I was in the middle of a writing project when a panic attack hit me like a ton of bricks, the shortness of breath, the pounding heart and, the tunnel vision, aka the trifecta of panic attacks. It's been a while since the last time I experienced such a full-fledged level of unprovoked panic attacks and it's a bit disconcerting. It was later revealed (thanks to a home cortisol level test kit) that my cortisol level at the time of the panic attack was through the roof, which got me thinking, have I been unknowingly placing too much stress on myself that it's garnered a biological response? And furthermore, what can I do to lower my cortisol level and prevent future events like this one?
What is cortisol?
Cortisol or more commonly known as the stress hormone is produced by the body to remain in high alert during potentially life-threatening events. It's our body's natural alarm system. Back in the day when being eaten by a lion was a real potential threat, cortisol helps us avoid becoming lion chow. In modern days, this type of fight or flight response helps keep us alert, motivated, and capable of surviving crises. In other words, it helps us respond appropriately to the stressors in our lives. (1)This good little hormone does more than just help us deal with the holiday family stresses, it also maintains major bodily functions such as:
Managing how the body utilizes carbohydrates, fats, and proteins
Keeping inflammation down
Controlling our sleep/wake cycle
Allowing us to handle stress by boosting our energy
We need cortisol to survive, however, like most things in life (although somehow we can never have too many Brad Pitts #lmao), too much cortisol (or too little), could throw our bodies into whack and create a whole lot of different problems. (2) From headaches to heart diseases, the problems associated with too much cortisol are well documented, which begs the question: What's making our bodies over-produce these stress hormones?
Since cortisol production is mainly our body's reactions to outer stressors, can being overwhelmed promote the production of cortisol?
While we no longer need to fight to the death with a hungry wilder beast, our bodies are still constantly confronted with different types of stressors. From work to interpersonal relations, modern society is filled with stressors that promote the production of cortisol. Although the body's stress response system is self-limiting (normally), when stressors are always present the fight-or-flight reaction stays turned on. This type of long-term activation of the stress response system can lead to our body's overexposure to cortisol and other stress hormones. And like a bucket, if we overfill our body with these stress response hormones, it's bound to overflow and cause problems. (3)
So the question now becomes, what can we do to release some of that tension and lower our cortisol level?
Releasing the cortisol pressure valve
While you should definitely work with a qualified health professional to establish the root cause of your health issues, it is still important to introduce some positive lifestyle habits to help better manage your cortisol levels. Here are some recommendations:
Cry it out.
Studies have shown that there are two distinctive ways cortisol can leave our bodies, through sweat and tears. In other words, exercising and crying can both relieve stress. It's also been suggested that suppressing tears can increase stress levels, thus contributing to stress aggravated illnesses. (4)
Work it out.
Regular exercise has been shown to reduce stress and consequently lower cortisol over time. Much like tears, perspiration provides a potential outlet for the towering cortisol level. While, routine gym sessions that feature low to medium-intensity workouts can help the body gradually regulate our stress response system, this only works in moderation. Studies have shown that certain intense workouts, or overdoing your gym session increases the cortisol level in your body and adds more stress. (5)
Take a deep breath.
Taking a deep breath is a common practice among mindfulness-based practices like yoga. Multiple studies have been conducted and proved that these breathwork-centric practices can help lower cortisol and manage stress. By taking a deep breath or a diaphragmatic breath, we can successfully lower our slow down our heart rate, and reduce our stress level which consequently means lowering our cortisol level. Some studies have seen participants improve their sustained attention, affect, and cortisol levels after 20 sessions of breathwork training. (6)
Learn more about the deep breathing method here.
Get a good night's sleep.
Since chronic sleep issues such as insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, or shift work have long been associated with higher levels of cortisol, it can be assumed that sleeping well is a major factor in maintaining our cortisol level. Insomnia, in particular, can result in high cortisol levels that can affect our hormone patterns, energy levels, and more. Therefore, how to optimize sleep (induce sleep, maintain sleep, and have higher sleep quality) is extremely important to stay well. Here are a few things we can do to sleep better: (7)
Be ritualistic: Have a wind-down routine. A consistent bedtime routine (e.g., shower, read a book, etc.) can tell your brain and body that it's time to take things slow and get ready for bed.
Be consistent: Set up a sleep and wake schedule. Our body craves routine. By setting up a specific and routine pace for our sleep/wake cycle, eventually, our bodies will adhere to it.
Be early: Workout earlier in the day. Since exercising is prone to invigorate us, working out no later than 2~3 hours before bedtime can help us avoid being too alert when sleepy time hits.
Don't light/drink up: Avoid nicotine and alcohol. Both substances are known to lower our sleep quality and shorten its duration.
Don't turn on the light: Limit exposure to bright light. Our bodies need to be signaled to produce melatonin, the sleep hormone that helps you fall alseep. If we are exposed to artificial bright lights and/or blue lights around 60 minutes before bedtime, it can signal our bodies that it's still daytime and mess up our circadian rhythm. Try to emulate the sunset and evening atmosphere with indoor lighting and sleep with either heavy, light-blocking curtains or eye masks.
Be quiet: Go to bed in a quiet room. It's hard to fall asleep in a noisy environment, limit interruptions by using white noise machines, earplugs, and silencing your phone.
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