Cortisol is a glucocorticoid hormone produced by the adrenal cortex, part of the kidneys. Acute elevations in cortisol are desirable and necessary for certain bodily processes, such as during exercise. Chronically high cortisol is associated with susceptibility to chronic disease. The best practice for reducing chronically high cortisol is to reduce chronic stressors. Using mind/body techniques to manage the impact of chronic stressors is also adaptive.
Sleep
Getting enough sleep is imperative for keeping resting cortisol levels low. In an article published in the Journal of Neurophysiology in 2005, Robert Sapolsky, a prominent researcher on stress and cortisol, provided empirical evidence that lack of sleep not only increases resting cortisol, but also impedes learning and memory by the hippocampus, a part of the brain responsible for relaying spatial information to other parts of the brain. Simply getting adequate sleep also has a desirable effect on appetite by decreasing the impulses to overeat or eat high-calorie, low nutritional-value foods.
Promoting Sleep
Getting enough sleep is facilitated by several daily practices: avoiding caffeine in the afternoon and evening, exercising daily and practicing good sleep hygiene. Going to bed at the same time each night, getting up at the same time each morning, having your bed in a cool, dark room and using your bed for sleep and sex only are keys to good sleep hygiene. Practicing a mind/body relaxation technique like yoga, tai chi or nia may also help relax and prepare you for quality sleep.
Reducing "Bad Stress"
According to Dr. Sapolsky, a human with no stress is dead. Avoid chronic stress, because this is the type that has such harmful effects on your health. Chronic stressors that are disempowering, that is, those that make you feel like you are not in control of your life, are the culprits. Although it may be challenging, reducing chronic stress you experience at your job or in your home will pay well in the dividend of lowered resting cortisol. Having adequate social support, such as a close friend or family member with whom you can connect, is also associated with lower resting cortisol.
Promoting Adaptive Stressors
Exercise is a prime example of a "good stressor." Cortisol acutely rises during and after exercise, then returns to resting levels. The physical response of lowered resting cortisol following exercise is supported by the cognitive appraisal of enjoying exercise or feeling successful at your endeavor. Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, a well-known psychologist, identified the concept of flow and applied it to sport and physical activity. If you have ever finished a workout and hardly noticed your effort or hit every serve with precision, without thinking about it, you have experienced flow. Being in flow is associated with lowered resting cortisol.
Take It Easy
You may have heard the Eagles' song, "Take It Easy." This is relevant advice for reducing chronically high cortisol. Dr. Sapolsky's book, "Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers," details the maladaptivity of humans' response to chronic stress. Simple mindfulness and awareness are the building blocks. Remembering the phrase, "Don't sweat the small stuff, and it's all small stuff," can have a positive impact on resting cortisol. Give yourself time for a hot bath, a meditative walk or any activity that leaves you feeling calm and peaceful. A seemingly self-indulgent gift may be the best thing you do for your health each day.
