5 Everyday Habits That Are Spiking Up Your Cortisol (Credits: Pexels)
Your body’s main stress hormone, the one that is responsible for everything, from stress eating to insomnia and weight gain, cortisol is the culprit behind it all. It messes with your mood, your skin, sleep and even hair. And the worst part is, you need to constantly watch over it, because you never know what is spiking your cortisol. Here are 5 habits to watch out for
Skipping breakfast or starting with sugar
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so if you skip it, you are calling in trouble. Cortisol is naturally high in the morning and if you start your day with loads of sugar or no food at all, you are gonna have a stress crash. The best plan is to have a protein-rich breakfast within 1 hour of waking up. It keeps you full and worry-free.
Overdosing on caffeine
One cup of coffee is good, two are okay but anything more than that is red alert. If you need five cups of coffee a day, you are seeking cortisol chaos. Caffeine is known for triggering your adrenal glands and this in turn, increases the production of cortisol in the body, especially if you are under stress. Limit your coffee intake and don’t consume caffeine after noon.
Absent sleep schedule
Going to bed late or doom scrolling till 3 AM, or waking up at random times throughout the night at random times confuses your brain and messes up with your body’s internal clock. When your circadian rhythm is off, the cortisol production in your body is at an all time high. This is why you need to fix your sleep schedule. Even on weekends, train your body to sleep and wake up at a certain time.
Intense working out without recovery
Exercising is great and keeps you fit, but doing it too much is going to cause harm to your body. Thus, what you need is a good plan and rest alongside. If you are working out intensely, it can spike up the cortisol and keep it at an all time high. Balance your high-intensity workouts with proper rest days.
Phone is the problem
Your mom was right: phone addiction is a problem and needs to stop. Your brain wasn’t built for the constant beeping and multitasking. You need to put a pause to the constant stimulation and stress response. You can work on this by blocking 90-minute work focus timers, digital detox windows and 10-minute outdoor breaks.
