By Dr. Clayton Skaggs
People have never been more stressed about being stressed. Cortisol is a primary stress hormone that tends to rise during “fight-or-flight” (sympathetic nervous system activation) and falls when the body shifts into a relaxed, parasympathetic state.
Activating the parasympathetic nervous system (the “rest and digest” response) promotes relaxation and can counteract the negative effects of stress, thereby lowering cortisol levels. Regardless of where and what your stresses involve, you control how you are prepared for them and how you respond.
Here, we examine three simple microhabits: diaphragmatic breathing, juggling, and sensory awareness practice. When you have a regular practice of relaxation, the better your stress response will be.
Diaphragmatic Breathing (Deep Belly Breathing)
Diaphragmatic breathing is a deep breathing technique involving full expansion of the abdomen with each breath. This slow, deep breathing stimulates the vagus nerve and increases parasympathetic (vagal) tone, as reflected by an increase in heart rate variability (HRV). Higher HRV indicates a healthier balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems, meaning the body is in a more relaxed state.
Research shows diaphragmatic breathing can significantly lower cortisol levels. In a randomized trial, healthy adults who practiced slow diaphragmatic breathing (about 4 breaths per minute) over 8 weeks saw a significant drop in salivary cortisol compared to a control group, which had no change.
A quantitative review of breathing interventions likewise found that deep breathing exercises reduced physiological stress markers; one included study specifically showed reduced salivary cortisol after a breathing session. These cortisol reductions align with the activation of the parasympathetic “relaxation response.”
At our institute for human performance, we have been teaching Breathing practices for twenty years. Our clients report improved pain management, increased focus, enhanced sleep quality, and greater relaxation. View our introductory breathing video to begin your breathing journey.
Juggling
Juggling—the act of tossing and catching objects—may seem unrelated to stress at first, but it serves as a light physical and cognitive exercise that can induce a focused, meditative state. Importantly, juggling is not highly aerobic or strenuous, so learning to juggle typically does not provoke a big sympathetic adrenaline surge from intense exercise.
Instead, it requires concentration, hand-eye coordination, and rhythm, which can put the practitioner in a state of relaxed focus. This kind of playful, engaging activity can encourage a mild parasympathetic response by reducing anxiety and promoting enjoyment (often described as being “in the zone” or flow state).
I have taught juggling to elite athletes and rehabilitating clients for over 20 years. Anyone can learn to juggle. It has profound effects. Several studies indicate it even grows brain cells, white and gray matter.
Evidence suggests that juggling can lower cortisol when practiced in a low-stress environment. A study on college students learning to juggle compared two instructional climates: one competitive and high-pressure vs. one caring and supportive.
The results were striking—students in the high-pressure group had significantly elevated cortisol after the juggling session, whereas those in the supportive group actually showed decreased cortisol levels after juggling. In essence, juggling in a relaxed context prompts a parasympathetic-driven relaxation response that keeps cortisol down.
This study aligns with a juggling practice that is mindful, not competitive. We often suggest beginning your juggling practice with just one ball. In fact, working on a precise toss with one ball can evoke a relaxation response. When you get good at one ball tossing you then can progress to two. Three is made easier because you have gained confidence and skill with your tossing. As we show in our video, it is all in the toss.
It can be helpful to learn to juggle with non-bouncing balls as they will stay near you when you drop them. They also have a good sensory feel for your practice. Once you have gained some skill you can juggle many things. At the one, two or three ball level.
Sensory Awareness Practice
Body scan meditation is a mindfulness practice in which one systematically directs attention through different parts of the body, observing sensations in a non-judgmental way. This kind of sensory awareness exercise is known to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, leading to a state of deep relaxation. By slowly scanning from head to toe, releasing tension in each region, the body scan helps shift out of the stress response.
Practitioners often begin with a few slow breaths and then mentally “check in” with each body part, which calms the mind and signals the body to enter a resting mode. In short, the body scan cultivates a mindful, present-moment awareness that directly counteracts the fight-or-flight response, letting the rest-and-digest response dominate.
Clinical studies show that regularly practicing a body scan can lower cortisol and other stress hormones. In a randomized controlled trial, healthy adults were assigned to do a 20-minute guided body scan meditation each day for 8 weeks.
By the end of the program, the body scan group had significantly reduced cortisol levels compared to a control group (which listened to an audio book). The meditators also showed a more favorable cortisol-to-DHEA hormone ratio, indicating a shift toward a lower stress physiological profile.
In addition to lowering cortisol, mindfulness exercises like the body scan produce signs of parasympathetic activation. For example, studies have found that brief sessions of grounding, deep breathing, and body scan meditation can increase heart rate variability (HRV) in stressed individuals, a physiological marker of higher parasympathetic tone and improved stress resilience. By improving vagal activity and calming the mind, the body scan essentially teaches the nervous system to relax on cue.
Over time, this practice can lead to lower baseline stress hormones and a quicker recovery from stress. In summary, a daily body scan or similar sensory awareness habit helps train the parasympathetic nervous system, which reduces cortisol levels and contributes to better stress management in both the moment and long-term.
Small Shifts, Big Benefits
Stress is not, by itself, undesirable. In fact, we need stress for our mental and physical systems to improve. Incorporating these micro habits into one’s routine can yield measurable stress-responsive benefits. What is essential is to develop simple habits that can become ritual. Importantly, that this ritual can be performed when at home, when traveling for work or on vacation.
The magic of harnessing stress to your benefit is practicing the art of relaxation. When you build prowess for poise, you will be less likely to overuse your “fight or flight” response and increase cortisol. Secondarily, you will also have a more precise and strong response to the stresses you encounter. Lastly, and maybe most importantly, when you are living in a poised and relaxed state, you are more likely to return to a relaxed state after a stress event.
Dr. Clayton Skaggs is the founder and CEO of the Central Institute for Human Performance and the founder of the Karel Lewit Clinic and Curious Gap Labs. In addition to his clinical career, Skaggs has been on post-doctoral and research faculties of eight national and international universities including leading a National Institute of Health (NIH) randomized trial that resulted in a publication of one of the largest studies of low back pain in pregnant women.
He has worked with thousands of elite athletes, military professionals, and executives and consults individuals from around the world for unresolved pain or injury. Dr. Skaggs is also the author of The Power of Doing What Matters, a book dedicated to helping people build mind-body resilience for life.
References
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