Are Your Cortisol Levels On Overdrive?

Do you recall that “look” from a parent? You know that look that says “you are 2 seconds away from a spanking” or “you’ve done something wrong” look? Do you remember how that made you feel? I do. I just wanted to run to my room and lock the door.

Well, the reason behind you feeling a certain way because of that “look” from your parent was due to your brain releasing a chemical called cortisol. Whenever you are stressed or feeling threatened for prolonged periods of time, your brain releases cortisol.

As this chemical is released in excess, this begins to affect the brain by way of decreased memory and cognitive capabilities like concentration and creative thinking. The thing about cortisol is that it has a shelf life, in your brain, of 26 hours.

So let’s say something happened that upset you and you continue to allow that situation to upset you. Your brain is on overdrive releasing cortisol that will eventually break down and destroy the body itself. This happens over a period of time and provides more awareness to the different recovery periods of people dealing with depression.

Fortunately, the brain also releases a good chemical called oxytocin. Oxytocin helps you relax, reduce blood pressure, and promotes healing and growth. This chemical is released when you feel trust, use social media to connect with an old friend, hugs, and intimate arousal. The shelf life of oxytocin is minutes to hours.

Here are a couple of ways to increase that good flow. Introduce meditation in your daily routine, foster the attitude of gratitude and there are certain foods high in oxytocin like eggs, bananas, and pepper.