Natural Ways to Lower Norepinephrine & Cortisol

Your body responds to a pile of unpaid bills just as it does to a roaring grizzly bear: by secreting higher levels of cortisol and norepinephrine. Norepinephrine increases the heart rate and releases sugar for quick energy, while cortisol helps with memory, immune system functioning, and tolerance to pain. While these physical changes will aid you in "fight or flight" situations, over time they can lead to major health problems. If you are under prolonged stress, consider taking steps to lower your "stress hormone" levels.

Chronic Stress

• Many people find that the level of stress in their lives has increased, while the ability to cope with stress has not. The bad news is that the body's stress hormones can cause or exacerbate conditions like depression, sleep trouble, digestive disorders, heart disease and autoimmune disorders. Undiagnosed pain could be a result of stress, as could skin rashes and difficulty losing abdominal fat. The good news is that the potential cure lies in your own hands.

  Anything you can do to bring your body down from its fight-or-flight response will help to keep you healthy. Martha Davis, Elizabeth Robbins Eshelman, and Matthew McKay, authors of "The Relaxation & Stress Reduction Workbook," tout the following among the most useful activities: progressive relaxation, self-hypnosis, meditation, exercise and deep breathing.

Natural Ways to Find Relief

• During progressive relaxation, you tense and relax your muscles, beginning with the hands or feet and moving throughout the body. By the time you are done, your body may feel an exceptionally complete sense of relaxation.

  Self-hypnosis is a way to give yourself relaxing suggestions that you will follow when the session is over. To enter a receptive state, many practitioners imagine descending a staircase or being washed with warm ocean waves. MP3s and CDs can help guide this procedure.

  Meditation is a process of quieting and focusing the mind. Practiced by cultures all over the world, meditation takes a variety of forms. A practitioner can sit in the iconic lotus position to meditate, but he can also walk, eat, chant, or simply pay close attention to his surroundings. The point is to take your mind beyond the distracting and stressful thoughts of daily life.

  Exercise can take the form of walking, jogging, yoga, trips to the gym, or whatever works for you. The important thing is to do it regularly. In the Jan. 15, 1998 issue of New England Journal of Medicine, Bruce S. McEwen, Ph.D. writes, "Of all the things we can do to lower stress levels...exercise seems to be the most effective, along with a prudent diet."

  Deep breathing is a simple stress-relief technique that can be practiced almost anywhere. Focus on breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth, filling the abdomen rather than the upper chest. Many practitioners advise counting as you breathe. Joan Borysenko, Ph.D., writer for Prevention.com, recommends an easy regimen of "circle breathing" that incorporates pleasant visualizations (see Resources).

  In addition to the techniques described above, taking time to enjoy your own company and the company of friends and family can help restore those "stress hormone" levels to normal. Turn off the computer, listen to music, have sex, call your best friend--anything that will help to break the unhealthy cycle of stress.