The problem with stress is the higher levels of the potentially evil Cortisol that it can produce. Short periods of high cortisol levels are a necessary function of human survival. But, long periods of elevated levels are dangerous. 

The problems associated with prolonged periods of elevated cortisol levels include[1]:

• Depression
  
• Degeneration of the brain.
  
• Suppressed immunity
  
• Hypertension
  
• High blood sugar (hyperglycemia)
  
• Insulin resistance
  
• Carbohydrate cravings
  
• Metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes
  
• Fat deposits on the face, neck, and belly
  
• Reduced libido
  
• Decreased bone mass
  

              Here are a 12 ideas to lower your stress and manage those deadly cortisol levels.

 
Get A Massage

Research from The University of Miami School of Medicine found that massage therapy has positive effects on biochemistry including decreased levels of cortisol and increased levels of serotonin and dopamine[2].

Laugh

Research has shown that the laughter experience appears to reduce levels of cortisol[3].  So, watch a funny movie or jump on YouTube and check out your favorite comic. In fact, even anticipating a laugh may boost health producing hormones that can help lower cortisol[4].

Find Your Spirituality

Research from Sigmund Freud University, Vienna, Austria found that "there is good evidence that religious involvement is correlated with better mental health in the areas of depression, substance abuse."[5]

Drink Black Tea

Research conducted by Andrew Steptoe, Ph.D. and published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology found that Black Tea can help someone who is struggling with stress and their cortisol levels. Specifically, 6 weeks of consuming black tea could lead to "lower post-stress cortisol and greater subjective relaxation."[6]

Get Enough Sleep

Research from the Department of Medicine at The University of Chicago found that sleep loss may affect the resiliency of the stress response[7]. 

Mediate

Research out of Australia found that meditation has "specific effects to work stress."[8]

Listen To Music

Research published in Frontiers in Psychology found that music can reduce cortisol levels[9].  Austria research has found that the type of music matters.  Specifically, YOU need to pick your own music![10] This makes sense as obviously you are the only one who knows what you prefer.

Focus On Your Diet

Eat a balanced diet[11]…..First, try your best to avoid sugars and flours. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Eat a balanced, nutritious diet that contains plenty of fruits and vegetables. Eggs help lower cortisol levels in the blood while whole grain products help proteins control the production of cortisol in the body.

Exercise

Exercise on a daily basis to help with weight loss and weight management. Exercise also produces ‘feel good' endorphins that are released in the brain and combat stress and anxiety, a natural way to decrease the production of excess cortisol. Research from the Mayo Clinic found that yoga is a fantastic stress fighter.[12]

Take Your Vitamins

Take vitamin and mineral supplements, especially Vitamin C, which naturally lowers cortisol levels. Folic acid controls the actions and functions of the adrenal glands, which produce cortisol. Vitamin B5 and folic acid help lower cortisol levels. They can be found in foods like beans, fish, whole grains, peas, beans, sunflower seeds and fruits such melons and oranges[13].

Have A Lot Of Sex

Best. Research. Ever. Have sex for 14 straight days…...and reduce your anxiety! "Chronic sexual experience also reduced anxiety-like behavior. These findings suggest that a rewarding experience not only buffers against the deleterious actions of early elevated glucocorticoids but actually promotes neuronal growth and reduces anxiety."[14]

Get Some Sun

Getting sunlight can help lower your stress levels and the effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) [15] Researchers in Melbourne found that “levels of serotonin—a neurotransmitter that regulates appetite, sleep, memory, and mood—are lower during the winter than the summer”[16]. So, spend a few minutes each day getting some rays. 
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Jay Coulter is a Mental Health Advocate and founder of the mental health advocacy platform Conquer Worry. Their mission is to create awareness of the resources that are available to those who struggle with mental health. With over 87,000 followers on Twitter (@conquerworry) and a growing Facebook community , they have expanded their outreach with a podcast - The Conquer Worry Show.
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[1] http://www.myprimetime.com/health/ailments_answers/content/sleeping_in/
[2]  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16162447
[3] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2556917
[4] http://www.the-aps.org/mm/hp/Audiences/Public-Press/Archive/08/10.html
[5] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23420279
[6] http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00213-006-0573-2
[7] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9415946
[8] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21716708
[9] http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00058/full
[10] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21704068
[11] http://www.livestrong.com/article/28618-lower-high-cortisol-levels-naturally/
[12] http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/stress-management/in-depth/yoga/art-20044733
[13] http://www.livestrong.com/article/28618-lower-high-cortisol-levels-naturally/
[14] http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0011597
[15] http://www.webmd.com/depression/features/seasonal-affective-disorder
[16] http://www.healthline.com/health/depression/benefits-sunlight

Greeting to all of you in the Conquer Worry world. My name is Craig Lewis and I have been worrying about something very important to me. You see, I am a person with lived experience when it comes to mental health struggles, addiction and trauma, and when I commit to another person that I am going to do something, and then I am unable to, I become consumed with dread. However, it is not just dread that overtakes me, it is also the fear that I will be judged as someone who is weak or irresponsible or simply not worthy of some leeway when things in my life go a little haywire. Do you know what I am talking about here, when I describe the feelings of dread and fear? For many of us, these powerful and at times, debilitating feelings, arise within us, in the wake of unforeseen crises.

As much as I am aware that I can be overwhelmed by these waves of intensity, I am also aware that, every single time, I have survived when I have been hit with the powerful feelings of dread and fear. Hey, in reality we are all just human beings doing our best to live our lives. We don’t want to be constantly bothered or discouraged by the barrage of intense feelings that any given day in our life can throw at us. However, the reality is, unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you allow your perspective to view any situation you find yourself in; if you are alive today reading this essay, then you have survived, and you will survive again.

Perhaps, you may be thinking, who is this guy Craig Lewis and why should I listen to what he has to say? You may think to yourself that there is no way that this guy knows what I am going through and how dare he tell me anything when it comes to dealing with the onslaught of intensity, and perhaps chaos, that rains down upon me during times of crisis, or when I have been triggered by something. Of course, you are fully correct that I am not you and that your experience is yours and yours alone, and I want to validate that indeed you are the expert on you, and not me, and not anyone else. This is what I know! Each one of us has it within ourselves to facilitate a radical human powered transformation, for our life and so that we can live the lives we need and want to lead.

I can tell you that I am the expert on me, and there is no one who can take that away from me. Even if you have been told different by someone else; I am still asserting here that you are the expert on you. No one knows better than you when it comes to how you feel and knowing what you are feeling and in many ways, why you are feeling what you are feeling.  I know that you may be wondering how all of these words relate to coping with the avalanche of worry that we face from time to time in our lives? Thankfully, for me, I have lived the chaos, and while I still do experience extreme, intense and disruptive storms in my brain, I have learned, much the hard way, that I have survived each and every storm, and gotten on with my life.

To be direct and open with how I feel is often quite a comfortable state of mind for me to be in, and helps liberate me from my hurt, pain and ongoing struggle to live a happier, healthier and more satisfying life. Two weeks ago, I agreed to be a guest on the Conquer Worry show, and I cancelled at the last minute. One week ago, I agreed to be a guest on the Conquer Worry show, and again I cancelled. Surely there are legitimate reasons as to why I had to cancel, and I was treated by the host of the show with incredible compassion and empathy, for which I am grateful.

However, I still suffered with very strong feelings of dread and fear that I would be viewed as someone who is weak, irresponsible and unworthy of rescheduling for what is now the 2nd time. Thankfully, in this situation, I am very happy to report that I was embraced as a human being, who, like all of us, sometimes struggles with daily life and the barrage of triggers, upset and chaos, that can befall us at times and without warning, throw us off track. Tonight is the night of this interview and I am certain that this third attempt is the charm.

In closing, I am living proof that a life of worry, suffering and despair, can transform into a relatively peaceful, happy and satisfying life. Surely, this was not an overnight process and I want to be clear that this is a difficult journey to go on however I can happily share with you that not only am I grateful for all of my experiences and for all of my struggles, that in fact it is this very journey that taught me how to live the good life I live today. Of course, this is an ongoing process and while I do, at times, experience the feelings of despair, dread and fear, no doubt about that, I still will not allow worry to be the navigator of my life as that navigator is me; and in your life, you are the navigator, you choose and you decide.

Craig Lewis

WWW.BETTERDAYSRECOVERY.COM

Follow on Facebook: Link

December 1, 2014

Craig Lewis is a Certified Peer Specialist living and working in Massachusetts. 
He has struggled immensely with mental health issues throughout his life, but he has successfully transformed this into a life of wellness. He has embraced his recovery process, producing remarkably beneficial results. He has discovered that he has innate skills and capabilities for helping others in their recovery, and he has been able to help many people improve the quality of their lives, which is life-affirming for him. He does this by tapping into his lived experience to help others transcend their own struggles. He is sincerely committed to his recovery and helping nurture the recovery and wellness of all with whom he comes into contact. Craig is successfully working as part of an outreach team at a human services agency in Boston, Massachusetts. He also tours the country, speaking about his lived experience, sharing his struggles and triumphs to help others.