TWV Podcast Episode 479: Stress, Coffee, Breakfast, and Walking

On this episode of The Whole View, Stacy and I revisit a very important and popular topic: chronic stress and regulation of cortisol through lifestyle. Stacy had been noticing some big changes in her life recently, and went ahead and tested her cortisol with an at-home testing kit, which revealed her higher than ideal levels. We spend some time revisiting the multitude of effects that chronic stress has on the body, and how the dysfunction of the HPA axis can impact every facet of our lives. The different lifestyle coping methods are discussed including sleep, resilience, gentle movement and stress-reduction.

Stacy and I then discuss in more detail what kind of changes that she has made to her own routines, the science behind them, and the corresponding results that have come from her self-awareness and action! It is a huge reminder of the control that we do have, in seemingly uncontrollable situations. While we can’t always reduce our stress load (I’m looking at you, pandemic!), the impact of key lifestyle changes such as eating breakfast, cutting out caffeine, prioritizing sleep, and incorporating mindfulness practice (or breath-work, as Stacy prefers to call it) can be monumental in improving our resilience and reducing the effects of stress on our bodies.