21 hours ago
The Easiest Way to Lower Cortisol, According to a Longevity Expert
Our lives are filled with spiking cortisol. We've all accepted this as fact. Digital hyperconnectivity, working as if it were the sole purpose of our lives, and an endless barrage of spiraling thoughts make stress not only inevitable, but constant.
Of course, there are also many ways to mitigate the endless stress. Meditation, walking in nature, breathwork, movement, therapy, and journaling are all proven to help promote calm and ease anxiety. However, it's also important to remember that there are other quick and easy tools that can help.
This was the message from longevity and Blue Zone expert Dan Buettner during a recent visit to the podcast High Net Purpose. The expert confirmed that although there are many ways to alleviate stress, they can often be abandoned when we're busy. Luckily, simple habits can be equally effective.
A tiny de-stressing habit
Buettner says that one of the best ways to reduce stress—and therefore, cortisol—is just to talk to other people. This can be anyone: a friend, neighbor, colleague, your mom, or the barista.
He says interactions with other people can be real stress relievers. 'Having conversations with other human beings is wonderful,' he explains. working as if it were theChance encounters help a lot. The role of the environment we live in and the people we interact with is very important.'
This idea ties in with another recommendation that is often made by psychologists focused on work issues: If you are stressed at work, stopping to talk with a colleague can help calm you down. And you don't even have to have a deep conversation; many times it is enough to make banal chatter. It's really just about making eye contact and having an interaction that takes us out of the constant thought loops that can cause cortisol to rise.
Social relationships are life insurance
In much of his work, Buettner also says that one of the greatest secrets of the people with long life expectancies in Blue Zones are social and family relationships. Having a social support network has a proven influence—not just on longevity in the long term, but on immediate stress. Just think about how much better you feel after one conversation with a friend.
