Face feeling puffy? Tired all the time? It could be your cortisol levels acting up, and yes maybe Tiktok is right this time. Cortisol is your body’s stress hormone, and when it’s too high for too long, it can leave you drained and not feeling your best. Not only does stress affects your mental health, it can take a toll on your physical health,too.
Talk about having a “moon face”, inability to concentrate, and gaining weight all of a sudden.
The good news? A few easy habits can help bring it back to balance, and here are some of them.
Reduce Your Coffee Intake
We’re not telling you to bid your favorite morning brew goodbye, but reducing it will definitely help. Drinking coffee on an empty stomach can lead to a spike in cortisol levels, especially since cortisol naturally peaks in the morning, so make sure you have a high protein breakfast first.
Practice Meditation and Deep Breaths
Life with all its responsibilities and problems can get the best of us, thus stress levels can be over the roof, affecting us in all sort of ways. However, studies showed that deep breathing exercises for at least five minutes have great benefits as it helps to lower cortisol, ease anxiety and depression.
Eat Whole-Food, Plant-Based Meals, And Limit Processed Foods
Eating processed and sugary food most of the time will lead to high sugar, cholesterol and cortisol levels. Eating a healthy diet based on whole foods might help stabilize and lower elevated cortisol levels
Exercise Regularly
When you prioritize working out and exercising in general, you automatically lower your cortisol levels. Regular physical activity is a natural stress reliever, and will leave you feeling calmer, and boost your mood.
Aim for 7 to 9 Hours of Sleep per Night
Getting less than 7–8 hours a night keeps your body in a stressed state, disrupts your concentration which can elevate cortisol levels. Sleep is when your body resets and repairs, both mentally and physically, so it’s crucial to get better sleep.
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