Reducing Your Stress Levels Is One Of The Most Effective Ways To Increase Testosterone Production
Check Out These 12 Ways To Reduce Your Stress Levels, A few Of Them You’re Going To Enjoy, So Read On!
In the first part of this series we looked in more depth at some stress reduction methods I’ve recommended and how they are effective ways’ to increase testosterone naturally.
In one the articles previous, we also looked at the most typical causes of stress and why feeling stress actually lowers testosterone.
You can check out these two articles here:
Ways To Increase Testosterone Naturally – Reducing Stress Pt 1
Ways To Increase Testosterone Naturally – Reduce Your Stress Levels
So in this article, we’re going to continue looking at some more of the stress reduction methods I recommend in more depth and why they are great ways’ to increase testosterone naturally. So let’s get started!
Saying No/ Taking Control
Not everything that stresses us is within our control but there are a number of things that are.
I advise taking control over the parts of your life that you can control and in particular those which cause you stress.
An effective way to achieve this can be to say “no” more frequently.
This is especially true if you often find yourself in a position where you take on more than you can handle.
The act of having to juggle multiple responsibilities can leave you feeling overwhelmed.
I advise that you be selective about what you take responsibility for & say no to things that unnecessarily add to your load, this will help reduce your stress and increase your T production as a result!
If you need more help on how to say no, I advise you check out this book on Amazon it gives you easy and practical advice to follow:
How To Say No Without Feeling Guilty
Spending Time With Friends and Family
Support from your friends & family can help you get through stressful times.
Being a part of a group of friends provides you with a sense of self-worth & belonging, which again can help you if times are tough and reduce feelings of stress as a whole!
There was a study conducted which found that spending time with children & friends released a natural stress reliever called oxytocin.
This effect has been dubbed as “tend and befriend” and was particularly prevalent in women.
It is considered the opposite of the fight-or-flight response, the fight or flight response is one of the major causes of cortisol release & cortisol inhibits testosterone production, so the opposite effect of this is only a good thing for your testosterone production & your overall well-being.
Just to clarify both men and women benefit from friendship, in fact another study showed that men & women with the least social connections were more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety, so another reason spending time with your friends and family is one of the effective ways’ to increase testosterone naturally.
Practice Mindfulness
If you are unsure of what is meant by mindfulness, it is practices that anchor you to the present moment.
It can be helpful to fight negative thoughts which bring on anxiety and stress.
There are actually several ways’ in which you can increase your mindfulness, these include yoga, meditation, mindfulness based cognitive therapy & mindfulness based stress relief.
A study that was conducted on college students supplied results that suggested mindfulness may help increase self-esteem & that higher self-esteem reduced symptoms of anxiety & depression.
There are some great resources out there that help you to practice mindfulness, one I can recommend is a great set of online tools called Seven Minute Mindfulness
I can also recommend a couple of books both of which are available on Amazon, these are: The Little Book Of Mindfulness & Mindfulness: A Practical Guide To Finding Peace In A Frantic World
Laughter
I’m sure you think back to personal experience and confirm that it is hard to feel anxious while you’re laughing.
It’s good for your health, “soul” & there are a different ways’ laughter may help reduce stress.
It can relieve your stress response it relieves tension by relaxing your muscles and in the longer term, laughter can also help improve your immune system and mood.
I advise to watch a comedy program post or pre workout for a testosterone boost and with that the extra muscle mass gains & fat loss!
Soothing Music
I’m sure you know many people that like to listen to music as a way to relax, it can have a very relaxing effect on the body.
Slow-paced instrumental music can help induce the relaxation response, it can help lower blood pressure & your heart rate and reduce the release of cortisol and other stress hormones.
As we’ve covered any reduction in cortisol is a win as far as testosterone production is concerned, making listening to music you find soothing one of the more effective ways’ to increase testosterone naturally.
Deep Breathing
So deep breathing exercises can help you to activate your parasympathetic nervous system, this controls the relaxation response.
There are multiple types of deep breathing exercises, some most common & popular are abdominal breathing, diaphragmatic breathing, paced respiration and belly breathing.
The aim of deep breathing is to focus awareness on your breath, you aim to make it slower & deeper.
The act of breathing in deeply through your nose allows your lungs to fully expand and means your stomach rises.
This helps to slow down your heart rate, this enables you to feel more peaceful and less stressed!
Want to practice your deep breathing, here are some great books to help you achieve this effectively:
Deep Breathing Guides On Amazon
Spending Time with Your Pet
Spending time with your furry (or non furry) friends can reduce stress & improve your mood.
It is thought that interacting with pets can help release oxytocin, which as we’ve covered above puts you in to a good mood.
Having a pet is also thought to help relieve stress by providing companionship, giving you purpose & keeping you active.
Getting Physically Intimate
Kissing, cuddling, holding hands and sex can all help to relieve stress levels. This is because positive physical contact can help release oxytocin & lower cortisol.
On top of lowered cortisol meaning greater testosterone production, this can also help lower blood pressure & your heart rate.
Get More Sleep/ Adequate Rest
We’ve covered in other articles how getting enough sleep and making sure your body is suitably rested is vital for testosterone production, you need 7 – 9 hours of sleep per night and adequate periods of rest, this includes if you workout (taking rest days & rest periods during workouts).
This is in part due to a lack of sleep & your body being exhausted causing your body to feel stressed & your cortisol levels to rise.
Getting enough sleep/ adequate rest is one of the most effective ways’ to increase testosterone naturally.
If you struggle to sleep due to snoring, struggling to breathe or sleep apnoea.
I advise checking out these Sleeping Aids.
If light coming in to the room disrupts your sleep, Sleeping Masks & Black Out Curtains are a great way to address this as well!
Get a Massage
Getting a rub down can potentially do more than alleviate physical pain. In studies, it’s suggested that a massage may also be beneficial for fighting stress.
So why not put this theory to the test, book one in today and see if it helps lower stress, all in the name of science of course, wink, wink!
Meditate
We covered meditation above as part of mindfulness. Meditation is thought to aid with stress relief due to “mental silence” which is shown to have positive effects on stress & work-related stress in particular, including lowering cortisol production.
If you want guidance on how to successfully meditate, there are a number of resources that you can check out here
Going For A Stroll Outside
This is a personal favorite of mine! I go for a stroll most days as a way to de-stress. A quiet stroll can work in terms of stress relief, this is particularly effective when you take it outdoors.
I advise to avoid rushing & walking at whatever pace feels most natural to you.
Final Thoughts & Future Posts
I hope you found this article on ways’ to increase testosterone naturally focusing on stress relief methods useful.
This is the second part of this series, if you wish to see the first part, you can do so below:
Ways To Increase Testosterone Naturally: Reducing Stress pt 1
If you have any queries in regard to this article, testosterone production or stress in general, just drop me a comment below and I’ll get back to you.
Please feel free to share this article with anyone else you think may find it interesting.
You can follow me on social media sites as well, where I will cover more ways to increase testosterone naturally & all things regards to testosterone.
