Stress Management: Reset Your Nervous System

We live in a stressful world, there’s no doubt about it. Daily stressors such as work, family, busy schedules, and world events can build up over time and cause us to become chronically stressed. Unless we find ways to consciously de-stress each day, our bodies often remain in a hyper-vigilant, chronically stressed-out state, which can cause some pretty big consequences for our health over time. Let’s explore ways we can manage our stress levels and how those impact our overall health and wellness.

Keep your cortisol in check.

Cortisol is a natural hormone that your body makes in response to stress. When part of a healthy stress response, cortisol is actually anti-inflammatory and can help us deal with the acute stress we’re experiencing, also known as the fight or flight response. But when cortisol levels are elevated for extended periods of time (i.e. our bodies don’t recover from the initial stressor and stay in fight or flight mode), it can cause some unwelcome symptoms like fatigue, belly fat and anxiety. Here are a few simple ways you can support healthy cortisol levels in your body:

Get sunlight first thing in the morning

Cortisol naturally peaks first thing in the morning to help you wake up and provide energy to start your day. Exposure to natural sunlight within 30-60 minutes of waking up helps regulate that natural rhythm instead of letting cortisol spike throughout the day. 5-10 minutes outside is all you need!

Cut down on the caffeine

Caffeine consumption raises cortisol levels, which is part of the reason that cup of coffee gives you an energy boost. But too much caffeine throughout the day, or first thing in the morning with no food in your stomach, can cause cortisol to raise too much and make you feel anxious and jittery. Try delaying caffeine intake to 60-90 minutes after waking up and make sure to pair it with a healthy breakfast.

Regulate your nervous system

If your body never exits the fight or flight response, cortisol stays elevated in the background, wreaking havoc on your health. Daily nervous system regulation activities such as deep breathing, meditation, yoga, stretching, or simply 5 minutes of doing nothing, help to signal your body that its safe and can lower cortisol levels.

Protect your sleep

As discussed in a previous blog post, sleep is one of the most underrated health habits and it directly impacts cortisol levels the next day. It’s pretty simple: a poor night’s sleep = higher cortisol the next day. Ensure you’re following good sleep hygiene to help keep those cortisol levels in check.

Eat a protein-rich breakfast

Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. A healthy, protein-rich breakfast helps naturally stabilize blood sugar levels, which signals your body that it’s safe, which in turn naturally lowers cortisol. Try to incorporate healthy proteins each morning such as eggs, Greek yogurt or a smoothie with protein powder.

Move your body every day.

Another great way to keep cortisol – and stress levels – in check is by exercising regularly. Exercise, even gentle movement like yoga and walking, help lower cortisol and boost endorphins, the feel-good chemical in your brain. If you’re feeling stressed, a little movement can be just what your body needs to reset and move out of the fight or flight response.

But avoid the temptation to do an intense workout when you’re stressed. Intense workouts can actually stress the body out more and when you’re already stressed from daily life, you end up stacking stress on top of stress. Check out our previous blog post where we discuss how movement can help you feel better, even when your energy levels are low, or try one of these simple, but effective exercises:

• Yoga. Take a class in person or find an online video to follow. Even a 15 minute class can help your body calm down and reset.

• Walking. Going for a 10-20 minute walk is an amazing way to reset your mental state and get the blood flowing through your body. Get outside if possible, but even a short walk on a treadmill can help!

• Stretching. For many of us who sit or stand in the same position for most of the day, our bodies can get really stiff and tight, especially if we’re stressed. Some gentle stretching can help release the tension our bodies hold onto.
  
  

Maintain a healthy diet.

We now know that our digestive system is intricately connected to our brain, known as the gut-brain axis. When we’re stressed out, especially over long periods of time, it can actually affect our gut health. Chronic stress can alter your gut microbiome (the balance of healthy bacteria that live in our digestive tract), cause leaky gut, and disrupt our normal digestion rhythms. While we should always strive to eat a healthy diet rich in fresh fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and healthy fats, it’s especially important to eat well when we’re stressed. The temptation to “stress eat” can be overwhelming, but even a few simple mindful eating practices can help prevent gut issues down the road. Check out our blog post all about nutrition, or follow some of these simple eating habits:

• Focus on whole foods. Packaged foods are convenient, there’s no doubt about that. But they’re also usually full of preservatives, artificial colors and flavors and lots of added salt. Incorporating whole foods into your diet as often as you can will help take the burden off your digestive system during periods of stress and prevent gut issues down the road

• Practice mindful eating. When we’re busy or stressed, sitting down to eat a meal might be the last thing on our mind. But eating on the go or in front of a screen can disrupt the communication between the brain and gut causing us to miss the signals of hunger or satiety. Even if you can only do it for one meal a day, focusing on being present while you eat can help protect and preserve your gut health.

• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Again, when we’re busy or stressed, it’s easy to forget one very important health habit: hydration. Even mild dehydration can affect your mood, energy levels and concentration. Keep a water bottle with you and set a goal for how much you should drink throughout the day to keep your body hydrated.

Stress is a natural part of life and cortisol isn’t the enemy. Our bodies naturally enter a fight or flight state during times of stress to help us make it through safely. But problems arise when we’re stuck in that fight or flight state for too long – even after the stressful event is over. In the ever-changing and stressful world we live in, it’s more important than ever to take time to de-stress and reset our nervous systems. Making small changes each day can lead to lasting impact over time. If you need help getting started or want to make a customized plan to help you manage the stress in your life, set up a consultation with us where we can talk through your unique situation and help you get started on the path to true wellness.