Sitting still for sixty minutes?
That’s not really my brand.
Yet, after decades working in health, fitness, and weight loss, I know that stress is one of the biggest factors in a person’s health, energy, and body composition.
Your stress levels are intimately connected with your body’s ability to drop fat.
Does the thought of that stress you out?
If so, don’t worry.
I’m not going to send you off to take a meditation masterclass or tell you to wake up at 4:30 a.m. to empty your mind for an hour before your day starts. (Although, if those things work for you, great!)
If you can’t imagine meditation being a part of your life, you don’t have to live with chronic stress. There are many practical ways to manage your cortisol levels in the middle of the chaos. Solutions that work right when stress hits, like while you’re answering emails, sitting in traffic, trying to get the kids out the door, or making dinner and suddenly everyone seems to have six requests at the same time.
When our bodies get stuck in a chronically stressed state, our sleep, hunger signals, cravings, blood sugar regulation, energy levels, and ability to make consistent healthy choices suffer.
So, today I’ll share practical ways you can calm your nervous system, lower elevated cortisol, and find that inner-zen in the midst of the hustle and bustle of real life.
Try these six strategies to soothe stress and keep moving forward on your health journey.
🪷 Walk
In couples therapy, counselors often advise highly aggravated couples to talk through their most sensitive issues while taking a walk together.
Why?
Because walking does something interesting to our brains.
When we walk, especially at a steady pace, our brain shifts into a different state. The repetitive movement, rhythmic breathing, and change in environment can help reduce the intensity of our stress response and create more space for thoughtful conversation.
In other words, walking helps move us out of reaction mode and into problem-solving mode.
It simultaneously promotes relaxation and mental clarity.
This is why a difficult conversation that feels impossible while sitting across from each other on the couch can suddenly feel more manageable simply when you’re walking side-by-side.
The same principle applies to everyday stress.
When you’re overwhelmed, a simple, 10-minute walk can help your body transition out of a stress response by lowering muscle tension, improving circulation, boosting your mood, and supporting mental clarity.
Try this today:
- Take a 10-minute walk after lunch or dinner
- If you’re feeling overwhelmed, walk around the block before responding to a stressful email or conversation
- Turn a phone call into a walking call
- Take a lap with your partner if you need to talk about something stressful
Don’t underestimate the power of putting one foot in front of the other. Sometimes the best way to move through a stressful moment is to simply walk through it.
🪷 Breath
In 2023, researchers at Stanford University wanted to know if changing the way we breathe actually changes the way we feel.
So, they studied different forms of controlled breathing and compared how they affected stress, mood, and anxiety.
One technique stood out: a breathing pattern called cyclic sighing.
We’ll get back to how to cyclically sigh in a moment. But let’s talk about why breathing has any connection to our anxiety and stress levels.
Your breath is one of the few systems in your body that is both automatic and under your control. Isn’t that interesting? We can’t tell our heart “beat slower,” but we can slow our breathing and, therefore, override our body’s stress response. And that’s why breathing is such a powerful practice in stress management.
Here’s how it works:
When you’re stressed, your breathing often automatically becomes faster and shallower. Your body is preparing you to react. Your heart rate increases to pump blood more quickly. Your muscles receive signals to prepare for movement. And your breathing speeds up to bring in more oxygen. All so you can either start swinging punches at or sprint away from the threat.
Since we can’t exactly respond to our boss or partner this way, it’s helpful to have some strategies that calm us back down.
You can grab the reins of your stress response by controlling your breath and intentionally slowing it down, especially by extending your exhale. This relaxes your nervous system, helping it return to a calm state.
Okay. So, how can we do this “cyclic sighing” that researchers found so effective?
First, take a deep inhale through your nose. Second, take a second, smaller inhale on top of that first breath. Finally, slowly exhale through your mouth until your lungs are empty. Repeat this 1-3 times.
Cyclic sighing works in two ways: The double inhale helps expand the tiny air sacs in your lungs, while the long exhale helps activate the calming side of your nervous system.
And it’s practical. You can do this anywhere, anytime.
Try this today:
Take three cyclic sighs before reacting to a stressful situation, in the middle of a tense conversation, or whenever you feel your shoulders tense.
You now carry one of the simplest tools for calming your nervous system all day.
🪷 Balance Blood Sugar
Why is it that, when we’ve gone too long between meals without eating, we don’t just get hungrier. We get more impatient, more emotional, and more likely to snap at someone. Why would food affect how we feel and our stress?
There’s a reason.
Your brain is one of the hungriest organs in your body. It relies heavily on glucose for energy, and your body works hard to keep your blood sugar within a stable range.
When your blood sugar drops too low, your body doesn’t simply think, “Looks like we need a snack!” It thinks, “Warning! Warning! We have a problem.”
Your body has built-in systems designed to protect you when energy availability is low. It responds by releasing hormones like glucagon, adrenaline, and cortisol to help bring blood sugar back into balance and make more energy available.
This is an incredible survival mechanism. Thousands of years ago, it helped humans stay alert and energized when food wasn’t always available. But today, most of us aren’t trying to chase down our next meal. We’re trying to make it through an afternoon meeting, pick up the kids from school, finish a workout, or get dinner on the table without stressing the heck out.
One of the simplest ways to support a calmer nervous system is to build meals that create steadier energy and a balanced blood sugar response.
Follow this formula: Protein + fiber-rich carbohydrates + healthy fats.
Protein slows the digestion of a meal, reducing the likelihood of a rapid rise and fall in blood glucose. Adequate protein also supports neurotransmitter production. Amino acids are the building blocks your body uses to make brain chemicals involved in mood regulation and stress response.
Fiber-rich carbohydrates digest more slowly, helping prevent sharp blood sugar swings and providing your brain with a steady supply of glucose (the fuel it relies on most).
Healthy fats slow digestion, increase satisfaction, and provides lasting energy, preventing extreme hunger that leads to grabbing quick sources of sugar or refined carbs later.
Try this today:
Build your meals with your blood sugar in mind. Have eggs or Greek yogurt in addition to your morning oatmeal. And always pair carbs with protein and fat (think apple with peanut butter, toast with eggs).
🪷 Hydrate Before You Caffeinate
The daily ritual of stumbling out of bed and immediately reaching for caffeine is a modern habit.
Coffee originated in Ethiopia and eventually spread through the Middle East, where coffeehouses became places for conversation, connection, and community. By the 1600s, coffee had made its way into Europe and evolved into a staple of daily life.
But the idea that your first need after waking should be to stimulate your body with caffeine is a cultural habit, not a biological requirement.
Grannie from the hunter-gatherer era wasn’t decorating her shelter with kitchen plaques that said, “But first, coffee.” She was waking up with the sunrise, collecting water from a familiar spring, and tending to the nutrition needs of herself and her family.
This pattern (sunlight, movement, hydration, nutrition) is much more aligned with the biological and hormonal rhythms our bodies still follow.
Caffeine is great. (I’m not here to take away your coffee.) But before stimulation, our bodies need support.
As you wake up, cortisol naturally rises through a process called the cortisol awakening response. This increase helps you feel alert, focused, and ready to take on the day.
Cortisol is not the enemy. You need it. It helps regulate energy, metabolism, blood pressure, and your ability to respond to challenges. However, you can help your body follow its natural rhythm by starting your day with a big glass of water instead of a big thermos of coffee.
We wake up slightly dehydrated. Drinking water first will help support circulation, brain function, digestion, and overall energy before you add a stimulant into the mix.
Try this today:
Drink 12-20 ounces of water when you wake up before your first cup of coffee. Keep a water bottle next to your coffee maker as a visual reminder. If you exercise, sweat heavily, or live somewhere hot, consider adding electrolytes to better replace what your body loses.
Coffee can easily be a part of a healthy lifestyle. But your morning ritual doesn’t have to crank your body into its highest gear before you’re even out of your pajama pants. Hydrate first. Then caffeinate.
🪷 Cool Down
In the early 1900s, scientists were baffled by seals.
Seals could plunge into freezing water, hold their breath, and stay underwater for minutes.
They wanted to find out what was going on.
Decades of research led to answers. They discovered that seals’ bodies have a built-in survival mechanism. When these animals entered cold water, their heart rates slowed, their blood vessels tightened, and their bodies redirected resources toward the organs that mattered most (the heart and brain).
Instead of going into a state of shock, their bodies became more efficient.
Scientists eventually discovered that humans have a smaller version of this same reflex.
It’s called the mammalian dive reflex.
When your face is exposed to cold water, cold-sensitive nerves in your face send a signal to your brain that activates this built-in survival response. Your body begins shifting away from the high-alert state of fight-or-flight and toward a calmer, more regulated state.
In other words, cold sends your nervous system the message: “Slow down and conserve energy.”
Cooling your body can be a powerful tool during stressful moments.
Thankfully, you don’t need to jump into an ice bath to use this strategy. (But if that’s your thing, more power to you!)
Try this today:
Splash cold water on your face for 15-30 seconds when you feel overwhelmed. Hold an ice pack against your cheeks and around your eyes for a short period of time. End your shower with 30 seconds of cold water. Or step outside into fresh air during colder months when you feel your stress levels rising.
This refreshing strategy will shift your body, your blood flow, and your brain into a calmer state.
🪷 Check Your Thoughts
Did you know that the human brain doesn’t always know the difference between a threat that is happening and a threat that you’re imagining? When you vividly imagine a stressful situation, your body undergoes the exact same response as if you were in real danger.
Your brain doesn’t only respond to physical danger. It also responds to the stories you repeatedly tell yourself.
When your inner dialogue is constantly predicting or dwelling on disaster, your nervous system believes that you’re not safe. Then, your body responds accordingly.
The good news is that this works both ways.
When you intentionally shift your thoughts toward a more balanced and realistic perspective, you can send your nervous system a different message: “I can handle this.”
Try this today:
When you notice a stressful thought, pause and ask, “Is this a current fact or a fear?” Then try replacing the thought with something more accurate. So, for example, instead of thinking, “I’m never going to get caught up,” try, “I have a lot on my plate right now. I can focus on the next step.” Or “This is difficult, but I have handled difficult things before.”
Your thoughts do affect your brain and body. Thankfully you can change the message.
Moment-by-Moment Management
Your nervous system reacts in real time. It responds to the situation happening right in front of you. A stressful email, difficult conversation, sleepless night, or packed schedule can steel your zen in a second.
We can’t control every stressful moment that comes our way. But we can build the skills to help our bodies recover when those moments happen.
For more practical tips that work in the real here and now, join us. We believe healthy living should fit into your life, not require you to rebuild it.
