Home remedies to manage your cortisol levels

We all get stressed sometimes, due to an overload of work or in challenging situations. But did you know that your hormones struggle to control stress when you stay stressed for long? Stress makes hormone levels go haywire, which leads to health-related problems. 

Keep reading to know how to control stress hormone levels with these simple home remedies. 

Are elevated levels of cortisol dangerous? 

Being under a chronic stress state makes cortisol hormone levels go high. Cortisol not only responds to stress but has many other functions, such as: 

• Helps in the metabolism of fats, protein, and carbohydrates 
• Suppresses inflammation 
• It helps in controlling blood pressure and blood sugar levels. 
• Helps in managing the sleep-wake cycle. 

The body needs normal levels of cortisol to maintain these functions. But, in response to chronic stress the levels of cortisol increase and lead to health-related problems such as decreased functionality of the immune system, digestive problems, weight gain or obesity, fatigue, depression, and type 2 diabetes.  

You can avoid those problems by reducing your stress.  

Symptoms of elevated levels of cortisol in your body  

• Weight gain [especially in the face, upper back, and between the shoulders (buffalo bump)] 
• Pink or purple stretch marks on the skin [particularly on the abdomen, thighs, breasts, and arms] 
• Thinning or fragile skin 
• Slow healing of cuts, and bruises  
• Acne 
• Thicker body or facial hair (hirsutism) 
• Irregular menstrual periods 
• Decrease in sex drive 
• Skin darkening 
• Headaches 
• Muscle weakness 
• Loss of emotional control  
• Fatigue 

Home remedies for high cortisol  

1. Learn and practice relaxation techniques: One of the most proven ways to maintain your cortisol levels is to control stress by learning and practicing relaxation techniques. Meditation, deep breathing, yoga, and mindfulness are the relaxation techniques that are scientifically proven by many studies to reduce your stress. Learn and perform these whenever you feel stressed.  
2. Get enough sleep: Not getting enough sleep is one of the reasons for high cortisol levels. During sleep, your body heals the damaged tissue, restores many functions, and balances out the excessive cortisol levels. But in contrast, when you stay awake for a long time these functions never happen- instead, the body needs more energy to stay awake and work, which makes the cortisol levels high. So, it’s important to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep for the proper functioning of the body.  
3. Give time to your favorite activities: To avoid stress, this is particularly important, because it helps to uplift your mood and make you happy. Try to give time to your favorite activities, to maintain a good mood throughout the day.  
4. Reduce your sugar intake: Not only does excess sugar raise cortisol levels, but it also leads to Weight gain, Obesity, and Type 2 diabetes. So, you should reduce the intake of processed sugars to avoid these health-related complications.  
5. Cut caffeine and alcohol from your diet: These two are equally bad for your body. Their intake increases cortisol levels in the body. So, try to reduce the intake of these two or cut them off from your diet.  
6. Have a regular workout routine: Exercise is good for health as it improves your sleep, and overall health, reduces stress, and lowers your cortisol levels over time. But intense workouts put an excessive load on the brain and muscles that can create stress. Occasionally, heavy workouts are okay, but if you keep pushing yourself hard every single time, it can create a lot of stress that increases cortisol levels. So, exercise under proper guidance to avoid stress.  
7. Take care of a pet: Good news for animal lovers! Having a pet and taking care of animals reduces your stress and helps to maintain cortisol levels. Keeping a pet helps to uplift your mood by building a relationship of trust and friendship, which makes you feel important and comfortable.  

Stress is a normal reaction whenever we get an overload of work or a challenging situation. But staying stressed affects the hormone – cortisol by increasing its levels which starts compromising the functions of the body. So, try to reduce or avoid stress by practicing the home remedies that are mentioned above to live a stress-free life.  

Want therapy, or just someone to share the worries that make you feel stressed? At Doral Health and Wellness, we have doctors that can help you manage your condition. For more information, you can visit us at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, New York, 11212, or call us on 1-347-384-5690. You can also visit our website at https://doralhw.org or contact us at info@doralhw.org if you have any queries.