Long-term stress keeps stress hormone cortisol at a high level for extended. Stress has a major effect upon the endocrine system. Cortisol has a direct testosterone suppressing effect inside the hypothalamus and leydig cells in your testes. Also cortisol is made from cholesterol which is the same building block as testosterone. Stress is also tied to increased alcohol consumption, poor sleep, poor diet and a lack of exercise which are all testosterone killers.
Cortisol is your body’s stress hormone, which can be secreted during physical or mental tension. When you produce more of it, your body lowers your T levels to keep a hormonal balance – this is known as homeostasis.
Stress lowers testosterone and low testosterone creates more stress. You must break free from this vicious cycle.
Reducing High Stress
- A little stress is good for the body, such as taking saunas or cold therapy.
- Meditation and breathing exercises.
- Exercise outside (forests, walking, hiking etc).
- Tackle your problems head on and set some goals and targets.
- Listen to a relaxation app (Such as Max Kirsten's "Relax")
- Read a good book. Reading can even relax your body by lowering your heart rate and easing the tension in your muscles.
- Talk to friends and family.
- Avoid friends and family that are "boat anchors", they weigh you down and add to your own problems.
- Learn to say "no" more often. Being selective about what you take on and saying no to what will unnecessarily add to your load.
- Stay on top of your priorities and stop procrastinating.
- Go for a regular massage.
- Saunas are great.
- Manage your money.
- Vitamin C reduces the secretion of cortisol during stress.
- Turn your phone off at night and buy a wind up alarm clock.
- Avoid stressful friends.
- Have more sex.
- Cut down the booze.
- Good sleep has a significant cortisol suppressing effect.
- Watch less news and politics.
- Eating carbs significantly reduces cortisol levels. Dark chocolate is a must.
- Instead of performing long intensity steady cardio, make sure you do HIIT exercises instead. Not only will it decrease fat levels, it will boost your testosterone and metabolic rate too.
- If you worry about things you can't change then stop worrying about them! If you worry about things you can change, then you are onto a winner.
Professor Jordan Peterson's 10 Rules for Success
Stop doing wrong things that you KNOW are wrong that you could stop doing (these could be little things).
Make a damn schedule and stick to it. You will have the best possible day.
Clarify your thoughts. Write things down. Blog it, post it on Facebook or make a video diary.
Take a meaningful path. Try and follow the path of some nobility. Avoid lies and deceit.
Specify your goals. Break them into micro processes that work towards that main goals. Don't be vague.
Stop saying things that make you weak. Say the truth. Say things you know. Believe in what you say.
Adopt the mode of authentic being. Take responsibility for your own life.
Learn from you errors and mistakes.
Plan a life you would like to have
Aim high. Conceptualise the best you can be then strive to achieve it.
Doing nothing is easy. You must wake up in the morning and look forward to the day. Dr. Peterson and his colleagues have produced two online programs to help people understand their personalities and improve their lives. The newest is called, Understand Myself and provides users with detailed information about their personalities.