If you’re wakeful with a chattering mind in the early hours (me rn) it might help to know that daily cortisol (stress hormone) levels start to rise sharply at 2-3am & anxiety (eg caused by a pandemic) causes those early morning levels to be higher,
Result? Insomnia.

I had to leave my PhD in 1998 to get hardcore treatment for long term life-threatening black dog caused by a bunch of traumatic stuff. Depression & anxiety are terrible shits but academic papers (I love them) reveal how we can shift the balance of our own brain chemistry with...

...simple activities (& NHS treatment if severe obv). Low,angst-filled days arrive even when on antiDs/in therapy but the small changes we can make to our own mind recipes can keep thoughts away from the worst places (I’ve done this a LOT).
I tweet about nature & cortisol...

/dopamine bc a walk among plants/trees can shift both & lift mood. So can cuddling a dog,knitting,drawing ... If one of my tweets helps one person to tell doomy anxiety/black dog to eff off then I’ve managed to pass on what’s helped me & the failed scientist thing doesn’t matter.

If insomnia’s being a git here’s how to decrease your cortisol & maybe get more kip:
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="▪️" title="Schwarzes kleines Quadrat" aria-label="Emoji: Schwarzes kleines Quadrat">Listen to water/rain sounds
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="▪️" title="Schwarzes kleines Quadrat" aria-label="Emoji: Schwarzes kleines Quadrat">Listen to birdsong. @Natures_Voice birdsong radio app =https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="💯" title="Hundert Punkte Symbol" aria-label="Emoji: Hundert Punkte Symbol">
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="▪️" title="Schwarzes kleines Quadrat" aria-label="Emoji: Schwarzes kleines Quadrat">Watch a nature programme.Iplayer has massive stash
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="▪️" title="Schwarzes kleines Quadrat" aria-label="Emoji: Schwarzes kleines Quadrat">Look at a botanical reference book or my photos https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🌿" title="Kräuter" aria-label="Emoji: Kräuter">

https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="▪️" title="Schwarzes kleines Quadrat" aria-label="Emoji: Schwarzes kleines Quadrat">Have a cup of tea
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="▪️" title="Schwarzes kleines Quadrat" aria-label="Emoji: Schwarzes kleines Quadrat">Try meditation (the Calm app has Harry Styles reading stories atm https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="👀" title="Augen" aria-label="Emoji: Augen">)
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="▪️" title="Schwarzes kleines Quadrat" aria-label="Emoji: Schwarzes kleines Quadrat">Stretching/yoga during the day
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="▪️" title="Schwarzes kleines Quadrat" aria-label="Emoji: Schwarzes kleines Quadrat">Nestle with your dog.Their cortisol also drops & you both get a delicious hit of oxytocin, making you feel loved.

All have been shown to lower cortisol.