a feeling of elation.
Planting trees. In addition to being able to enjoy clean food on your own, gardening and growing plants are also exercises that help lower cortisol levels. Research shows that during the "recovery phase", gardening significantly reduces cortisol levels and reduces acute stress.
- Physical activity like gardening can help reduce stress, relieve anger, and lose weight.
- Known as “horticulture therapy,” gardening care, feeling the surrounding nature, awareness and satisfaction of a job well done, all have important effects on your health. substance and spirit because they help reduce cortisol levels.
Method 2 of 4: Establish a healthy lifestyle
Exercise regularly. Should exercise every day to reduce stress. Aerobic exercise helps release endorphins, while lifting weights increases the growth hormone, thereby helping to prevent and control the hormone cortisol. Note that overtraining should be avoided, only 30-45 minutes to maximize cortisol control.
- After exercising, you also need to take care of your body by preparing foods rich in carbohydrates and proteins to restore glucose and nitrate levels, which will help restore normal cortisol levels more quickly.
- Lifting weights helps to increase muscle mass, increase serotonin and dopamine secretion. These chemicals help reduce stress and depression. Use DHEA supplements to promote muscle building, increase strength and increase motivation to work out.
- Aerobic exercise helps reduce stress, lower high blood pressure, regulate blood sugar levels, and maintain a healthy weight.
Establish social relationships. Lonely people are more susceptible to cardiovascular health effects compared to extroverts. Some studies show that loneliness is a greater concern than quitting smoking or exercising.
- Join a club, gym class, or volunteer activity to force yourself out of the house. Volunteering helps you feel better, both physically and mentally.
- Go out with friends or colleagues after work.
- Meet and talk to people to boost your spirits.
Create a relaxing environment. Create a quiet environment where you can relax when you come home from a busy day. Also, be alert to chaotic, chaotic, or conflicting situations that stress you out. Instead, go to places that are positive.
- Place fresh flowers on the table, near the aisle and in the bedroom to calm the atmosphere.
- Scenting helps create a sense of peace and relaxation.
- Natural sunlight is not only good for the body but also good for mental health.
- Open the curtains and let the sunlight shine in the room. Sunlight makes you feel warm and happy.
- Housecleaning. A messy house will create a feeling of chaos, disorganization.
Get enough sleep. If you want to regulate and reduce the levels of cortisol in your body, you need to sleep deeply and get plenty of sleep, at least 8 hours a day. Sleep affects appearance, the quality of work, and the overall quality of life and longevity. Therefore, getting enough sleep is a very important step. advertisement
Method 3 of 4: Change your diet
Do not consume caffeine. Don't drink too much coffee. Despite its effects on reducing stress and helping with concentration, caffeine increases cortisol levels up to 18 hours after ingestion. Caffeinated beverages include soda and tea. When you don't drink coffee, you can both save money and keep your cortisol levels under control.
- A 350 ml cup of coffee contains 200 mg of caffeine. This amount of caffeine increases cortisol levels by 30% within an hour. Eliminating coffee (caffeine) from your diet is the fastest way to reduce your catabolic metabolism and increase your anabolic metabolism.
- Consuming too much caffeine, or more than 500 mg per day, can cause headaches, restlessness and anxiety. This will affect sleep habits and increase cortisol levels.
Fortified with vitamin C. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that strengthens cell membranes, supports immune cell function, and performs collagen synthesis. It is these cell-protective effects of vitamin C that will help fight stress.
- Vitamin C is found in citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, grapefruit, and tomatoes, broccoli, peppers.
- Vitamin C supplementation with a dose of 1000 mg per day significantly improves the adrenal gland's ability to normalize cortisol secretion.
- Multivitamins with another "stress reduction formula" including vitamins B1, B5 and B6 also help normalize cortisol levels.
- Minerals like magnesium significantly lower cortisol levels after exercise, while zinc helps lower plasma post-exercise cortisol levels.
- In addition to reducing stress and controlling cortisol levels, these supplements also boost the immune system.
Supplement with melatonin. Melatonin is a natural hormone the body produces at night to regulate the wake / sleep cycle. Before going to bed, you can increase your melatonin levels by taking a supplement to ensure sleep lasts at least 8 hours.
- Although there is a clear relationship between melatonin and the body, its effects are not the same for everyone. Therefore, you need to consult your doctor before taking melatonin supplements.
Regulates blood sugar. Avoid consuming refined carbohydrates and sugars to limit insulin secretion. Instead, eat small meals full of protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats like olive oil and flaxseed oil. These foods help to lower cortisol levels.
- Glucagon is produced at night when you sleep and between meals. You need to control this hormone for blood sugar regulation and energy balance. When there is an imbalance, cortisol is produced to increase blood sugar levels.
- Should bring water to drink when thirsty and provide water for the body.
Method 4 of 4: Determine the adrenal gland problem
Know the signs of adrenal insufficiency. Adrenal insufficiency, or Addson's disease, occurs when the body doesn't make enough cortisol. Although adrenal insufficiency is a chronic disease with no cure, hormone therapy can be effective. Symptoms of adrenal insufficiency include:
- Excessive fatigue
- Weight loss
- Lower blood pressure, leading to unconsciousness
- Hypoglycemia
- Loss of appetite and / or appetite
- Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
- Stomachache
- Muscle pain or joint pain
- Frustrated, irritable
- Depression
- Dull skin
Talk to your doctor if you suspect adrenal insufficiency. Your doctor may perform tests to diagnose adrenal problems. Testing may include:
- Blood tests to measure levels of sodium, potassium, cortisol and the hormone ACTH.
- ACTH stimulation test, in which blood cortisol levels are measured before and after injecting synthetic ACTH. If the adrenal glands are damaged, the cortisol levels will remain constant
- Computer tomography to check the size of the adrenal glands.
Treatment of adrenal insufficiency with corticosteroids. If it is determined that you have Addison's disease or another condition in your adrenal glands, your doctor will recommend treatment. Adrenal insufficiency can be life-threatening if left untreated and can lead to acute adrenal insufficiency.
- Take corticosteroids. Hydrocortisone, prednisone or cortisone acetate can be taken orally to replace cortisol.
- Get a corticosteroid injection if you are sick or have an emergency. If you are vomiting and cannot swallow, or have an emergency such as acute adrenal insufficiency, you can administer a corticosteroid injection.
- Bring extra medicine with you. Forgetting to bring your medication can have serious consequences. Therefore, it is recommended to add medicine at work, in your purse, bag or backpack; suitcase when traveling.
- Consider wearing an illness alert bracelet and a medical card in your wallet. Severe lowering of cortisol levels can cause you to lose consciousness or lose consciousness. In that case, the disease alert bracelet will help medical staff identify the cause more quickly to help promptly.
Recognize signs of acute adrenal insufficiency. Acute adrenal insufficiency (or acute Addison's disease) occurs when cortisol levels drop dramatically and suddenly. This occurs when the adrenal gland is damaged, mostly due to disease in the adrenal glands. Acute adrenal insufficiency should be treated immediately with hydrocortisone injection. If you have any of the following symptoms, especially if you know you have Addison's disease, seek medical help right away:
- Pain in the lower back, abdomen or legs
- Fever
- Severe vomiting and diarrhea leads to dehydration
- Lower blood pressure
- Loss of awareness
- High potassium (hyperkalemia) and low sodium (hyponatremia)
- Shock (cold, damp skin; pale fingers and toes; rapid breathing; confusion)
- Tired
