High cortisol: symptoms and how to lower cortisol levels

What exactly is cortisol? It’s a hormone produced by our adrenal glands, which are located on top of each kidney, and cortisol races through our bloodstream at higher levels when the “fight-or-flight” response is triggered.

Whether we’re facing that grizzly bear or just giving a presentation, our bodies have the same response to stress, producing elevated levels of cortisol. Our fight-or-flight response is the same one we humans had at the dawn of time, and our hormonal systems have difficulty differentiating between the 500 lb predator and the audience in front of you.

Even if we don’t face life-or-death situations on a daily basis, it doesn’t mean that stress and the accompanying high levels of cortisol aren’t real. Many of us live lives filled with low-grade — but steady — stress.

On a typical day, we might have to get our kids off to school and ourselves to work, without leaving the homework or the lunchbox on the kitchen counter. Our commutes themselves can boost our stress levels, especially during construction season (and when isn't it). And of course, there’s work. Almost half of employees (47%) say that most or all of their stress stems from their jobs, according to Headspace’s 2024 Workforce State of Mind report.

When the workday is done, there’s the commute home, where you might listen to the news, which is often filled with global events that can produce a stress reaction. Meanwhile, other stressors regularly lurk in the back of our minds: Will I have enough money for rent? When will I find the time to go grocery shopping? And how should I approach that difficult conversation?

The human body is engineered to respond to stress by releasing cortisol at higher levels than normal into our body. For short bursts, higher levels of cortisol are a good thing for our survival (like if you meet that grizzly bear in the woods). But with the stream of stressful situations many of us swim against on a daily basis, some of us have unhealthy levels of cortisol coursing through our bodies — which isn’t exactly helpful for our modern-day stressors.

In addition to reaching elevated levels in fight-or-flight situations, cortisol is always present in the bloodstream and helps regulate our metabolism, blood sugar, and inflammation. High levels of cortisol can contribute to long-term health problems, such as heart disease, impaired immune system, weight gain, sleep troubles, fatigue, and brain fog.

Keeping our cortisol levels in check is crucial for our long term physical and mental health. The good news is there are simple things we can do to reduce the stress we feel, and, in turn, the amount of cortisol in our bloodstream.

• 1 - Set healthy boundaries at work Work, often more so than our personal lives, can be a source of stress for many people. While it might feel impossible to escape work stress, especially during the 9-to-5 stretch, setting boundaries by not responding to work emails after a certain hour in the evening or before a certain hour in the morning can help reduce the stress in our lives and the cortisol in our bodies, according to a study published in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology. Talking about these boundaries with your coworkers has the added benefit of opening healthy communication lines with your team.

• 2 - Embrace mindfulness and mediation Part of mindfulness is identifying stressful thoughts and learning how to cope with the situations that are causing them. Too many of us attempt to push stress out of our minds, which only causes tension as the stress moves to our bodies, and the elevated levels of cortisol continue. By identifying thoughts that stress us out, we can understand what’s bothering us and then use some of the approaches listed here to manage it. Mindfulness in the form of meditation is a proven tactic for reducing stress and cortisol levels, according to a study at the Shamatha Project at the University of California, Davis.

• 3 - Practice good sleep hygiene Studies show that cortisol is elevated in people struggling with insomnia. Being fully rested helps reduce fatigue and makes us better prepared to face the stress in our lives. Commit to getting a good night’s sleep regularly – that means seven to nine hours of sleep per day. Striving to go to bed and wake up at the same time is proven to foster better sleep, as well as adopting a bedtime routine like reading, stretching, or deep breathing.

• 4 - Get that heart rate up Exercise — which can run the gamut from a walk to a run or from a few jumping jacks to a full aerobics class — is essential for warding off the downside of stress. While exertion increases the flow of cortisol into the bloodstream in the near term, regular exercise helps keep cortisol levels at a healthy level over the long haul. 150 to 200 minutes of exercise a week is a solid goal for keeping your stress and cortisol levels healthy.

• 5 - Use your diet to fuel your goals A balanced diet can help put your body in a stronger position with extra energy to help cope with stress. Research indicates that polyunsaturated fats — such as omega-3 fats found in salmon, tuna, and other fish; in flaxseed, chia seeds, and walnuts; and in canola, soybean, and flaxseed oils — may help maintain healthy cortisol levels, according to a study on the impact of a whole foods diet.

• 6 - Make time for the people you love Human beings are social animals, and loneliness appears to contribute to higher cortisol levels, according to a study titled, “The Neuroendocrinology of Social Isolation.” Spending time with people we love to be around, whether they’re friends or family or co-workers, helps reduce the amount of stress we feel. In short, when you’re stressed, it might be time to phone a friend.

• 7 - Breathe deep Deep breathing is a simple exercise with a proven positive impact on the body. Taking deep breaths delivers increased oxygen to your body and reduces cortisol levels, according to Michigan State University. Many experts advise inhaling deeply for four seconds, holding your breath for seven seconds, and then exhaling for eight seconds as an effective cadence for deep breathing. The next time you’re feeling stressed, try this breathing pattern – you might be surprised by how much it can help.

• 8 - Have a laugh All work and no play makes for a stressful day. Strive to take breaks during work — go for a walk, send a text to a friend, take a cat nap (Google and other companies have “nap pods”) — which will give your mind and body a chance to step back from stressful situations on the job or elsewhere. At home, watch a rom-com or stand-up special, because laughter has real physical effects on the body, including activating and relieving your stress response, according to the Mayo Clinic. Laughter may not be the best medicine, but it can reduce your cortisol levels.

• 9 - Unplug when you can Research has found that social media can impact our stress levels, mainly by interfering with healthy sleep patterns. A study of British teenagers found that social media use disrupted their restfulness. Social media can inspire fear of missing out (FOMO) and stressful news reports from the internet can easily generate agitation. Consider unplugging from your screens for at least a few hours a day to help reduce our stress levels and potentially your cortisol.

• 10 - Talk with a mental health professional Sometimes stress feels like it’s beyond our control. If the stress (and the accompanying cortisol levels) become too much to handle, you can consider consulting with a mental health care professional. And taking that step doesn’t necessarily mean seeing a psychiatrist. Many people benefit from sessions with a mental health coach, who provide everyday strategies for coping with stress.

• 11 - Watch your habits Caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol can all impact our sleep patterns, which can lead to elevated stress levels. Limiting your coffee and tea intake to the early morning can minimize caffeine’s impact on your sleep. Research also shows that caffeine and alcohol can contribute to elevated levels of cortisol in our bloodstream.

• 12 - Find a cuddly friend It’s a fact – animals can reduce stress. Research shows that the simple act of petting a dog reduces stress levels, and a study of people with post-traumatic stress disorder who were paired with a service found that significant portions of these patients reported lower stress levels.

• 13 - Keep yourself hydrated When you’re sick, a doctor will advise you to drink lots of fluids. It’s good advice when you’re healthy, too. Staying hydrated helps our organs function properly and reduces our stress. “Studies have shown that being just half a liter dehydrated can increase your cortisol levels,” Amanda Carlson, RD, Director of Performance Nutrition at Athletes’ Performance told WebMD, adding: “Staying in good hydrated status can keep your stress levels down. When you don’t give your body the fluids it needs, you’re putting stress on it, and it’s going to respond to that.”

Striving to reduce the amount of stress in our lives can pay huge dividends to our overall mental and physical health. The next time you feel stressed out, try some of the approaches on this list and see if they help. And let us know what stress-relieving strategies you like best, too — even if they’re not on this list.