How to manage cortisol?

Managing cortisol is mainly about keeping its daily rhythm aligned: higher in the morning and lower in the evening and early sleep. 1

• Get outdoor light soon after waking: Aim to go outside within about 30 minutes to an hour. The suggested exposure varies with conditions—roughly 10 minutes in bright sun, 10–20 minutes with broken clouds, and about 30 minutes in dense overcast. 2 3
• Keep nighttime cortisol low: Avoid bright light late in the day, excessive late caffeine, and letting stress or exercise keep you highly activated near bedtime. After late exercise, use calming practices such as long-exhale breathing to bring arousal down. 4 5
• Make stress spikes brief: Daily stressors can raise cortisol, but the goal is to avoid frequent or prolonged elevation. When you find yourself staying stressed, the episode mentions physiological-sigh breathing or NSDR as tools to help settle. 6
• Treat supplements as optional, not the starting point: The episode describes ashwagandha as potentially lowering cortisol, but advises behavioral steps first and keeping higher doses to late afternoon or evening; it also cautions against chronic use. 7 8

In short, strengthen the morning rise and protect the evening decline; focus first on the part of your day where your routine is most disrupted. 9