You’ve probably heard of cortisol before. Otherwise known as the stress hormone, it plays an important role in the body’s stress response, and can cause anxiety, high blood pressure, facial swelling (also known by its social media moniker: cortisol Face) and abdominal weights are just a few. Effects of high cortisol levels.
While it’s true that cortisol is a key player in your body’s flight or flight response—the evolutionary response your body takes to a stress-induced situation, catecholamines, a group of hormones that act as neurotransmitters It also works. big picture Catecholamines, which are grouped as dopamine, adrenaline and noradrenaline are pumped when you feel threatened with physical and emotional stress.
The brain, nervous system, and adrenal glands produce catecholamines, and together they cause some common symptoms of stress, from sweating to sweating, dizziness, and tremors. As everyone knows, long-term high stress can lead to burnout – and according to Mental Health England’s Burnout Report 2024, Londoners are particularly susceptible. One in four people from the capital admit to being unable to cope with stress in their lifetime, while a fifth of workers will have to take time off due to stress-related poor mental health by 2024.
The challenges we face both inside and outside the workplace are taking a toll and are turning the UK into a ‘burnt out’ nation. But take a deep breath, because there are some smart ways you can take action. Get ready to feel more relaxed and bring your hormones back into balance. Your health will thank you for it!
Massage your body by touch
Starting your morning by patting your body can help you with depression
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Want to regulate your catecholamines in just 60 seconds? Increase your internal kinetic energy and improve blood circulation at the same time with a short Qigong (a traditional Chinese exercise) tapping session. Get into the habit of setting a one-minute timer on your phone when you wake up in the morning, and wake up every part of your body with a combination of tap massage techniques. With all of your hands, use patting, pinching, and clenching movements that feel strong enough to strengthen (but not so hard as to cause injury). Start at your feet and work your way up to your head, spending a few seconds on each body part.
Leaning towards a leaner lifestyle – adopting a mindful way of living away from 10pm emails and weekends is improving our fitness routines. High intensity workouts are on the way out and slow fitness is in. Intense training can create high levels of catecholamines and without adequate rest between training sessions, you risk burnout.
Swap your HIIT classes for micro-walking. According to Lululemon’s new Global Wellbeing Report 2024, short walks lasting less than 15 minutes helped boost well-being by 20 percent, add a spot of nature to the mix and your well-being increased by 24 percent.
The Nordic lifestyle continues to thrive on happiness levels
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The Nordic lifestyle continues to thrive on the happiness scale and access to an abundance of fresh, natural foods is one of the reasons for the country’s great wellbeing. Fish is an important part of the Nordic diet, and oily fish in particular can help balance your catecholamine response.
The adrenal glands located on top of the kidneys are one of the major sites where catecholamines are produced, and nourishing your adrenal glands by including fatty fish in your diet may help restore adrenal health. Remember the acronym SMASH, which stands for (salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines and herring) because these are the most nutritious cold-water fish species. Try and alternate these types by including two to three portions per week to get a steady stream of stress-relieving omega-3 fatty acids.
Start your meal with a salad
The adrenal glands need constant nourishment and one of the best ways to keep them functioning effectively is to make green vegetables the star of your diet. Dark green leafy vegetables such as rocket, lettuce, watercress and spinach are full of the micronutrient magnesium, an important mineral that helps promote relaxation, reducing excess load on the adrenal glands. Start your main meal with a green salad to get your magnesium fix. An 80g serving size officially counts as one portion, and pre-washed baguette leaves are a quick way to whip up a nutritious salad.
Starting your meal with a green salad before your main meal helps improve your digestive system so you can avoid stomach upsets like gas and bloating. Double win.
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