Today, with social media, non-stop access to email, and constant news alerts, we often end up in a chronic state of low-grade stress, causing high levels of these stress hormones to stick around in the body much longer than they were intended to. You may not be able to eliminate stress altogether, but you can implement practices that reduce its negative impact on your hormones, like these: ✨Move your body✨ Aim for 150 minutes per week (or about 20 minutes per day) of physical activity, whether it’s jogging, yoga, or lifting weights. Exercise reduces levels of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline and boosts mood-elevating endorphins. ✨Get serious about sleep ✨ Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Being well rested helps boost stress resiliency, making you less likely to get overwhelmed and stressed out even if you have a lot on your plate. ✨Eat to calm your nerves✨ Minimally processed diets containing a variety of colorful veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, and good fats like olive oil, help support the gut, balance blood sugar, and reduce psychological distress; and magnesium-rich foods like pumpkin seeds and almonds have calming properties. ✨Take time for yourself✨ Whether it’s setting aside time to read a book, take a bath, spend time with animals, or do a simple meditation or breathing exercise, anything that brings you joy can help halt the flow of chronic stress. Audio credits: @Mark Hyman, M.D. podcast