Cortisol, not cholesterol, is a stress hormone that the body produces naturally. It plays a role in your overall health and well-being, but chronically high cortisol levels can worsen health issues, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and mental health disorders. By taking steps to manage your cortisol levels, you will not only improve your overall health, but also keep your stress in check. 

What Is Cortisol?

The body produces cortisol in response to stress. Although it can have a negative connotation, especially when you see more than 80,000 TikTok posts under #cortisol, cortisol is integral for several bodily functions. In a healthy body, for example, one of cortisol’s tasks is to help regulate inflammation. When the body comes in contact with a virus or bacteria, cortisol helps to fight those germs to keep you from getting sick. 

The body produces cortisol to help it respond more efficiently to potential dangers or stressful situations. You need it to kick into the body’s fight-or-flight response, just in case you have to outrun a bear, for example. If your body is in a constant fight-or-flight state, though, the immune system is less sensitive and less receptive to cortisol’s anti-inflammatory abilities. That can lead to chronic inflammation, which is linked to numerous diseases, including obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. If you want to avoid these things and keep cortisol levels down, continue reading. 

Get Moving

Need to bring those stress levels down? Incorporating more physical activity, such as walking, jogging, yoga, yoga, CrossFit, or Pilates, into your day can help you lower cortisol levels. Find whatever you love to do and do it! Some people like to cycle, while others prefer the fun environment of a Zumba class. One study monitored a group of healthy young-adult men and found that higher intensity exercise mitigated cortisol reactivity, reducing stress when exposed to a physical stressor.

Get Some Sleep

After you get moving, you need to go to bed…and that’s an order! Kidding aside, sleep deprivation can elevate cortisol levels, making it difficult to perform a stressful task. Some data suggests that sleep loss is associated with elevated cortisol levels even on the second day after a poor night’s sleep. Ideally, adults should get between seven to nine hours of sleep per night for optimal recovery. 

Try Meditation

If you want to reduce cortisol levels, meditation may be an excellent technique. According to some studies, a consistent meditation habit can increase your tolerance to anxiety, uncertainty, and unexpected things. Mindfulness meditation has proven to be an effective tool for lowering cortisol levels, based on existing research. People who are highly susceptible to stress, such as people with mental disorders or somatic illnesses, benefit most from mindfulness meditation.

Tap Into Your Community

What does it mean to tap into your community? Human connection is more important than you realize, especially if you find yourself in a place where you value others and they value you. Time and again, research shows that connecting with people can help reduce cortisol. One study monitored people who had to engage in public speaking. The participants who had loved ones nearby had lower levels of cortisol prior to delivering the speech compared to those who did not have support. 

Write It Down

Most people hold their emotions inside and never let them out, which is a very unhealthy habit. Releasing those emotions can be quite cathartic, lifting a heavy, emotional weight off your shoulders. One study found that people who wrote about their past failures before experiencing a new stressor had lower cortisol levels than those who did not write their past failures down. 

Focus On Healthier Foods

High stress levels can negatively impact your food choices. If you are stressed, you probably reach for chips or something salty and ultra-processed out of pure instinct. Choosing single-ingredient, whole foods can benefit both your metabolism and your digestive system. One study looked at cortisol levels and the glycemic index of the way fast foods elevate blood sugar. The researchers noted a link between a high glycemic index diet and higher cortisol levels. Other research found that eating high-calorie foods immediately increased cortisol.

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A recent study examined brain scans of women who looked at abstract images unrelated to food or images of sweet and savory foods. The women who felt the most lonely and socially isolated had the highest level of brain activity in the regions connected to sugary foods and cravings. At the close of the study, study authors concluded that building social connections may cause people to eat healthier. 

This new research, published by JAMA Network Open, builds on previous investigations linking loneliness to poor mental health. Earlier studies also linked loneliness to cognitive decline, weight gain, and obesity-related conditions, such as type 2 diabetes. Although there is a lot of evidence for these connections, researchers still don’t have a clear idea of the underlying causes. For example, obesity is linked to depression and anxiety, and binge-eating is common coping mechanism for loneliness.

The Study

Study authors surveyed 93 women about their social connections, body weight, feelings of loneliness, and eating behaviors. Scientists then used MRI scans to see how their brains responded when they looked at abstract images unrelated to food or images of different sweet and savory foods. Overall, participants who reported higher levels of loneliness or isolation were more likely to have sugary cravings. The loneliest participants also experienced reduced brain activity in regions responsible for self-control related to eating behaviors. 

Loneliness or social isolation can cause food cravings similar to the cravings you have for social connections. Study authors found that social bonds are integral to how people eat unhealthy foods, especially foods high in calories and sugar.

Study Suggests New Ways To Reduce Sugar Cravings

Although the study linked loneliness to increased sugar cravings, the study had certain limitations. Two of the limitations were the small size and the reliance on participants to accurately report details about the mood, eating behaviors, and overall health. That said, the study provides new evidence that supports the link between your mood and response to food. 

Additionally, the study found that the participants’ brains were particularly reactive to sweet foods. Researchers note that this explains the maladaptive eating behavioral changes among socially isolated people. The good news is that finding out this information can help socially isolated people make positive changes in their social lives, which can alter their eating habits. One of the best ways to start is to find ways to build social support systems. Some examples include volunteering, joining clubs, playing sports, or pursuing a new hobby. Anything that increases your interactions with other people can be beneficial, and may help change how your brain responds to food cues. 

When you are aware that sugar cravings are connected to loneliness or social isolation, you can feel empowered because you have the ability to change your eating patterns. Understanding that loneliness causes you to crave high-calorie, sugary foods is very empowering. You may want to consider holistic mind-body interventions to help correct the way you think about food. Meditation, journaling, deep breathing, and other stress-reduction exercises can be beneficial in changing the way you think about food. 

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You cannot go through life without encountering difficult times. Whether those times are bad days or bad years is undetermined, but you have the power to control how you cope and recover. When you have specific self-care strategies in place to help you get through tough times, anything is possible. This article aims to provide you with those strategies, which work to help you relax, reduce stress, and feel better about yourself. 

Why Is Self-Care Important?

Self-care is not the same as being selfish. Ultimately, self-care is about being responsible for the choices you make about your life and health. Taking care of yourself can make you more conscious about small things that bring harmony and balance to your life. Self-care is not complex, so don’t over-complicate it. Use the following suggestions to move through life when things get tough, and you may feel more empowered and in control when you do so. 

Cue Some Inspiration

Laughter is often the best medicine if you start to feel your feelings. According to research, laughter can boost your mood, lessen physical pain, and protect you from the effects of stress. In fact, laughter can help bring you back to normal, balancing your mind and body. If you need a good chuckle, cue up a comedic podcast, audiobook, movie, or TV show that you know will elevate your spirits. Alternatively, you may benefit from positive affirmation, so consider a motivational, inspiring podcast, video, or even saved recording to reshape your mindset. 

Talk To A Friend

Talking to someone, especially a friend who understands you and your struggles, is the easiest thing to do. Reach out to someone, be it a close friend or family member you can trust, and open up to them. A great heart-to-heart conversation can make all the difference, especially if you know that someone cares about you. 

Take A Walk In Outside

If you are feeling down, a walk in a park, along the beach, or in the woods can help reset your mind. Studies have shown that being in nature can reduce stress and boost your mood. Not only does a walk in nature benefit your mental health, but it also boosts your physical activity. Walking, jogging, biking, or swimming in nature can help you clear your mind, de-stress, and rebalance your mind and body. 

Ground Yourself

In addition to spending time outdoors, it can be beneficial to connect your body to the earth via grounding. Also known as earthing, grounding is the act of putting your skin in direct contact with the earth’s surface. This allows you to absorb the earth’s electricity, which can charge you with positive energy. Some research indicates that grounding has profound anti-inflammatory and anti-stress properties. If you have the ability, go for a barefoot walk on the beach for 20-30 minutes, or walk barefoot in a local park. 

Feed Your Emotions

To be clear, this tip is not about supporting emotional eating, nor is it about letting your emotions get the better of you. On difficult days, head to your local farmer’s market or grocery store and get some fresh produce. Colorful fruits and vegetables carry beneficial nutrients that can help reduce inflammation, lower stress, and boost mental health. You can even go so far as to research a specific recipe before heading to buy food. That way, you can turn the produce you buy into a meal that comforts the soul. 

Treat Yourself To A Cafe Visit

A visit to a cafe for coffee or tea every day may not be financially responsible, especially if you are on a budget. If going to get a latte or a slice of cake with tea brings you joy, allow yourself that luxury if you need some self-love. For some people, the allure of a coffee shop is the smell of coffee brewing, the clicking of laptop keys, or the steam from a cappuccino maker. Maybe you enjoy a hipster coffee shop that plays smooth jazz. Whatever you like is what you like, and there is no sense in denying yourself that happiness if you encounter a difficult day.

Meditate

Whether you are frustrated, stuck, or just having a bad day, meditation can be highly beneficial. A lot of people find meditation to be the best course of action to overcome such circumstances. Find a comfortable place to sit or lay down and start your meditation session. You can follow your breath in silence, or you can practice guided meditation, which can help prevent your mind from wandering if that is something you struggle with. Meditation can help you regain perspective and put you in a better place to deal with your stressful day.

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As you enter your 40s, the body starts to lose muscle tissue gradually, also known as sarcopenia. Since muscle burns more calories than fat does, losing muscle mass means that your metabolism slows down. That’s not the only hurdle that you face, though. For those who are assigned female at birth, the transition through menopause (perimenopause) is the second hurdle in the way of your weight loss efforts. 

Losing weight in your 40s just isn’t as easy as it was when you were in your 20s and 30s. Plus, it is more common for people to gain fat in this stage of life, especially around the midsection. Additionally, blood sugar levels may increase, which doesn’t make weight loss any easier. So how do you lose weight, or even maintain weight, during your 40s? Hopefully, the following tips aid your weight loss efforts. 

Prioritize Protein

If you want to lose weight, dietitians encourage higher protein consumption because it is more filling than carbohydrates. Eating protein may help you eat less later in the day, whereas carb-centric foods can cause late night cravings. A 2015 study found that menopausal women who ate higher amounts of protein weighed less and had less body fat than people who ate less protein. Higher protein eaters ate 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. That equates to 55 grams of protein for a person who weighs 150 pounds. Great sources of protein to include in your diet are Greek yogurt, peanut butter, almond butter, organic eggs, kidney beans, black beans, cannellini beans, and wild caught fish. 

Keep Stress Levels Down

Easier said than done, right? As you know, there are new demands sandwiched between adulting, raising kids, and everything else that comes with life in your 40s. Keeping stress levels in check can aid your weight loss efforts. When you are stressed, your cortisol levels are much higher, and they elevate blood sugar and encourage weight gain, especially in the midsection. When you keep your stress in check, you may find that cravings disappear and you have an easier time eating healthier foods. Before you manage stress, identify what your stressors are, so that you know what is in your control. You can control your thoughts and beliefs, not the weather or economic uncertainty. Meditation, exercise, massage, deep breathing, Tai Chi, and yoga are all great stress-relieving practices. 

Establish Your Caloric Needs

There is a difference between eating the average caloric intake and eating the calories your body actually needs. More often than not, people eat more calories than their bodies require. Caloric needs change as you age, so you usually need fewer calories than you did in your 20s and 30s to fill you up. Your caloric needs will vary depending upon your age and your activity level. For example, a 40-year-old sedentary person requires fewer calories than the same person who is moderately active. That same moderately active person needs fewer calories than a highly active person. Moderately active means you walk between one-and-a-half and three miles daily, with active being anything more than that. If you want to lose weight, subtract about 500-750 calories from your weight-maintenance number, but don’t fall below 1,500 calories per day. 

Consider Changing Up Your Exercise Routine

If you regularly work out and don’t see that the number on the scale reflects your efforts, you may need to change up your routine. It’s possible that both your muscle mass and bone density decrease. Another factor is a shift in hormones, which leads to abdominal weight gain. The type of activity you do can influence your results. Strength training can help you maintain muscle and offset bone density loss. If you want to target belly fat, high-intensity interval training is usually your best bet. Just don’t choose weight-bearing exercises that put too much stress on the body. You want to complement your stress-relieving efforts with yoga, for example. If you know how to manage your stress, consider adding more high-intensity workouts per week. 

Eat Fewer Carbs

This is something that nobody wants to hear because carbs are just that good. Lowering your carb intake may help prevent weight gain and make weight loss easier, though. Carbs can throw off your hormones, and you want your sex hormones and insulin in check if you want to lose weight. Sex hormones work with insulin to regulate blood sugar levels. If these hormones are out of whack, you have a higher risk of insulin resistance. Cut back on carbs, especially if you are perimenopausal, to encourage weight loss. If you are going to eat carbs, focus on complex carbs in foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains.

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Before you even know about practical habits that promote motivation every morning, you have to understand willpower and motivation itself. Motivation is what fuels your actions, e.g. the reason for pursuing a goal. Willpower is essentially a mental muscle that can help you resist easy short-term gratification. By resisting a simple pleasure like grabbing takeout instead of cooking at home, you stay committed to your goals. Consider the following in regards to motivation and willpower:

• Motivation can change: It is completely natural for motivation to ebb and flow. You may feel incredibly enthusiastic one day and low energy the next. Being able to recognize this change can help you manage expectations and maintain strategies to keep motivation alive. 
• Willpower is finite: Like any muscle, willpower can experience fatigue over the course of a day. When you set up habits to encourage motivation, make sure that you don’t solely rely on willpower, or else you will burn out. 
• Internal and external motivation: Internal motivation comes from personal values or passions, while external motivation can come from rewards, outside pressure, or recognition. By harnessing the power of internal motivation, you can help sustain your energy in the long-term. 

Set Clear And Achievable Goals For The Coming Day

A common reason for an unproductive day can be because you don’t have a plan in place. Without the right system to organize the tasks you need to accomplish, you may feel overwhelmed or unable to right the ship. The best thing to do is make a to-do list the night before or first thing when you wake up. By setting clear and achievable goals for the day, you can remain organized and motivated. If you already have a to-do list that is quite long, consider scaling down to one to three of your most important tasks. If you still feel overwhelmed, figure out what the first step is and create momentum to carry you through to your next task. 

Prepare The Night Before

If you want to be successful in the morning, prepare the night before. When you prepare for the coming day, you can help decrease decision fatigue, reduce stress, and begin your morning on a positive note. Preparing at night means you have less to do in the morning. If you can prepare any part of your daily tasks the night before, make that a habit. Consider the following ideas:

• Prepare your meals: Have a quick breakfast, such as overnight oats or chia pudding, ready to go. Have your leftovers or meal prep in a container, even if you work from home. 
• Plan your outfit: Choose your clothes and accessories the night before to eliminate the morning stress of figuring out what to wear. 
• Organize your space: Tidy up your workspace and living area a little bit because a clean environment can help you remain calm and keep you focused.
• Set up your tea or coffee: If you enjoy tea or coffee in the morning, prepare it the night before. This small habit means that you will have less to do in the morning. 

Create A Morning Routine

A routine that works for one person may be different for another person. Setting up a morning routine can be a powerful way to start your day and stick to your goals. If you can jump right into productivity, then you may not need a routine. If you need an extra boost to organize and boost productivity, consider including following ideas in your routine:

• Exercise: Whether you walk around the block or do some squats and push-ups, physical activity in the morning can release endorphins, which boost motivation and mood. 
• Wake up early: Waking up early usually means that you have to go to bed earlier if you want to get enough sleep. Having extra time for self-care in the morning can change the way you approach your day, though. 
• Journal: Journaling is an easy practice to help you release your thoughts and feelings. You can express gratitude, set intentions, or just vomit words to let out some steam. 
• Mindfulness: If you want to clear your mind and set positive intentions for the day, spend a few minutes practicing meditation or mindfulness. Five to 10 minutes is perfectly sufficient!
• Eat a healthy breakfast: Finish your morning routine with a nutritious breakfast that contains protein, healthy fats, and fiber. Such a breakfast will help kickstart your metabolism, give you energy, and keep you full until lunch. 

Establish A Consistent Sleep Schedule

A solid foundation for morning motivation begins the night before. Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, i.e. waking up and going to bed at the same time, helps regulate your body’s circadian rhythm. Sleeping for seven to eight hours a night can help you feel refreshed and ready to tackle the day. To maintain a consistent sleep schedule: 

• Limit screen time before bed: Blue light from screens can disrupt the body’s production of melatonin. Avoid screens at least one to two hours before bedtime. 
• Create a relaxing bedtime routine: Start practicing calming activities, such as reading, meditation, or stretching, to help wind down before bed. 
• Set a bedtime: Ideally, you go to sleep and wake up at the same time nearly every day. Make sure that your bedtime allows for seven to nine hours of sleep and stick to that schedule, even on the weekends, in order to help reinforce your body’s sleep/wake cycle.

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By increasing concentration, you ultimately improve mental performance. That allows for better problem solving abilities and an enhancement in the way you approach general tasks. Improving concentration can also help you make decisions more efficiently and effectively by analyzing your thoughts and ideas. It will ultimately improve productivity in and outside of the workplace. 

How do you go about improving concentration, though? One of the easiest ways to do this is by practicing a few simple meditation techniques. You, yourself, are responsible for your own success, and that isn’t just regarding your work or performance charts. We are referring to successes in your social and personal life, too! If you want to learn more about simple ways to boost concentration, continue reading.

What Is Concentration?

Concentration is the ability to focus your mind on a singular object, either within or outside the body, and maintain this attention for a steady amount of time. It is very common and completely natural for the mind to wander, especially during meditation. Don’t let that throw you off balance, because being able to concentrate takes practice. True concentration can help you succeed in your meditation practice. When your mind is steady, other aspects of your life will also start to balance out. 

You can concentrate on internal aspects as a start. Focus on your breathing, counting numbers in your mind, or even your heartbeat. If it is easier to focus on external aspects, such as a crack in a wall, a ticking clock, or a candle’s flame, then you can do that as well. You will not be able to concentrate on internal or external aspects immediately. Don’t panic; rather, just allow your thoughts or distractions to come and go and begin the process again. 

How To Do Concentration Meditation

Ideally, you want to eliminate all distractions, be they internal or external, in order to increase your concentration. Being able to concentrate during meditation will provide benefits that extend into everyday life. In order to achieve this, practice the following steps.

Focus On Your Breathing

Make sure to find a comfortable spot and allow a few minutes to clear your mind of excess thoughts. Let your mind wander and allow it to come back once your thoughts have washed in and out like waves up a beach. Once your mind is quiet, focus on your breath, inhaling and exhaling. You can count your breaths if you want. Consider inhaling for four seconds, holding for four seconds, and then exhaling for four seconds. 

Be Still

The reason that you want to start in a comfortable position is because it is very natural and common to fidget. That is especially true if you are new to meditation and don’t sit for long periods of time. To begin, close your eyes and settle yourself into a comfortable position. Calm your mind and you’ll notice that your body loosens up. Before you know it, your body will be as calm as your mind.

Use A Mantra

Once you have focused on your breathing and are in a comfortable position, begin to repeat a mantra or affirmation of your choice. A mantra can be a single syllable, word, or phrase that helps you focus. The most popular meditation word is “Om,” but this doesn’t have to be your mantra of choice. Choose something that you resonate with and progress through your meditation practice.

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Several surveys revealed that the average American spends about 7.7 hours of their day sitting. With cubicle and work-from-home jobs in full-swing, sitting is just a part of modern day work. Some people try to counteract hours in the chair by purchasing a standing desk. Others try to sit on exercise balls or kneeling chairs to better correct posture. Nevertheless, all of that sitting can create tension in the hip flexors and lower back. 

After a long day of sitting, most people continue to sit on the couch or in the dining room, either watching TV or hunching over their phone. Even self-care hobbies like journaling or meditation involve sitting! Although long periods of sitting may be inevitable, you can engage in a few simple techniques to mitigate the negative effects of sitting. In this article, we will go over a few strategies that may help reduce pain and improve posture. 

The Health Risks Of Sitting For Long Periods

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes. Contrarily, those who sit less report fewer instances of these chronic health conditions. They also experience better mood and sleep quality, in addition to an overall enhancement of daily functioning. 

In 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) indicated that lower back pain impacted 619 million people worldwide. Health experts estimate that this number will reach 843 million by 2050. Lower back pain usually begins with stiffness, particularly in the hips and along the spine. It is the leading cause of disability globally and affects people across all ages and genders. 

Pain is complex, and there are limited solutions to the way people process it. Since standing all day is not an option for everyone and can also lead to pain, we hope the following strategies help ease stiffness and reduce lower back pain from sitting.

Strengthen Your Core

Not only does a stronger core contribute to better balance, but it also helps support your torso while seated. Increasing core strength supports the spine and reduces strain on joints and intervertebral discs. One study monitored 30 participants with lower back pain who engaged in a five-week core strengthening program. At the end of the study, everyone reported a significant reduction in pain and muscle fatigue after performing seated tasks. 

Optimize Your Desk Setup

Ideally, your chair should support your back and you should be able to rest your feet flat on the floor. Your knees should be in line or slightly lower than your hips. Reduce strain on the neck by having your screen be at eye level and an arm’s length away. Consider investing in lumbar supporters, footrests, or monitor stands if you spend a lot of time at your desk. A standing desk can also be beneficial so that you can change positions throughout the day. 

Stay Active

You don’t have to jog in place while checking emails; rather, counteract your sitting by moving your body. Health experts suggest 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every week. You can supplement this time with resistance training and mobility workouts to counteract all the sitting you do. It can be highly beneficial to flow through a series of yoga poses, engage in water aerobics, or take part in Zumba classes. A little movement goes a long way, with a short walk on your lunch break providing great benefits.

Take Movement Breaks

According to research, two hours of continuous sitting can trigger immediate lower back pain or general discomfort. Your ability to solve problems may be impacted by this sitting! Get out of your chair every 30 minutes to help prevent some of these issues. Engage in some squats, a full-body stretch, or even pace while on a phone call. Consider a few hip stretches or some foam rolling to reduce pain in your hip flexors. 

Be Mindful Of Your Sitting Habits

While you are seated at work, take note of your posture. Are your shoulders slouched? Are your legs crossed? Are you leaning to one side to compensate for pain on the other? These observations may indicate that you need to improve your work set up to reduce pain. You may even require an ergonomic assessment or visit to your health care provider to prevent back pain, especially sciatica. Early intervention is essential, so tackle the issue before it becomes a serious problem.

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A 2021 study found that people who practiced mindful meditation during COVID-19 reported better mental health than those who didn’t. Those participants also felt that it was easier to be more aware of their surroundings, while simultaneously connecting with inner feelings. By practicing mindfulness, you can benefit the mind and body, and this doesn’t have to be a trivial or difficult thing. Simple breathing exercises, yoga, or other small daily habits can improve mindfulness. 

What Is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is a sense of awareness of your surroundings and your internal state of being. A mindfulness practice, then, helps you acknowledge your thoughts in a healthy, productive way. In doing so, you can avoid destructive habits or behaviors that cause stress. You can use mindfulness as a tool to mediate stress and promote relaxation. Modern practices tend to focus on meditation, attention, relaxation, and observing passing thoughts. 

In recent years, many reports have stressed the importance of mindfulness and how to practice it in the workplace. Expert advice or blog posts don’t always explain how to make mindfulness a sustainable practice. The following hacks can help you make mindfulness a daily habit. The goal is that you won’t need to think about mindfulness one day in the future because it will be a natural part of your day.

Find Mindfulness Role Models

Find people in your life that are very centered or grounded. If you don’t have these in your family or friend group, consider finding inspiration online or on social media. Allow these people to inspire you and lead you down a more mindful path. Perhaps you follow an Instagram profile that gives you new daily affirmations. Mindfulness can help you realize your happiness via regular practice!

There Are No Mistakes

A lot of people think that there is a right way to practice mindfulness. In reality, there are no mistakes, and it can take 10 to 200 days to make mindfulness a habit. Everyone makes mistakes, but the great thing about mindfulness is that you will eventually start to embrace it as your daily reality. One day, you will unconsciously be in the moment, but be kind to yourself as you begin your journey. 

Record Your Intentions

It can be beneficial to create a mindfulness mantra that you use as a trigger, for example, when you need to direct your focus to the present moment. It can be helpful to maintain a journal to track why you want to make mindfulness a daily habit. In this journal, you can release your frustrations or anything you want to let out. At the same time, write about the small, beautiful moments and then see which entries bring you more joy. Documenting your mindfulness can help cultivate more of it!

Don’t Censor Yourself

It is very easy for the mind to think about nothing and anything all at once. Yogis refer to the constant whirlwind of thoughts as “the monkey mind.” When practicing mindfulness, the goal is to witness these thoughts without attachment or judgment. Turn one of your senses in another direction and aim to become more aware of the moment, even if it is mundane. There is something very beautiful about observing yourself in the present!

Focus On The Benefits

As you engage in mindfulness practices daily, focus on the benefits you may or may not notice. Do you regularly engage in old, harmful, self-sabotaging routines? Is there anything different about you or the way you behave? Humans are naturally goal-oriented, which is not always a bad thing. Mindfulness is about the journey and commitment to the practice. Instead of focusing on a specific goal, empower yourself by realizing what you’ve gained along your journey.

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One of the most dangerous aspects of high blood pressure is that there are no warning signs. The only way to know if you have high blood pressure is through a blood pressure reading. Over time, unchecked blood pressure levels can damage certain parts of the cardiovascular system and other organs, including the kidneys, brain, eyes, and more. 

There are lifestyle changes you can make to help naturally lower blood pressure levels, though. Healthy eating and regular exercise go a long way, but you already know that. There are other, smaller changes you can make to your morning routine that may benefit your blood pressure. Did you know that cardiac events, such as heart attack or stroke, are more likely to happen in the morning because of elevated morning blood pressure? That’s why tweaking your morning habits may be the best way to start lowering blood pressure levels. 

In this article, we’ll discuss a few morning habits that can be beneficial if you have a hypertension diagnosis, or if you want to maintain a healthy heart.

Eat A Balanced Breakfast

This tip seems simple enough, but so many people either eat an unhealthy breakfast or skip it altogether. A 2022 meta-analysis suggests that adults who skip breakfast have a higher risk of hypertension. When you eat matters, but what you eat matters more. A bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich is much different than a green smoothie or bowl of plain Greek yogurt with fresh fruit and nuts. Fruits and nuts, for example, are typical fixtures in the DASH and Mediterranean diets, which have been shown to benefit heart health. Kiwis, bananas, oranges, spinach, hazelnuts, almonds, and walnuts all have blood pressure-lowering capabilities. 

Exercise Regularly

Are you going to drop into a set of burpees immediately after rolling out of bed? Most likely, no, but a morning workout can support healthy blood pressure overall. A strenuous, high-intensity interval (HIIT) workout can temporarily raise blood pressure readings, but that’s completely normal. Experts recommend two and a half hours of moderately-intense aerobic activity per and/or 90 to 150 minutes of strength training per week. 

Morning Meditation

With work responsibilities and the ensuing commute to the office, it’s easy for stress to get the better of you in the morning. Getting your body to relax at the start of the day can have a positive effect on blood pressure levels. Harvard Health Publishing suggests that you can achieve this morning state of calm via meditation. Several studies show that a mindfulness-based practice, such as meditation, can help reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure in people with mild hypertension. The body is prompted to promote more nitric oxide during a meditation session. This helps to widen blood vessels and ultimately lower blood pressure.

Limit Caffeine Intake

Sorry to say, but a morning cup of coffee can lead to unhealthy blood pressure levels, especially if you drink several cups. Caffeine, as you know, is a stimulant, which is why you probably drink it. While it may put a little pep in your step, it can also spike blood pressure. Researchers don’t fully understand the exact reason this happens, but some experts attribute it to the fact that caffeine may block a hormone that widens arteries. Two to four cups of coffee, which amounts to 200-300 milligrams of caffeine, typically elevates blood pressure by about 8mmHg systolic (the top number) and 6mmHg diastolic (the bottom number). Fortunately, this spike doesn’t last for too long, wearing off in a matter of hours. Just be mindful of coffee consumption if you deal with high blood pressure.

Skip Sugar

Your favorite breakfast items, from donuts to scones to cereal, contain a lot of added sugars. Too much sugar can negatively affect blood pressure. Health experts note that eating sugar, especially high fructose corn syrup, can affect hormonal pathways in the body. The hormone pathways it affects are peptide endothelin and aldosterone, both of which regulate blood pressure. High blood sugar levels also increase the risk of atherosclerosis (plaque buildup in arteries), which can lead to stiff arteries and high blood pressure. Prevent this from happening by skipping foods or beverages that contain added sugars. Any food that has a 20% or higher daily value (DV) of sugar is a high-sugar food.

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Yoga is a relaxing exercise that helps form a better connection between the mind and body. Although a lot of people categorize yoga as a restorative practice, which it can most certainly be, many of the poses require a significant amount of strength and balance. Do you ever notice that experienced yogis can hold inverted poses and then transition to push-ups with ease? Until you take your first yoga class, you don’t realize how much strength the practice actually requires. 

Yoga helps to enhance strength in the form of bodyweight training. Studies have shown that bodyweight training can be just as effective as weight training for gaining muscle mass. Developing more strength in your yoga practices will depend on the level of class you take. For this reason, be mindful of your strength training goals when choosing your classes. That said, if you truly want to develop bulky muscles, consider weight lifting to achieve that goal. Regardless of your goals, yoga is a beneficial exercise to incorporate into your routine because it helps hone your balance, improve flexibility, and meditation efforts. 

Introducing your body to a variety of movements and tasks is how to keep it limber and ready for anything. As always with yoga, do what makes your body happy and don’t push it to the point of pain. Consider the following yoga poses to help build strength. 

Chair Pose

This pose doesn’t seem that difficult at first, but you start to feel the burn in your quads the longer you hold it. The stronger you get, the longer you’ll be able to hold it. Begin by standing upright with your feet together and arms by your sides. Balance your weight onto the heels as you sink your butt back as if you were about to sit in a chair. As you do this, keep your back straight and extend your arms overhead so that they are in line with your back. Keep the hips even and breathe deeply for four long breaths before returning to the starting position. 

Warrior II

As a great foundational pose, warrior II can help strengthen your lower body. It’s not as difficult as the high lunge, but it can help deepen your high lunge and increase strength the longer you practice it. Begin in a wide stance with your feet past your hips facing forward. Make sure that you feel balanced in this position before you turn your left toes inward and right toes outward toward the front of your mat. Hold in your lower abdomen and lengthen your spine. Bring your arms up so that they are parallel with the floor and in line with your body. Bend your right knee slowly, but make sure your knee doesn’t extend past your toes. Hold this pose for five deep breaths before you switch sides. 

Goddess Squat

Sometimes referred to as horse pose, goddess squat is a great pose to develop better glute muscles and open up your hips. The deeper you squat, the more it works your inner thighs! Begin by standing straight up with your feet hip-distance apart. Widen your stance and face your toes outward as you tuck your pelvis and sink into a squat. The goal of this pose is to squat until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Don’t roll your knees in and keep your back straight. You can rest your hands on your thighs for support, or extend them up overhead while keeping your shoulders dropped. Hold this pose for five deep breaths, aiming to sink deeper with each exhale. 

Boat Pose

This pose challenges your core in the best way possible! Practicing this pose will help you hold other poses for longer periods with a lot less effort. Begin in a seated position with your legs extended out in front of you. Bend one knee at a time and keep your feet flat on the floor. Lean back slowly and lift your feet off the ground; you should start to feel your core engage. Raise your feet so that your shins are parallel to the ground and extend your arms toward your feet to help balance. Remain here for 10-20 seconds, increasing the time as you get stronger. 

Superman Pose

If you suffer from poor posture and want to correct it or reduce upper back pain, this is a great pose to practice. Begin by lying face down on the ground and extend your arms out in front of you. Take a deep breath in and, as you exhale, engage your back muscles, glutes, and upper back to lift as much of your body off the ground as possible. You basically want to balance on your upper thighs and abdominals. Stretch from your fingertips to your toes, being conscious to drop your shoulders away from your ears. Hold this pose for three to five breaths and then return to the starting position. 

Forearm Plank

This takes the regular plank up a notch, but many people find this plank variation easier because it takes more pressure off your wrists. That said, this pose forces you to engage your core more than regular plank because you are closer to the ground. Begin on all fours in a tabletop position, stacking your shoulders over your wrists and hips over your knees. Lower yourself down to your forearms and then step your feet back one at a time. Engage your core and lift through your belly button to maintain a flat back. Hold for 20-30 seconds to start and increase the time as you get stronger. 

Chaturanga

This pose proves difficult because it requires you to hover your entire body just above the ground. Your arms may shake more than usual when you first start, but that will fade as you get stronger. Begin on all fours in a tabletop position, stacking your shoulders over your wrists and hips over your knees. Come into a high plank position by stepping your feet back. Hug your elbows close to your sides as you lower down so that your elbows are at a 90-degree angle. Hover a few inches above the ground and engage your chest and core. Hold for three to five deep breaths and then release. 

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