5 Ways to Decrease Stress & Boost Progesterone:
Did you know that elevated cortisol = decreased progesterone production?
Because stress is the antagonist of progesterone production, MANY women have low progesterone (because most women are stressed 🫠).
And we NEED progesterone to balance estrogen, otherwise we end up with a LOT of hormone-related symptoms. So if you struggle with bad PMS, painful periods, hormonal acne, hormonal headaches, recurring miscarriages, low libido, unexplained weight gain, moodiness, and/or short cycles, you most likely need both stress & progesterone support!
Unfortunately, we cannot just completely eliminate stress from our lives. So, we need to create rhythms and habits that tell our body it is SAFE, even in stressful seasons.
Here are 5 natural ways to decrease stress & boost progesterone:
Create & practice a daily somatic ritual: whether it’s deep breathing, EFT tapping, dancing etc. your nervous system needs something it can depend on. It needs to know that no matter how stressful your circumstances might be, it is SAFE & will be cared for. I have been using Open’s app for different deep breathing exercises and am loving it! You can get a FREE 30-day trial with this link.
Get daily sunshine: Sun exposure increases the release of serotonin which decreases cortisol, which in turn boosts progesterone production. Sun exposure also increases vitamin D levels, which is connected to healthy levels of both estrogen & progesterone in women & testosterone in men. I recommend trying to get outside for at least 20-min a day, but the more, the better! In order to get the full benefits of the sun, take off your sunglasses & don’t put on SPF right away if possible! If you need a clean sunscreen, Sky & Sol is my current favorite (code: AUDREY).
Use blue light blocking glasses: Blue light is extremely stimulating to our systems. Although the sun naturally emits more blue light in the morning and around midday to help us wake up, it slowly decreases as evening approaches to help our body start to wind down. Unfortunately, in this day & age, most of us are getting artificial blue light exposure for hours on end, which is very stressful on our systems. Wearing blue light blocking glasses, especially post sun-down, helps our body not get more blue light than it needs! I love Ra Optics (code: HEALTHYHONEY) for extremely high quality blue light blocking glasses, but I also recently got these clip-ons & they get the job done!
Eat vitamin C rich foods: Vitamin C has not only been shown to naturally boost progesterone, but also decrease the physical & mental stress that we experience. This correlation is no coincidence. If this article doesn’t convince you to increase your vitamin C intake, I don’t know what will! I like to get my vitamin C from whole food sources like camu camu, acerola, kiwis, red peppers, oranges etc. This is my favorite whole food vitamin C supplement!
Move your body in cycle honoring ways: Most women I see in my practice are either not moving their bodies nearly enough, or are working out WAY too often/intensely. It is important to find a healthy balance because although exercise has been shown to release endorphins & increase progesterone circulation, too much can raise cortisol levels to unhealthy levels. For most women, I recommend weight training for 30-ish minutes 3x per week & walking (8-10k steps) on the other days. If you want to try cycle-syncing your workouts, feel free to do more intensive workouts like cardio, cross-fit, weight training etc. during your Follicular and Ovulatory Phases. Stick to slow weight training, walking, Pilates, Barre etc. during your Luteal and Menstrual Phases.
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Thank you for your support!
