Cortisol levels are a mirror of our stress. The hormone affects how quickly we calm down after stressful events. It turns out that in the morning the body reacts more strongly to stress than in the evening. But you can start the day in such a way that you can live it calmly and with pleasure.
Our body reacts to stress more acutely in the morning than in the evening. This was confirmed by a study by Yujiro Yamanaka from the University of Hokkaido in Japan. The scientists drew blood from the participants every two hours and measured their cortisol levels.
The main task of this hormone is to provide the body with enough energy to fight or flee in case of danger. But even without a specific trigger, there is a certain base mass of cortisol in the blood that fluctuates throughout the day. Immediately after waking up, the level rises, and by the evening it slowly decreases.
Public speaking test
To find out how stress affects a person at different times of the day, the experimenters created the appropriate situations in the morning or in the evening. Participants were asked to make a presentation in front of the public, and then solve several arithmetic problems in front of the jury. Everything was recorded on video. Scientists took blood before and after the tests.
The results of the experiment showed that in the mornings after similar stressful situations, cortisol was released into the blood much more strongly. In the evening, on the contrary, it was less.
Should we now assume that we should do things that provoke stress, if possible, in the evening, and not in the morning? It is not so easy to answer this question. Of course, chronically elevated levels of cortisol adversely affect the body. But a short-term release of the hormone may help you better cope with large and sudden stress, the researchers say. The strategy may be as follows: deal with the expected heavy loads in the evening.
7 secrets for a good morning
It happens that everything is not set in the morning. For example, it is worth oversleeping, and the day goes upside down, plans collapse. It’s annoying.
It would be much more pleasant to experience a calm morning, to leave the house confident and ready for any challenges of a new day. You can develop such a skill – purposefully make the morning measured. This does not mean that every day has to start the same way. Rather, you should choose from the items listed below those that suit you today.
- Write down a realistic plan for the morning in the evening. Then you don’t have to wrestle with your head over what to do and what to grab on to in the first place. Let it be one thing for the whole day, but you will do it without fuss and with pleasure.
- Open the curtains on the windows in the morning and let the sunlight into the bedroom. It is daytime natural light that causes the sleep hormone melatonin to decrease, and the happiness hormone serotonin, on the contrary, to increase. During short winter days, fluorescent lamps can be used to simulate sunlight.
- Give yourself time. Not jumping up immediately with an alarm clock, but it’s nice to stretch in bed, “warm up”, like an athlete before a competition. Aerobatics – learn to wake up without an alarm clock.
- Brush your teeth first, then drink water. At night, bacteria accumulate on the teeth and in the mouth. It is better to get rid of them, and only then drink water – without sufficient moisture and fluid, it is difficult for the body to start itself into action.
- Do morning exercises. Even a few squats work wonders. A couple of simple moves will get you in top shape in no time. Plus a cool shower – and you are cheerful for the whole day.
- Set aside 10 minutes for free thinking. Write down on paper everything that is in your head – give free rein to the flow. Just no bad thoughts. This will help keep your head in order. You can keep a daily “5 minute diary” – list three things for which you are grateful this morning.
- Breakfast is optional. Many argue about whether to consider the morning meal the most important part of the afternoon meal. If you are not hungry, then you do not need to force yourself to eat breakfast. If you are used to having a festive feast in the morning, then you should replace it with a healthy alternative without bread and foods that are difficult for digestion.
Sources: spektrum.de and smarticular.net