Month: May 2025

I’ll begin this post like a preacher; “Studying into this was good for me; I need it myself.” Hopefully, it can benefit someone else besides.

We hear a lot about high cortisol these days,  and it’s not a wonder with this fast-paced world we live in. It can get our bodies stuck in the fight or flight mode.

What is cortisol?

Cortisol is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands. It’s often called the stress hormone. It controls the parts of your brain that affect mood, motivation and fear.

Cortisol:

*Controls our sleep and wake cycles.

*It manages how our body absorbs fats, protein and carbs.

*Regulates blood pressure

*Provides energy in stressful situations as well as helps to balance our levels after the stressful moments. We need this, but too much makes our body feel like we’re always running from that booger man behind us.

So if our cortisol is high, it’s not a wonder we say hello to insomnia, high blood sugar levels and high blood pressure.

For years already, I’ve been prone to run in high gear.  I’m not always doing 90, but when there’s work to be done, I like tackling it with vengeance and speed. It feels like a waste of time to putz around, and it’s hard for me to relax when I see work to be done. But working slow and steady is not a bad thing! I truly need my own advice here. I do better at this on days that aren’t packed full.  Somedays, though, it feels like it’s not an option to putter. Especially when there’s responsibilities outside of home. Like this week. It’s the last week of school and with Jerald being Chairman, I have a good dose of other responsibilities not related to my home. It stresses me considerably! But what other choice than to keep going and plug through? This kind of stuff (and much worse!) for continued lengths of time, is what can really elevate cortisol. At least if you’re an introvert like me and hate being responsible for events.

With a new baby in the house, I definitely feel like my cortisol has been running high these first couple months postpartum. But that’s normal for moms, isn’t it? Google says it is. And between me and Google, what could go wrong? But it certainly doesn’t take postpartum to have high cortisol!

I’m always planning for the most strategic methods for managing my time. But when I’m so focused on my work that I turn the oven on and promptly forget to put supper in, there’s definite needs going on in this brain. Yes, this happened. I came back half an hour later to find the casserole still sitting on the stovetop. Hello mom brain.

The stress of pregnancy and delivery, sleep deprivation, and the 24/7 neediness of a tiny human is exhausting, to state it mildly. It doesn’t mean we as moms are not extremely grateful or that we don’t love our babies. It just means we’re made of dust. And there’s nothing stable about dust or women’s emotions.

I can tell the number of gray hair on my head have increased during my recent stressful pregnancy. I comb my hair in such a way to try covering up most of those silver streaks. Does that sound like pride? I thought so at first, but then I decided to call it humility. I’m covering up how wise I am. 

Back to the high cortisol. For me, there’s always the daily stress of constant decisions surrounding household duties and baby care. When baby sleeps, which is the best choice? Zoom around and prep supper so I can ensure there’s food available at 6 pm? Go to bed myself? Sit down to read while I have a moment? Relax in the sunshine? Go on a walk?

 Some days the answer is obvious. Sleep is high priority.  I go to bed and pray for sleep. But then the little miss wakes up. “Well then, I should have stayed up and worked.” I hate the feeling that I made the wrong choice. Other days, she sleeps like a charm and I also get a nap- hallelujah! Other times, I accomplish my work at high speed. This too, is a hallelujah sort of feeling. The reason I work swiftly is so I can relax afterwards!

Maybe this doesn’t sound like much stress compared to performing surgeries or working for the President. Well, no. But it’s still stress to me. But we can’t compare stress. What is stress to me may not be much anything to another mom. We all live different lives and have a plethora of reasons that stress us out. Some to a greater extent than others. I mean, of course, my daily little stress is nothing compared to seeing a loved one dying, constant, debilitating health issues, relationship struggles and many more awful things. Stress will affect our health if we don’t watch out!

The good man I live with often reminds me to just sit down. Take it easy.  Sit in the sunshine. To slow down. Ahh, such wise words. And I try to comply. I’m trying to slow down instead of always rushing. There is such joy in slow living.  I might zip around my house, but I enjoy my days much more, by a slower paced life. Not packing my day or schedule too full. We must say no to unnecessary things.

It brings joy to live unhurrried and I’m a work in progress. To simply care for my baby and do the laundry. To have time for morning porch sitting. To have time for reading.  To really listen to my children’s stories. To not schedule or attend too many activities that take me away from home every week. (Some thrive on this, but it wears me out) It takes intention to live life in the slow lane.

So where was I going. Oh yes! That high cortisol. With the rate of speed that thoughts cruise through my brain, it’s a good chance they’ll be forgotten if I don’t jot it down. Constantly distracted, that’s what you’d call this.  If there’s important things I must do that involve others, it feels a kin to danger to not write it down. I rest much better if it’s on paper. Which is why there’s a pencil and sticky notes in my nightstand drawer. Not a notes-in-her-phone kind of girl here!

In the graphic below, how many of these can you relate to? Surprisingly, high and low cortisol can have many of the same symptoms, although high levels are most common. And it never hurts to try simple methods for reducing stress. Never have I ever heard someone say, “Wow, I loved that stressful feeling. Wish that season could’ve lasted longer!”

There are simple things we can do to help lower our cortisol.

 ●  Firstly, if you can sleep, sleep! I don’t have pity for those who are sleep deprived from lack of discipline. I have pity on those who go to bed in a timely manner, yet can’t sleep. Or those who wake in the early morning hours, with a speeding brain. That sort of stuff can definitely raise cortisol because neither your mind or body is getting refreshed! But you can’t sleep if you can’t sleep! Been there countless times. It’s brutal.

• Get out in the morning sunshine.  This is much easier done in summer months than winter. Exposing your bare eyes to sunlight first thing in the morning before any screen time will help set your circadian rhythm and help your body produce its own melatonin at bedtime.
• Eat real whole foods along with plenty of protein to help balance blood sugar. Fresh vegetables and fruits. Real salt. Good meat without hormones and nitrates. Raw milk.  Fresh eggs from backyard chickens. Nuts and seeds. Bake with freshly milled flour and good oils like olive, avocado or coconut. Or butter. Or lard from hogs raised from a responsible source.
• Eat a protein filled breakfast before too long in the morning. Intermittent fasting can be done if it’s done properly with adequate protein and food intake during the eating window.  But IF is not for those with high cortisol. It puts undue stress on an already taxed body.  We want to make our bodies feel safe.  Not stressed- because I’m starving!
• Breathe deeply. We underestimate the power of deep belly breathing. Spend 5 minutes deep breathing when you feel yourself getting stressed. It signals your body to relax. Look up Wim Hof breathing techniques. Breathe deeply for a few minutes, hold your breath for a minute, and then breathe deeply again. Each time you do it, try holding your breath a little longer. This brings oxygen to the brain. I’ve done it and it works! I can feel it in my head.
• Wim Hof also recommends a cold water bath or shower. Initially, this makes your cortisol rise, but as you relax and do this regularly, it can help reduce cortisol levels. This takes a substantial amount of courage! Besides making you shriek and shiver, it also helps your overall hormone production in a positive way. 
• Stay well hydrated! Add in a pinch of Real salt to your water for electrolytes. Along with this, follow my example and don’t drink coffee. Ha. Well, at least  limit your caffeine intake! And definitely don’t drink coffee on an empty stomach. 
• Limit or exclude time in front of computers or phones before bed. Blue light disrupts our natural circadian rythm and suppresses melatonin, our sleep hormone. This is hard to do, because if we’re relaxing in our chairs at night, we’ll catch up on our phones, right? At the least, wear blue light glasses and/or turn your lighting waaaay down! But even so, it’s stimulating to the brain- not a conducive way to promote sleep! Read a book or visit with those closest to you instead.

Here are a few more informative graphics in regards to food.

In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength…..

I read this verse in Isaiah 30 this morning and felt like it was exactly what I needed.  I’m asking God to give me a quiet heart in spite of a stress filled week.  Being intentional with our time, and beginning to prepare for events early on, helps it feel more manageable.

If you hear me huffing and puffing this week,  you’ll know why. I’m just trying to lower my cortisol!