On: Developer Anxiety, we’re not alone

[specialist]

I didn't realize I had problems with anxiety. I just thought it was insomnia, fear of death, normal over thinking stuff, recurring existential crisis.

I got my cortisol levels tested a few times. It was all out of whack. I did some stuff to calibrate it.

Now I'm ridiculously relaxed, easy going, more able to let go of bad thoughts, cheerful, etc.

I have no idea how or why this worked. But I like it.

[pieterhg → specialist]

What did you do exactly to calibrate it? Exercise? Food?

[specialist → pieterhg]

I take one Cortisol Manager (and 3mg of melatonin) roughly 3 hours before bed time each night.

http://www.integrativepro.com/Products/Stress-Sleep-Manageme...

After a few months, I had my cortisol levels retested and it's now "normal", peaking in the morning instead of at night.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortisol#Patterns

I went without for a week, just to see before v after. Seems to help.