14 Ideas to Combat Cortisol

We are taking a few weeks to revisit some of the foundational posts from the early days of Run Hard. Rest Well. This post continues our look at stress and cortisol. We started last week with ways to tweak the way we interact with stress. Read along and then join the conversation – tell us about your default in the comments or on Facebook.

duty-delight

The Definition of Insanity has played a part in altering the terrain of my life and heart on a number of occasions. Have you ever heard it?

The Definition of Insanity is doing what you’ve always done, but expecting different results. (Taken from the Basic Text of Narcotics Anonymous 1983.) It’s given me pause more than once—especially in the arena of cortisol overload.

Last week we spoke of easy tweaks. This week we need to roll up our sleeves and dig in, but you will find most of these suggestions deal with delight more than duty

Try

  • Take Five. Go outside intentionally. Five simple, quiet minutes outside enhanced the well-being of people fighting depression, across the board. It was an astounding finding. Set a timer. Go. Step outside. Look for the moon. Watch a bird or a bug. Listen to the wind. You won’t be disappointed. Every day—eight weeks.
  • Give yourself a bedtime – for one week. If you’re a guy, start the process 10 minutes ahead of time. If you’re a woman, make it an hour. Assess and repeat.
  • Drink all the caffeine you want – before 1 pm.
  • Make sure all snacks have some protein. If a snack is all carbs, the sugar slump will lay you low. (Same goes for meals, especially breakfast.)
  • Take a 10-20 power nap. Do some deep breathing while you’re at it.
  • Daniel prayed 3 times a day. Do a Daniel. We too easily forget that God is near, attentive, Almighty, compassionate. His Presence makes a difference.
  • Cuddle. The warmth of sustained contact puts us on the fast-track of cortisol reduction.
  • Read the Serenity Prayer twice every day. God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.” (Reinhold Niebuhr 1892–1971)
  • Don’t forget to breathe. Do it now. Breathe out through your mouth. In through your nose. Use your abdominal muscles. Keep your shoulders low. Don’t let them rise.

Train

  • We were made to move. Exercising 20-30 minutes most days is a tremendous reducer of cortisol. Tremendous. Walking is a great place to start. Don’t have 30 minutes? Walk for 10 minutes morning and evening. Invite God to join you. He’s been known to do that (Genesis 3:8).
  • Learn the art of massage. Give them. Receive them. Back rubs. Hand. Feet. Ears. Scalp. Face. Touch is a powerful thing.
  • Are you discouraged by how little you get done each day? That fact increases cortisol production. Chunk your time in order to tackle a project. Allow no digital distraction. No email. No phone calls. No facebook. No twitter. Some larger engineering companies recognized that productivity was waning among workers, yet hours-on-the-job were increasing. Mandatory “silent/no tech” times upped productivity and lowered work hours. Give it a try.
  • Are you carrying a heavy load of past hurts? Do what you need to do to set healing into motion. Unhealed wounds fester. The cortisol damage is insidious.
  • Evenings. Create and guard quiet nights at home. Mark them on your calendar. Feel no guilt when something else surfaces. Simply reply, “I’m sorry, I have a prior commitment – to SANITY!”

Sleep

Cortisol wreaks havoc on our sleep. 60% of Americans wrestle with insomnia occasionally or regularly. Does the shoe fit? The lack of sleep is devastating. People who get less than 6 hours of sleep at night have a 50% increase of cortisol the next day. Working HARD at getting 7-8 restorative hours of sleep most nights will place you light-years ahead on the road to rest and restoration. Prioritize sleep – for you and everyone in your family. Check out the website below. It’s a wealth of compassionate care, insightful truth and helpful resources.

https://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/

Cortisol.

What is a manifestation of insanity in your life?

Are you ready to try cortisol reduction?

Will it be duty or delight?

First time here?

Welcome! We’re a group that gathers around the theme, “There has to be a better way.” We’re finding it in the 4-word mission statement, “Run hard. Rest well.”

  • It’s a journey into the heart of God. It comes our way through an on-going exploration of four biblical rhythms that revive, replenish and restore: Sabbath Keeping, Sleep (and other simple stress-reducers), Stillness—personal retreat, and Solitude—personal retreat.
  • It’s an expedition that challenges us at every turn. It convicts us in deep, tender places. It alters our priorities and plans. It’s not for the faint of heart.
  • It’s adventure at its best – as we learn to run the race in a power not our own.

First time here?

6 thoughts on “14 Ideas to Combat Cortisol”

  1. Dear Brenda, Love to read your messages. They remind me what is important and helpful to stay connected to my Lord and Savior through His Word, by spending time with Him in prayer. His love and overwhelms me and gives me great joy and peace.Thank you for your ministry to so many, including me. In Him, Traude

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