1. Prioritise High-Quality Sleep

Sleep is one of the most powerful regulators of cortisol. When you sleep well, cortisol naturally drops at night and rises gently in the morning. But if you’re sleep-deprived, cortisol stays elevated, making it harder to relax and recover.

Two adaptogens stand out for sleep support: reishi and ashwagandha. Reishi, often called the “calm mushroom,” supports the parasympathetic nervous system—the body’s natural rest-and-digest mode. Ashwagandha helps lower evening cortisol and can improve sleep onset and quality.

Start your day with Bright Mood Coffee or opt for Bright Mood+ powder if you prefer a caffeine-free option. Bright Mood Coffee still contains caffeine, so it’s best enjoyed in the morning.

What makes it unique is that its effects last throughout the day—not because it acts as a sedative, but because the adaptogens inside (like reishi and ashwagandha) work by lowering stress and modulating pathways linked to sleep architecture.

Consistent daily use helps your body adapt over time, supporting calm focus during the day and more restorative sleep at night.

2. Move Your Body Regularly

Exercise is a paradox—it briefly raises cortisol, but in the long run helps your body become more resilient to stress. Regular physical activity supports balanced cortisol rhythms and enhances mood through endorphin release.

To avoid overtraining and physical stress, balance intensity with recovery. This is where rhodiola rosea, another adaptogen, can help. Studies suggest that rhodiola supports physical endurance while moderating the cortisol spikes that come with intense exercise.

Pair movement with Life Force Coffee or Life Force+ powder. Both contain adaptogens and functional mushrooms like chaga and rhodiola to sustain clean energy and reduce fatigue naturally—ideal pre-workout companions for physical and mental stamina.

3. Practice Stress-Management Techniques

Mindfulness, breathwork, meditation, and even short walks in nature can profoundly lower cortisol levels. Stress isn’t just psychological—it’s biochemical. Every time you pause to breathe deeply or ground yourself, you’re signaling safety to your nervous system.

Practicing mindfulness for just 10 minutes a day can help activate the parasympathetic nervous system, reducing cortisol and promoting balance. Combine this with adaptogens to deepen the effect—reishi, ashwagandha, and l-theanine all enhance calm alertness and lower stress-related tension.

Build a simple ritual: prepare a warm cup tea and add Bright Mood+ in the evening and use it as your cue to slow down. Let that quiet space become a natural part of your recovery routine.

4. Replace Regular Coffee with Mushroom Coffee

Traditional coffee gives a quick lift but often spikes cortisol, leading to energy crashes and jitteriness. Caffeine stimulates the adrenal glands, which can overwork the stress system when consumed in excess or on an empty stomach.

Switching to mushroom coffee helps maintain the ritual you love—without overstimulating your cortisol response. Blends like Flow State Coffee combine specialty Arabica with functional mushrooms like lion’s mane, l-theanine and bacopa, delivering calm focus and clean energy without the typical crash.

For those who prefer to go caffeine-free, Flow State+ powder delivers the same focus-boosting benefits with lion’s mane and adaptogens—perfect to add to your morning cup of preference, smoothies, or shakes.

5. Support Gut Health (and the Gut-Brain Axis)

Your gut and brain are deeply connected through the gut-brain axis—a communication pathway that affects mood, energy, and stress resilience. An unbalanced gut can disrupt cortisol rhythms and increase stress sensitivity.

To support this axis, focus on whole, fiber-rich foods and include natural prebiotics and probiotics. Among functional mushrooms, chaga stands out. It supports antioxidant defenses, helps reduce inflammation, and indirectly supports healthy gut function—all of which contribute to more stable cortisol levels.

Incorporate Life Force+ or Flow State+ into your daily routine for an easy, gut-supportive adaptogen boost that works from the inside out.

6. Supplement Naturally with Adaptogens

Adaptogens are nature’s stress balancers. They don’t suppress cortisol outright—they help your body respond to stress more efficiently. Over time, this means fewer spikes, smoother recovery, and a greater sense of balance.

Here are three adaptogens that are particularly effective for cortisol balance:

Ashwagandha Reduces stress and anxiety while lowering cortisol naturally.	Reishi Supports deep relaxation and better sleep quality.	Rhodiola Enhances energy and reduces fatigue from physical or emotional stress.

All three can be found across Upraising’s functional blends—Flow State for focus, Bright Mood for calm, and Life Force for energy. Together, they offer a complete toolkit for navigating stress naturally, day and night.