Chronic stress profoundly disrupts hormone balance, and can stem from many sources including psychological factors like work pressures and emotional challenges or physiological issues such as poor nutrition, chronic illness, or sleep deprivation. While cortisol, one of the "fight or flight" hormones, is essential for managing acute stress, chronically high levels of cortisol can disrupt thyroid function, impair insulin regulation, and even suppress reproductive hormones. Over time, persistent stress can disrupt the signaling pathways between the brain and adrenal glands, leading to dysregulated cortisol production and subsequent symptoms like fatigue, mood swings, and more. This impairment of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis is often referred to as HPA axis dysfunction.
The elevated cortisol levels from stress can also significantly impair estrogen metabolism and suppress progesterone production, which may result in an imbalance between estrogen and progesterone, referred to as estrogen dominance - a condition linked to symptoms in women such as irregular periods, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and even fibroids. Furthermore, estrogen dominance can contribute to weight gain, particularly around the abdomen, as excess estrogen can increase fat storage and make weight management more challenging.
Addressing chronic stress is essential for supporting the adrenals, estrogen metabolism, and overall hormonal health. Yet finding ways to ‘manage stress’ can seem somewhat elusive, daunting, or even downright impossible without completely overhauling daily life. The good news is that there are many simple, effective ways to reduce stress, improve your resilience, and support your hormone health—all without requiring a major lifestyle overhaul. In this blog, we’ll explore 10 practical strategies to help you build resilience, recover from daily stressors, and maintain hormonal balance.
Have you ever had a day busy at home or even a day working from home where you realized around 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm that you haven't even gone outside? Maybe, because of the time of year, you’re commuting to your place of work when it’s still dark and then leaving the building after the sun has set. Unfortunately, spending long stretches of time indoors can deprive you of one of the most powerful natural tools for stress relief and hormonal balance: natural light and sunlight exposure. Importantly, you can still get the benefits of natural light exposure by being outdoors during cloudy and overcast conditions, so don’t let a cloudy day keep you indoors all day!
Natural sunlight exposure reduces cortisol levels and improves overall resilience to stress through several mechanisms. First off, natural sunlight exposure is a quintessential aspect of circadian rhythm regulation. Circadian rhythms are your body’s natural 24-hour internal clock that controls sleep, wakefulness, and other important functions like hormone secretion and digestion. It’s what helps your body know when to wake up, feel alert, and wind down for sleep. Proper circadian rhythm alignment reduces the body’s perception of stress and helps prevent excessive cortisol production, especially at inappropriate times of the day. Misaligned circadian rhythms can cause more stress by disrupting your body’s natural patterns (like sleep), making you less resilient to daily challenges.
Morning and daytime sunlight exposure helps align your circadian rhythm by signaling to your brain that it’s daytime, suppresses melatonin (the hormone that makes you feel sleepy), and supports a healthy cortisol spike earlier on in the day that makes you feel alert and energized. This natural cortisol rhythm prevents inappropriate cortisol surges later in the day, which can lead to stress and poor sleep. In addition to sunlight exposure being critical for circadian rhythms, it also boosts serotonin production, one of the neurotransmitters associated with happiness, feelings of well-being, and reduced stress.
The minimum amount of time needed to experience most of these benefits is 10 to 15 minutes of morning sunlight exposure. Even on overcast days, natural daylight is far brighter than indoor lighting and can still provide benefits. Try to spend 15–20 minutes outdoors if the sun isn’t directly visible.
Laughter is a free, incredibly undervalued avenue for reducing stress. Laughter decreases stress by lowering cortisol and adrenaline, shifting the body out of the ‘fight or flight’ mode into the parasympathetic state, essentially calming the body. Laughter also releases endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals, and improves circulation and oxygenation. Deep belly laughs increase blood flow and oxygen delivery throughout the body, helping muscles to relax and relieve tension. Laughter may even benefit glucose metabolism, reducing stress-related blood sugar spikes.
While laughter may seem like an action that only comes about naturally, there are actually several intentional and easy steps you can take to incorporate more laughter into your life. Instead of watching a drama TV show, pick a sitcom or even try a stand-up comedy act. There are libraries of stand-up comedy shows on Netflix. Have a friend or a co-worker that makes you laugh? Be more intentional in connecting with them for a 5-10 minute break in your day (maybe while you walk outside). Practice finding humor in daily situations, even if you’re the only one who gets to enjoy all those little moments. If you want to get really creative, you can join a ‘laughter yoga class’ (yes, these exist) or create a ‘funny memory jar’ where you write down funny things that happen in your life or jokes you’ve heard. On tough days, pull a note from the jar to relive a laugh and instantly lighten your mood! Maybe it’s a jar, but it can also be an ongoing note on your phone with sacred, hilarious memories!
While it may seem like a no-brainer, eating regular, well-balanced meals is a commonly overlooked foundational component supporting the stress response. Eating regular meals, meaning that you don’t skip meals or go too long before eating, as well as having balanced meals with protein and fat alongside carbohydrates, help support a healthy blood sugar response. This is important because unstable blood sugar levels cause stress to the body by triggering a cascade of physiological responses that disrupt hormone balance.
For example, when blood sugar drops too low (hypoglycemia), your body perceives it as a threat to survival. In response, the adrenal glands release stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline to raise blood sugar by signaling the liver to release stored glucose (glycogen). This repeated activation of the stress response may place chronic strain on the adrenal glands and increase cortisol levels. You’ve likely had the experience of being in a perceived ‘low blood sugar’ state, where it caused some form of physiological or psychological stress until you were able to eat next.
Blood sugar spiking too high from higher sugar or primarily carbohydrate-based meals is equally as problematic as this may cause ‘reactive hypoglycemia,’ resulting in a similar stress response and/or a chronic state of blood sugar instability. If blood sugar levels remain elevated over time, it signals a state of metabolic stress. Frequent spikes in blood sugar cause the pancreas to release more insulin to stabilize glucose levels. This can lead to insulin resistance, a condition where cells stop responding to insulin. Insulin resistance disrupts other hormones, including estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.
To avoid both the short and long-term downfalls of unstable blood sugar, try to eat at consistent times each day, aiming to have a source of fat, fiber, and protein with each meal. This will promote satiety as well as blood sugar balance. If you need a snack between meals, opt for one that contains protein and fat instead of chips or crackers that are solely carbohydrates.
While starting your day with a mood-boosting cup of coffee may not be a significant source of stress, it’s easy to have that ‘one cup too many’ that overstimulates the nervous system. Caffeine directly triggers the release of cortisol and adrenaline, the body’s primary stress hormones. While this can provide a temporary energy boost, excessive or frequent caffeine intake keeps the body in a heightened state of alertness, mimicking a stress response. This constant stimulation may increase heart rate and anxiety, making it harder for the body to relax. It may also cause higher cortisol levels at night, disrupting sleep. Also be aware of the fact that caffeine has a half life of about 8 hours, so limit caffeine intake to the mornings so that you do not risk disrupted sleep. After your first cup of coffee, try opting for some herbal tea instead that actually supports stress resilience (see below)! You can also try switching to green tea which has caffeine, and also contains the amino acid L-Theanine, which promotes GABA, the calming neurotransmitter.
What about alcohol? Alcohol is both a depressant and a stimulant, as it affects the brain and body in distinct ways at different stages of consumption. Alcohol initially increases dopamine levels and stimulates the release of adrenaline and noradrenaline. As the body metabolizes alcohol, its depressant effects, like CNS (central nervous system) and glutamate suppression, kick in, slowing down brain function. Both these stages contribute to stress as the stimulant phase overstimulates the nervous system creating a temporary high that increases cortisol levels, and the depressant phase impairs sleep, mood regulation, and recovery. Limiting stimulants like caffeine and alcohol is a highly effective stress reduction strategy for supporting hormone health because both substances can overstimulate the nervous system and disrupt the body’s natural hormone regulation processes.
Adaptogenic herbs can help your body adapt to stress, and tea can be an easy way to incorporate the power of some of these stress-supporting herbs into your life! Adaptogens are natural substances, typically herbs or mushrooms, that help the body adapt to stress and maintain balance, particularly within the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. They work by modulating the stress response, improving resilience, and supporting overall hormonal and physiological health.
Some popular and easily sourced adaptogens are: ashwagandha (supports adrenal health and reduces cortisol levels), rhodiola (enhances resilience and mental focus), and holy basil/ tulsi (calms the nervous system). Look for tea brands like Organic India or Yogi that have ashwagandha, rhodiola, or holy basil (tulsi) either as a stand-alone or blend. You can sip on these teas throughout the day for some extra warmth as well as resiliency!
Regular exercise increases endorphins, often improving mood and energy, as well as overall physical health. That being said, the type of exercise that is most beneficial for someone regarding both stress reduction and hormone support will be entirely dependent on the individual and their current health and hormone status. For example, intense forms of exercise like HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) can place significant physical stress on the body, leading to an increase in cortisol levels as part of the stress response. While this is beneficial in short bursts for fitness adaptation, excessive HIIT, overtraining, or lack of proper recovery can suppress reproductive hormones like estrogen and progesterone, disrupt thyroid function, and impair sleep, making HIIT a less optimal choice for individuals with adrenal dysfunction or certain hormone profiles.
If you’re struggling with HPA axis dysfunction, chronic stress, and already feel exhausted, you may benefit from incorporating more gentle and/ or alternative forms of movement that promote circulation and get your body moving yet have actually been shown to reduce stress and aid in recovery. Examples of these forms of movement include something as simple as walking, but there are also more structured movement practices such as yoga and Qigong. Haven’t heard of Qigong? Qigong is a mind-body-spirit practice that improves mental and physical health by integrating posture, movement, breathing technique, self-massage, sound, and focused intent. This practice opens the flow of energy through slow, gentle movements.
Cultivating your own movement practice like yoga or Qigong is highly beneficial, and once you are familiar with the work you can incorporate mini-sessions throughout your day if you don’t have time for an hour-long class. Taking a 10-minute break for a few yoga poses or Qigong techniques is a simple way to reduce stress effectively. If you’re interested in learning more about Qigong, CCFM has a self-paced Qigong workshop you can learn more about here!
Breathwork is another practice worth cultivating. Careful attention to your breath can be a powerful way to quickly shift the body out of the stressful ‘flight or flight mode’ back into the calm parasympathetic or relaxation state. Just five minutes of slow, controlled breathing has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety significantly.1 Once you know a few techniques, you can utilize breathwork in an acutely stressful situation, or maybe it’s part of a wind-down practice you have for your day, before bed, etc. One easy technique is 4-7-8 Breathing:
If you’re interested in learning even more breathwork techniques, CCFM also has a great Introduction to Breathwork workshop.
Yes, there is actually evidence showing that aromatherapy can help reduce stress! Studies suggest that inhaling essential oils interacts with the olfactory system and connects to the brain's limbic system, an area involved in emotions, mood regulation, and stress responses. This process can lower cortisol levels and increase serotonin production, both of which contribute to reduced stress and improved emotional balance.2,3
Lavender oil is one of the most well-known and studied oils for calming and anti-anxiety effects, though oils like bergamot and chamomile have been shown to have similar effects. There are many ways to incorporate aromatherapy and essential oils into your daily life. You can use an essential oil diffuser in your space or ‘stress-free zone’ (more on this below), but you can also buy ‘pocket roller’ essential oils to carry on you, take to work, or add a few drops to some of your other therapeutic activities. This can be a bath, steamy shower, or foot soak.
Do you have a sacred space where you live? It doesn’t have to be an entire room. It can be a corner of a room that you go to when you want to de-stress or wind down your day. Envision a little corner of the world where you have your essential oil diffuser, a meditation pillow, or maybe a yoga mat for stretching or a comfortable chair where you sit and read while drinking tea. Maybe this is an area where you journal or a space where you keep other stress reduction therapies, like a weighted blanket or infrared mat.
There are so many ways to get creative about this space and what to include. What’s most important about the space is that it’s a place for you to disconnect from daily to-dos, tasks, and potentially even technology at some point in your day. While you could incorporate some of these ideas in any physical space, having an area that serves this specific purpose can make it easier to quickly switch into recovery and relaxation mode.
What are you currently doing in the hour leading up to bed? While there is likely benefit from incorporating a technology-free hour at any point in the day, avoiding the TV and screens before bed can significantly help reduce stress for multiple reasons. Devices like smartphones, tablets, and TVs emit blue light, which suppresses melatonin production—a hormone essential for sleep regulation. Consistent exposure to blue light before bedtime can disrupt circadian rhythms, delaying sleep onset and reducing sleep quality. Limiting screen time allows melatonin levels to rise naturally, promoting better sleep, which is critical for hormonal regulation.
That being said, avoiding your phone before bed is about more than just blue light exposure. Engaging with certain aspects of technology before bed, whether scrolling through social media, responding to emails, reading the news, or even watching YouTube videos, stimulates the brain and activates the sympathetic nervous system, potentially increasing stress and anxiety as you try to wind down for sleep. An alternative to watching TV or being on your phone before bed could be tech-free activities like reading, journaling, or even visiting your new ‘Stress-Free Zone.’
After reading this blog, ask yourself what stress reduction techniques could easily fit into your life. The goal is not to incorporate every single activity mentioned but to find a few that resonate with you or that you would most likely benefit from. Maybe you already practice yoga but can’t remember the last time you laughed and would love a ‘Stress-Free Zone.’ Having outlets for stress reduction and for building stress resilience is essential for maintaining hormonal balance and overall well-being. Chronic stress can disrupt the delicate balance of hormones like cortisol, estrogen, and progesterone, leading to symptoms such as fatigue, mood swings, irregular periods, and difficulty managing weight. By incorporating even small, consistent stress-reducing practices into your daily routine, you can help regulate your body's stress response and support healthy hormone function.
Want to learn more about supporting healthy hormone function? Our Free Hormone Harmony Video Workshop dives deeper into balancing your hormones and reducing stress effectively. Learn simple, actionable strategies to feel your best every day!