5 Tips to Lower Your Cortisol Naturally

If you feel like you’re living in a state of go go go all the time, your schedule is always booked out, and you’re wondering when you’re going to be able to take a moment and slow down and take some time for yourself…

Then you’re not alone. 

Many of my clients come to me and feel this way and trust me I get it. 

In this era, it seems that the priority is that we need to be busy all the time and that we often may find ourselves feeling guilty when this isn’t the case. 

But what is not being considered is the long-term effects that being "busy" has on your health. 

If you are busy all the time and are in a state of constant stress - these high cortisol levels can take a toll on your overall well-being - and I don’t want that for you. 

But the good news is that it doesn’t have to stay that way. 

Did you know that there are tons of ways that you can lower your cortisol naturally and reduce your overall stress?

I’m going to tell you how but I also want to share with you more about what cortisol is and how it can affect your health so you have all the information you need, all in one place! 

This blog covers - 

• What is cortisol? 
• How high cortisol affects your health 
• 5 tips to naturally lower your cortisol 
• How you can lower your cortisol with breathwork 

So let’s dive in! 

First off, what is cortisol? 

Cortisol is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands.

It is often called the "stress hormone" because its levels increase in response to stress. 

Cortisol plays a crucial role in your body's response to stress by regulating various physiological functions, including metabolism, immune response, blood pressure, and glucose levels.

Here’s how high cortisol affects your health...  

In times of stress, cortisol helps the body by providing a quick burst of energy, enhancing the body's ability to cope with stressors.

However, you should know that chronically elevated levels of cortisol due to ongoing stress can have negative effects on health such as - 

• Suppressed immune function
• Weight gain
• Elevated blood pressure 
• Poor quality sleep
• Digestive issues

Overall, chronically elevated cortisol levels due to ongoing stress or other factors can have a significant impact on your physical and mental health which is why it’s so important to learn how to lower your cortisol levels so that you don’t need to worry about any of these issues. 

So let’s talk about… 

5 Tips to Naturally Lower Your Cortisol 

Being able to lower your cortisol levels naturally can help mitigate the negative health effects associated with chronic stress. 

Here are five easy-to-implement tips to help reduce cortisol levels:

Tip 1 -  Start regularly practicing stress-reducing techniques

You can engage in activities that promote relaxation and stress relief, such as meditation, deep breathing exercises (more on this below), yoga, tai chi, or progressive muscle relaxation. These techniques will help calm the mind and body, reducing your cortisol production and promoting a sense of well-being. 

Did you know I have a FREE full body scan meditation that helps with progressive muscle relaxation and will help you with naturally lowering your cortisol levels? You can download it here and try it today! 

Tip 2 - Get regular exercise/movement

Physical activity will help lower your cortisol levels by promoting the release of endorphins, which are natural mood lifters, and by providing a healthy outlet for stress.

Try to aim for at least 30 minutes of movement most days of the week, such as brisk walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, or dancing. One of my personal favorite ways to move my body is going for a walk with my dog Nash almost every day and a few days a week you’ll find me in the gym lifting weights. 

Tip 3 - Prioritize YOUR sleep

Don’t sleep on sleep! 

Getting good, quality sleep is essential for regulating your cortisol levels and promoting overall health and well-being. Aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night and establish a consistent sleep schedule by going to bed and waking up at the same time each day. 

To help you with this you can try creating a consistent bedtime routine and having a sleep-friendly environment such as keeping your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet.

Tip 4 - Eat a balanced diet.

Consuming a nutritious diet can help regulate cortisol levels and support overall health. You should try to focus on whole, nutrient-dense foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats and try to avoid or limit highly processed foods, sugary snacks, and excessive caffeine and alcohol, which can contribute to cortisol spikes. 

Tip 5 - Practice self-care

This is one of my favorite things to do and is also great for helping you to lower your cortisol levels! 

To do this, start by making time for activities that bring you joy and relaxation, such as spending time with family, pursuing hobbies, or enjoying nature. 

And it’s also great to start having a regular self-care routine that you can do on a daily or weekly basis. 

The goal should always be that when your head hits your pillow at night you can easily answer the question, “what’s one thing I did for myself today?”

If you’re wanting to know how to create your own self care routine you can stick to and to get ideas for self-care activities go here! 

And of course…as a certified somatic breathwork facilitator, I HAVE to share with you one of my favorite (and highly recommended ways) you can naturally lower your cortisol!  

How to lower your cortisol with breathwork 

Breathwork, or controlled breathing exercises, can be an effective tool for lowering cortisol levels naturally and managing stress. 

Here's how breathwork works and why you should consider practicing it:

1. It activates your parasympathetic nervous system: Breathwork techniques such as deep breathing, diaphragmatic breathing, and paced breathing activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the body's "rest and digest" response. When the parasympathetic nervous system is activated, it counteracts the effects of the sympathetic nervous system (aka your body's "fight or flight" response), leading to relaxation and reduced cortisol production.

2. It will reduce your stress and anxiety: Breathwork helps regulate the body's stress response by promoting relaxation and reducing anxiety. Deep breathing exercises can help calm the mind and body.

3. It will enhance your mindfulness and awareness: Practicing breathwork encourages mindfulness and present-moment awareness. Focusing on the breath allows you to anchor your attention to the present moment, which can help reduce worry and stress. By cultivating mindfulness, breathwork can help break the cycle of stress and cortisol production.

Wondering where to start with breathwork? Check out my blog post that I wrote on somatic breathwork exercises you can try here! 

Are you wanting to take this work even further??

Introducing the Heal Your Nervous System Workbook 

If you are experiencing chronic fatigue, high cortisol levels, sleep disturbances, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, overwhelm, panic attacks, or anything that indicates that you have a dysregulated nervous system then this workbook is for you!

This workbook will take you through the next 30 days to work on healing your nervous system with everything you need to know. 

This workbook is for you if -

• You want to better regulate your body's response to stress
• You want to lower your cortisol levels 
• You want to improve your overall mood and mental health
• You want to improve your physical health
• You want better concentration, and focus, and to improve your sleep quality

...and so much more!

This workbook includes -

• Worksheets on how to identify if you are experiencing a dysregulated nervous system + an easy-to-use method to assess your results
• Easy daily practices for nervous system healing
• A worksheet on how to incorporate lifestyle changes to heal your nervous system
• 4 weeks of daily routines and practices to help you heal your nervous system that are curated to be easy to implement into a busy routine
• A weekly goal tracker
• A 30-day reflection worksheet to assess your results
• Printable PDF pages

Sound like exactly what you're looking for? Get the workbook here!