A Holistic Cortisol Reset
May 02, 2025
Cortisol Reset: A Holistic Mind-Body-Spirit Approach
“The body keeps the score.”– Bessel van der Kolk
You’ve likely heard of cortisol as the body’s main stress hormone. It’s essential for survival—keeping us alert, fueling energy during emergencies, and regulating inflammation. But when cortisol is chronically elevated, it becomes a silent saboteur of health.
Brain fog. Belly fat. Burnout. Hormonal imbalance. Digestive issues. Anxiety. Sound familiar?
The truth is, resetting cortisol isn’t just about what you eat or what you avoid. It’s also about how you eat, how you breathe, how you move, and how you live. If your baseline mode is fight-or-flight, no green smoothie can save you.
This is about stepping out of survival mode and into a rhythm that supports calm, clarity, and sustainable energy. Let’s talk about how to holistically reset your cortisol through a mind-body-spirit approach.
🔥 What Ignites Cortisol?
First, recognize the common cortisol igniters in daily life:
- Skipping meals or eating on the run
- Over-exercising or never resting
- Chronic screen time and news scrolling
- Perfectionism and people-pleasing
- Late nights and early mornings with no pause in between
- Suppressed emotions and “powering through”
You may not even realize you’re running on fumes until your body starts whispering symptoms—or shouting.
🌱 The Cortisol Reset: What Offsets the Overload?
The reset starts with slowing down and tuning in. Here’s how to calm cortisol across mind, body, and spirit.
🧠 MIND: Calm the Inner Narrative
- Shift Your Self-Talk
High cortisol often starts with inner pressure: “I have to do more,” “I’m behind,” “I should be better.”
Try this instead: “I can pause and still be productive.”
Your nervous system listens to your thoughts. Make them gentler.
- Create Thought Boundaries
Don’t just manage your time—manage your mental space.
- Limit doom-scrolling
- Take screen breaks
- Protect your peace from energy-draining conversations
- Practice Presence
- One-task-at-a-time eating
- Five senses grounding: What do you see, hear, feel, smell, taste?
- Micro-meditations (even 1 minute helps)
🧘♀️ BODY: Balance the Physiology
- Eat to Stabilize Blood Sugar
Spikes and crashes = cortisol chaos.
- Eat within 90 minutes of waking
- Include protein, fiber, and healthy fat at every meal
- Don’t skip meals (even snacks count!)
- Eat slowly and without distraction when you can
- Move from ultra-processed foods to whole foods.
- Move Gently and Consistently
Too much high-intensity training can increase cortisol in already-stressed bodies.
- Prioritize walking, yoga, stretching, or light strength training
- Walk after meals for cortisol-lowering benefits
- Move in ways that feel joyful, not punishing
- Sleep Like It’s Your Job
Cortisol should drop at night—if it doesn’t, you’ll feel wired and tired.
- Dim lights 1–2 hours before bed
- No caffeine after 2 PM
- Keep a consistent sleep schedule
- Try magnesium or herbal tea (like ashwagandha or chamomile)
✨ SPIRIT: Connect and Align
- Reconnect with Meaning
Are your daily tasks in alignment with your values, or are you just running to keep up?
Create moments of purpose: journaling, creative outlets, spiritual practice, or nature time.
- Breathe with Intention
- 4-7-8 breathing
- Box breathing (4-4-4-4)
- Exhale-focused breathing (longer exhales trigger the parasympathetic nervous system)
Even 3 minutes a few times a day can dramatically reduce cortisol levels.
- Ask Yourself Daily:
- “What would make today feel lighter?”
- “Where can I offer myself softness instead of pressure?”
- “What’s one way I can feel nourished today—beyond food?”
🌸 Final Thoughts
You don’t need to be in constant fight-or-flight. It’s not your natural state—it’s a survival mechanism that got stuck in “on.” A cortisol reset doesn’t mean quitting your job, abandoning your family, or moving to a mountaintop. It means reclaiming rhythms that serve your nervous system—with food, breath, presence, and purpose.
Remember: It’s not just what you eat. It’s how you eat, how you live, and how you love yourself back into balance.
Affirmation:
I honor my body by creating calm within and around me. I am safe to slow down. I am safe to receive rest.
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