Facing stress, whether it be psychological or physical, is a part of life that we all go through. Whether we consciously recognize it or not, stress can stack up over time. Particularly for those who work in high-pressure environments. For healthcare workers, graduates of the online social work degree and others who work in fast-paced industries, the accumulated stress of our jobs can take a toll.
Fortunately, the human body comes equipped with an effective way to respond — cortisol.
What is Cortisol?
Cortisol is a hormone that is produced and released within the adrenal glands above our kidneys and plays a versatile role in our systems. Although having influence on almost every organ and tissue, cortisol primarily helps regulate our body’s stress response. In addition, its other roles include suppressing inflammation, controlling the use of body fats, proteins, metabolism, and helping maintain both blood pressure and sugar levels. During stressful times, cortisol is released to direct glucose from our livers to the blood for a fast supply of energy. This aids fight or flight hormones such as adrenaline in helping the body respond to situations.
What Health Conditions Can High Cortisol cause?
Despite their essential role in helping to combat stress, high levels of cortisol that go on for long periods of time can potentially lead to serious health conditions.
High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure describes the complication that occurs when the force of blood flowing within your artery walls becomes too high. Elevated levels of cortisol are a known contributor to high blood pressure and can be linked to increased blood flow being pumped into the heart during stressful times. A survey conducted in 2021 studied urine samples of 412 participants with no previous health conditions and found that risks of developing high blood pressure increased in response to a rise in cortisol and other hormones such as epinephrine.
Weight Gain
High cortisol levels can signal a metabolism shift that will cause your body to store fat. According to experts, this is due to cortisol hormones redistributing white adipose tissue to our abdomines and increasing our appetite with a preference for energy dense foods. As a result, weight gain can occur. While this is not a health condition in itself, significant weight gain can increase the risk of some health conditions.
Diabetes
While insulin helps store excess glucose (sugar) when sugar levels are too high, cortisol on the other hand instructs the body to release stored sugar into the blood. High cortisol levels for prolonged periods further encourage higher amounts of sugar into the bloodstream, eventually leading to persistent high blood sugar, which can cause Type 2 diabetes.
4 Recommendations on how to Lower High Cortisol Levels
Insights by Houston HealthCare highlight how the relationship between stress and cortisol levels are directly proportional. As stress triggers the production of cortisol, lowering stress can directly lead to lower levels of cortisol and vice versa. Knowing this reveals several simple but effective measures that we can easily implement to help improve our stress levels, which can also reduce cortisol as a result.
1. Laughing and Fun
Apparently, the phrase ‘positive vibes only’ has medical significance indeed. Laughing and having fun are simple but proactive ways that allow your body to release endorphins — the hormones that suppress cortisol. Spending as much time as possible with our loved ones and participating in hobbies can further generate more endorphins to reduce our cortisol levels.
2. Practice Breathing Techniques
Proper breathing techniques during stressful times can aid our bodies in managing their cortisol levels. Deep breathing exercises, for instance, stimulate our parasympathetic nervous system in ways that help suppress cortisol levels throughout the body. One of the benefits of deep breathing is that you can do it anytime and anywhere, especially when you encounter a stressful situation.
3. Exercising and Staying Physically Active
Regular exercise and physical activity are not only great for your heart, but great for balancing your stress hormone levels too. Regular physical activity can help lower stress and elevate endorphins levels which, as previously mentioned, can help suppress cortisol levels over time. Low and moderate impact exercise are recommended as you want to avoid your body producing more stress hormones from intense exercise, that could be counterproductive.
4. Balanced Diet
What we consume can also have an effect on our cortisol levels. Diets that contain higher amounts of sugar and fat can lead to higher cortisol levels, compared to healthier and more balanced alternatives such as fruit, vegetables and wholegrain foods. This also extends towards things that we regularly drink. It’s understandable that caffeine is popular for those of us with busy schedules, but it turns out, it’s also a culprit for high-cortisol and hence should be consumed in moderation.
Although stress is inevitable, our body possesses effective ways to help us respond through releasing stress hormones such as cortisol. However, high levels of cortisol over time can provoke serious health implications such as high blood pressure and diabetes, so it’s important to stay on top of it and ensure it remains at a healthy level. Simple lifestyle habits such as relaxation techniques, pursuing fun-filled activities, proper dieting and regular exercise can play a role in reducing stress and lowering cortisol levels as a result.