Lower anxiety and stabilize blood sugar

🌅 MORNING: Set Your Baseline

These steps prevent early cortisol spikes and stabilize blood sugar.

1. Slow wake‑up (2–3 minutes)

Before getting out of bed:

• Inhale 4 seconds
• Exhale 6–8 seconds
• Relax your jaw
• Drop your shoulders

This tells your brain: “We’re safe.”

2. Protein within 1 hour

This is huge for cortisol and blood sugar. Examples:

• Greek yogurt
• Eggs
• Cottage cheese
• Protein shake

Stable glucose = calmer nervous system all day.

3. Light movement (5 minutes)

Not a workout — just motion:

• Walk around the house
• Gentle stretching
• Slow pacing

Movement clears overnight cortisol.

☀️ MIDDAY: Prevent the Afternoon Spike

This is when most people with anxiety feel the crash or surge.

4. Eat every 3–4 hours

Small, balanced meals:

• Protein
• Fiber
• Healthy fat

This prevents adrenaline‑driven glucose dumps.

5. 5‑minute nervous system reset

Pick one:

• Step outside
• Hold something cold
• Look at something green
• Do 4–6 breathing

This interrupts the stress cycle before it builds.

6. Reduce stimulation

Even 10 minutes of:

• Quiet
• Dimmed lights
• No phone

…can drop cortisol noticeably.

🌇 EVENING: Shift Into Safety Mode

This is where your system learns to downshift instead of staying on alert.

7. Warmth therapy

Warm shower, warm drink, heating pad — warmth signals safety to the brain.

8. Light, slow movement

A short walk or gentle stretching lowers cortisol and improves sleep quality.

9. No heavy conversations or decisions after 8 PM

Your nervous system is more reactive at night.

🌙 BEDTIME: Lower Cortisol for Sleep

Sleep is when cortisol resets — this part matters.

10. Predictable wind‑down routine

Choose 2–3:

• Dim lights
• Soft music
• Lavender or vanilla scent
• Reading something light
• Slow breathing

11. Screens off 30 minutes before bed

Blue light delays melatonin and keeps cortisol elevated.

12. Gratitude or grounding

Not toxic positivity — just one grounding thought:

• “I made it through today.”
• “My body did its best.”
• “I’m safe enough to rest.”

This shifts your brain out of threat mode.

⭐ Why This Works

This routine:

• stabilizes blood sugar
• reduces adrenaline
• trains your nervous system to downshift
• prevents cortisol spikes before they start
• supports your freeze‑prone wiring with safety cues

It’s not about forcing calm — it’s about creating conditions where calm can happen naturally.

If you want, I can turn this into:

• a printable checklist
• a Beaumont‑friendly version using local resources
• a sensory‑friendly version
• a 5‑minute “emergency calm” plan for severe anxiety moments

Just tell me what format helps you most.