Many of us experience chronic stress, whereby even at the end of the day when we are resting and ready for bed, we are still ramped up from the day. Scientists measure this resting level of stress by looking at the level of a stress hormone called cortisol, measured in the evening before bed when we are presumably not in the middle of a major stressful event. Cortisol is generally released as a part of our natural fight/flight/freeze response intended to help our bodies deal with threatening situations. Because in the modern day we tend to encounter (or think about) mildly stressful events all day, we tend to have constant, low levels of cortisol in our bodies all the time. This can hinder our body’s natural rest and recovery.
A new study published in the Journal of Health Psychology found that increases in mindfulness are associated with decreases in resting cortisol levels. The study looked at people who went to a 3-month long meditation retreat. Researchers found that both before and after the retreat, the higher an individual’s mindfulness score, the lower their cortisol level. Further, those who experienced an increase in mindfulness after the retreat also experienced a decrease in their resting levels of cortisol.
Keryn Breiterman-Loader
No comments:
Post a Comment