Controlling Cortisol Levels page

[doublehelix]

Does anyone know how to control cortisol levels?
I am eating meat, eggs, nuts, vegetables. Pretty Paleo.
I can't control the stress. I can't out--think it. I've tried all kinds of
relaxation...works for a few minutes until the next stressful situation.
Anyone have any experience with this?

[zoebird]

Mostly have to un-think it. It's about learning how you respond to stress (when) and stopping the hormonal curve of that.

Yoga helps, and here is how.

Yoga postures are stressful positions in a controlled way (it's controlled application of stress). You can observe the way your body and mind interact while you are doing it (how your mind starts talking about what is going on). It's this loop that creates the "stress" at the emotional level that then goes bio-chemical.

By breathing, you can see the difference -- or rather observe -- the difference between "you" who is "ok under stress" vs your mind which is whining like a three year old refused a sweet at the grocery store (usually).

And when you can do that, you begin to unlock your stress response and then decrease your cortisol output over time.

[doublehelix]

I don't have money to take yoga...breathing hasn't helped my stress at work, I've tried relaxation videos at home, but the stres starts at work and doesn't leave...that is a constant thing. I can't trick my mind with it. I can't out think that I am being squeezed. I am between jobs, but every job I've had in my field is always very stressful due to the pressures and politics. My field is saturated, and everyone knows they can replace you very easily...

What about Phosphatidylserine ??

[homunculus]

Eating more salt decreases blood cortisol levels, read some reasearch on it yesterday but never saved the link.

[zoebird]

It's not about tricking the mind. It's about learning a skill. And most studios offer work study (so free classes), and most big cities have by-donation and/or free classes as well. Learning from a teacher helps, too.

The reality is that you just don't know how to handle the stress that you have. If you learn a skill that helps you learn to manage it -- which is what I described above (the postures are just a tool, and heck, you feel better physically too) -- then you have less stress because you know how to manage it.

Breathing is actually more specific than people realize -- i have no doubt that you struggle to expand your rib cage and likewise that you don't feel the wave motion between pelvis and head along the spine when you breathe -- which also means that whatever breathing you are doing isn't creating the affect in the autonomic system that would work if you were taught to breathe properly (and/or learned it through the process of postures, which is one of many methods of how to learn to breathe in yoga methods).

NO tricks here, just learning a skill.

[counterpuncher]

Mostly have to un-think it. It's about learning how you respond to stress (when) and stopping the hormonal curve of that.

Yoga helps, and here is how.

Yoga postures are stressful positions in a controlled way (it's controlled application of stress). You can observe the way your body and mind interact while you are doing it (how your mind starts talking about what is going on). It's this loop that creates the "stress" at the emotional level that then goes bio-chemical.

By breathing, you can see the difference -- or rather observe -- the difference between "you" who is "ok under stress" vs your mind which is whining like a three year old refused a sweet at the grocery store (usually).

And when you can do that, you begin to unlock your stress response and then decrease your cortisol output over time.

Thank you for that excellent explanation.

[Wrenwood]

Doublehelix, I know a bit about this from personal information - I'd like to help but can I ask some questions?

Have you had your cortisol levels tested? What test and what were the results?
Do you have any other endocrine disturbances like diabetes, high insulin, hypothyroid, etc.?
Do you take any supplements for it?

My own experience with high cortisol which eventually became low cortisol/adrenal insufficiency after some years of heavy stress was that it didn't stably improve until I started addressing both mind and body. Cortisol drives the perception of stress up AND the perception of stress drives cortisol up.

[JoanieL]

About three times in my life, I felt so stressed by my environment and things over which I had no control, that I put all my loved items in my car/truck and got the hell out of Dodge. Driving a couple of thousand miles without a care in the world helps clear the mind, and in a new city/town, you can reinvent yourself to be anyone you want to be.

I know some people perceive this as running away, but when an environment becomes so toxic that you can't sleep and facing the next day feels like it's sapping your health, maybe running away is the smartest thing to do. Also, I've gotten to live in some cool places.

[sbhikes]

A really super stressful job is not worth keeping.

You can try these simple deep breathing exercises:
http://www.philmaffetone.com/files/R...back-final.pdf (PDF)
(Basically this is just deep breathing while listening to music, but it explains a little why it works.)

You should also get some exercise. Depending on your issue, like if you are full of rage, you might try high impact stuff, lifting weights, boxing, chopping wood. Or if you really are experiencing metabolic problems from your chronic stress, you might get more out of walking, slow jogging, slow bicycling, hiking.

[RitaRose]

Agreeing with the yoga, though I'm a total newb myself.

Honestly, one of the best ways I have found to relieve stress is to get really involved in doing something. It doesn't have to be anything big, just something that gets your mind distracted so you're not wallowing in the stress and thinking about yoru stressors constantly.

Also, it helps if it's something that gets you moving, assuming your cortisol isn't high due to too much physical stress. My job is like that, so for me, that part doesn't work. But there's something, maybe kind of a mind trick, that makes your body think you're accomplishing something when you do physical work, and that helps to relieve stress. Start walking, split logs, work on a project in the backyard, fix up your car, build furniture... whatever.

My job now is physically stressful, but the job I had before this one was psychologically stressful, and everyone around me knew to just walk away if they heard classical music playing. It usually meant I was overstressed and trying to keep from blowing my top. Maybe it's because I was raised with classical music, but it really did work to soothe me and get my blood pressure down. If you want reccomendations for good classical stuff, let me know.