The hidden cause of your symptoms

WHY YOU FEEL THIS WAY

UNDERSTANDING CORTISOL AND IT'S IMPACT

Cortisol: The Invisible Culprit

Cortisol is an emergency hormone produced by the adrenal glands when you experience stress. It is designed to help your body respond to acute stress, such as dangerous situations. In short bursts, cortisol is essential and helpful, allowing your body to prioritize survival temporarily.

HOW DOES CORTISOL WORK IN YOUR BODY?

When cortisol is released, your body automatically switches to "survival mode."

This means that some processes speed up while others temporarily shut down.

Speeds Up:
- Breathing, to increase oxygen intake (can lead to hyperventilation under chronic stress).
- Heart rate, to pump blood and energy faster (can cause palpitations).
- Blood sugar levels, to provide immediate energy (problematic for diabetics).
- Muscle tension, to deliver strength and speed (leads to neck and shoulder pain with prolonged stress).

Slows Down:
- Immune system: Lower resistance, making you more prone to infections and inflammation.
- Digestion: Increased risk of gut issues like bloating or colitis.
- Hormones: Disruption in balance of hormones like testosterone, estrogen, and melatonin, affecting sleep, weight, and energy.

In Summary:

Acute stress lasting a few hours is not a problem. But with chronic stress, where cortisol is produced day in and day out, significant issues arise. This is because essential processes in your body are consistently ignored.

The Starting Point:

YOUR THOUGHTS

Everything starts in your mind.

Your thoughts are the triggers.

Every thought generates an emotion, and that emotion leads to the release of hormones.

Positive Thoughts:
- Lead to pleasant emotions and the production of hormones like endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine.
- Result: You feel safe, happy, and relaxed.

Negative Thoughts:
- Lead to stressful emotions, such as fear or restlessness.
- Result: The release of cortisol, putting your body in survival mode.

Thought => Emotion => Hormone

By understanding this process, you can begin to break the vicious cycle of stress.

HOW TO ADDRESS CORTISOL?

You can regulate cortisol on three levels:

Thought Level:

By identifying and reframing negative thoughts using techniques like mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy.
Examples: Focus on the present moment, replace worrying thoughts with supportive ones.

Note: Tackling cortisol at the thought level is achievable and trainable, but it’s a slower process.

Emotion Level:

By regulating emotions and releasing tension through techniques like emotion regulation exercises or body-oriented therapy.

Note: Like the thought level, working on emotions takes time and effort.

Hormonal Level:

This is the easiest and fastest way to influence cortisol. Your breathing plays a crucial role here.

Why Breathing First?

While understanding your thoughts and the roots of your fears is helpful, it can be extremely challenging—especially if you’re dealing with serious trauma or PTSD. This is another reason why working on your breathing is the best place to start. It provides immediate results without requiring you to confront deeply buried emotions right away.

THE POWER OF BREATHING

The 3-0-5-2 Exercise

WHY DOES THIS WORK?

A longer exhale stimulates the parasympathetic system.
Your body shifts into rest and recovery mode.
Stress responses decrease, leaving you feeling calmer immediately.

Your breathing has a direct impact on your autonomic nervous system, which consists of two parts:

Sympathetic (gas pedal): Activates your body, similar to inhaling.
Parasympathetic (brake pedal): Calms your body, similar to exhaling.

With chronic stress, you’re constantly using the gas pedal. To reduce cortisol, you need to make greater use of the brake pedal.

You can achieve this with the 3-0-5-2 breathing exercise:

Inhale: 3 seconds.

Hold: 0 seconds.

Exhale: 5 seconds.

Pause: 2 seconds (retention).

DAILY PRACTICE IS KEY

This exercise should be practiced daily for at least 5 minutes.

Regular practice helps you train your body to naturally respond to stress in a healthier way.

Using a Breathing App:

PETIT BAMBOU

To help you practice the 3-0-5-2 exercise effectively, you can use the app Petit Bambou. Here’s how:
1. Download the App: Search for Petit Bambou in your app store and download it.
2. Create an Account: Sign up for free.
3. Set Up the Exercise:
  - Tap the menu in the top left and select Free.
  - Choose Breathing.
  - Set the following parameters:
    - Time: 5 minutes.
    - Technique: 3-0-5-2.
    - Shape: Curve.
You can breathe along with the curve or follow the accompanying sound. If using the sound, remember to keep exhaling until you hear the gong indicating the pause, as the sound for exhaling ends earlier.

WHY DO YOU HAVE THESE COMPLAINTS?

Complaints like stress, anxiety, panic attacks, fatigue, neck pain, and headaches occur because your body remains in survival mode for too long.

Cortisol causes:

Persistent muscle tension.
Overworked heart and lungs.
Suppressed immune system and digestion.

Anxiety and panic attacks happen because your body stays on high alert. Even minor stressors are perceived as major threats, leading to rapid heartbeats, shallow breathing, and an overwhelming sense of fear. This is not "all in your head"—it’s a biological response as your body tries to survive.

By breaking this pattern with breathing and awareness, you can begin to heal.

YOUR JOURNEY TO RECOVERY

While help from professionals like myself or other caregivers can provide guidance and support, the reality is: you have to do the work yourself.

Recovery requires effort, commitment, and time.

No one else can do it for you.

Start small.

Begin with the 3-0-5-2 exercise.

By applying this technique regularly:

You give your body the rest and recovery it needs.

You immediately reduce cortisol levels.

You lay the foundation for further healing and balance.

REMEMBER

It starts with your breathing!

It’s the easiest and fastest way to take control of your recovery and improve your well-being.

We’re here to guide you, but the first steps are yours to take.

If you're ready to take the next step in reducing stress and regaining balance, the Green Circle Method offers a structured and effective approach.

It helps you identify key stressors, regulate emotions, and restore harmony through simple yet powerful techniques.

Discover the Green Circle Method

Jinga Vitality