By Dr. Greg Brannon / Images by Dr. Greg Brannon
While a normal amount of stress can be healthy, too much can be detrimental to both mental and physical well-being.
Managing stress is one of the most important factors for health and wellness, along with sleep, nutrition and exercise. Stress is your body’s response to external or internal pressures or perceived threats (stressors), and although it may seem like just a mental feeling, it can have clear and damaging impacts on your physical health. Stressors can include acute trauma, major surgery, blood loss, emotional stress, pain and more. While a normal amount of stress can be healthy, too much can be detrimental to both mental and physical well-being.
Having kicked off the month with National Stress Awareness Day on Nov. 1, quickly followed by the election on Nov. 4, now is the perfect time to take control of your health and learn how to manage yours.
Our hormones greatly affect how we feel, think and respond to the world around us. From mood swings to anxiety and everything in between, hormones can have a significant impact on mental health. Understanding this connection is the first step toward finding balance and well-being. Cortisol, known as the “stress hormone,” is produced nightly and increases under stress, but chronically depleting its reserve can lead to health issues. Several factors can cause this depletion, such as unbalanced hormones and lack of sleep.
Chronic stress can also lead to prolonged elevation of cortisol levels, which has been linked to anxiety, depression, impaired cognitive function and inflammation. Optimizing testosterone, estrogen and progesterone plays a key role in balancing cortisol levels by decreasing excessive cortisol and restoring balance. Restorative sleep is imperative for the body to build its cortisol reserve effectively, but common factors like blue light or a poor diet can prevent this.
Keeping your hormones balanced and managing stress is key to maintaining healthy cortisol levels. Below are some additional tips to support an appropriate cortisol reserve:
Take vitamin D3 with K
Utilize adaptogens and L-theanine to manage stress
Keep your bedroom dark at night
Avoid screen time before bed; try a different activity, such as reading a book
Another hormone closely linked to stress and mental health is adrenaline. It is released during the body’s stress response and triggers physiological changes, including alertness, increased heart rate and a rush of energy. While it serves an essential role in the acute stress response, similar to cortisol, prolonged exposure or chronic activation can be harmful, contributing to feelings of irritability, restlessness and agitation.
Chronic stress can even lower testosterone levels, which help the body manage stress and disrupt serotonin levels (the “feel-good” hormone), which helps regulate mood and emotional well-being.
Though we can’t fully avoid stress in our lives, we can take steps to support our body’s natural stress response systems and mitigate the negative effects of chronic stress. Wellness practices, such as regular exercise, getting enough sleep, and maintaining good nutrition, can help regulate hormone levels and promote a healthier stress response. It’s also crucial to replace what you’ve lost in terms of optimal hormone levels.
Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy (BHRT) is another key way to support healthy cortisol levels by optimizing testosterone, estrogen and progesterone. This amplifies the restorative properties of sleep and reduces anxiety. Consult a hormone specialist, such as one fromOptimal Bio,to understand your overall health and how to improve your hormone and stress levels.
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