Stress is aging you faster than you think—here’s how to slow it down

Why stress isn’t just mental

We often treat stress like background noise: ever-present, irritating, but manageable. But research says otherwise. A single season of stress can accelerate your biological age by years. And that’s not just burnout—that’s biological wear and tear. It shows up in your lab results. It ages your cells. It ramps up disease risk. Biological aging isn’t about how old you feel or look. It’s about what’s happening inside your body—at the cellular and molecular levels. The good news? You can track it, and even change it. 

Let’s break down how stress impacts your health and what you can do—starting today—to protect yourself.

How a toxic environment ages you

The world around you is full of invisible stressors—alcohol, ultra-processed foods, environmental toxins, micronutrient gaps, and relentless pressure from work or simply a busy home life. These aren’t just momentary stressors. They can build up, quietly eroding your cellular integrity and driving the aging process faster than you think.

Good stress vs. bad stress

Chronic stress keeps your body in a state of survival—high cortisol, poor recovery, and accelerated aging. It chips away at your cellular health and functionality every day. But not all stress is damaging. To understand how stress shapes long-term health, it helps to understand biological age.

• Biological age: A measure of how your body is aging at the cellular and molecular level. Unlike your calendar age, biological age is reversible. It’s calculated from biomarkers tied to inflammation, metabolism, detoxification, and immune function. It's one of the most powerful predictors of longevity and future disease risk.

Hormetic stress is the opposite of chronic stress. It’s temporary, controlled, and beneficial. Think cold exposure, sauna, or fasting—these short bursts of discomfort trigger your body's repair pathways. The goal isn’t to avoid all stress—it’s to build resilience by introducing the kind that helps your body adapt, not break down. 

5 ways to lower cellular stress

Managing stress starts with your everyday actions. Let’s dive into stress management techniques that can help decrease cellular stress and slow biological aging. 

1. Prioritize sleep: The foundation of stress recovery

Do this: Sleep 7+ hours a night—non-negotiable
To avoid: Inflammation
To lower: hs-CRP (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein)

Lack of sleep spikes cortisol. It keeps your nervous system stuck in fight-or-flight. Over time, sleep problems erode your body’s ability to repair, regulate hormones, and fight off disease. Sleep deprivation has also been linked to weight gain, insulin resistance, and cognitive decline. It’s not just about feeling tired—it’s a full-body disruption that accelerates aging and impairs every major system you rely on.

What the science says:

• Poor sleep is directly linked to higher hs-CRP, a marker of inflammation.
• Chronic insomnia can accelerate epigenetic aging, damaging your DNA repair mechanisms.

Actionable tip: Create a sleep sanctuary. Dark room. Cold temp. Zero screens at least an hour before bed. If you’re struggling, consider magnesium or melatonin. These supplements support sleep without dependency.

Measure the impact: Test hs-CRP to see how your sleep habits improve levels.

2. Limit sugar: The stress-food feedback loop

Do this: Cut back on cookies, cakes, and processed carbs
To avoid: Metabolic imbalances
To improve: Glucose, Insulin, HbA1c

High cortisol and blood sugar can increase cellular aging. How? Stress throws your blood sugar into chaos. Cortisol raises blood glucose, your insulin spikes, and your cells stop responding efficiently. This blood sugar rollercoaster drives inflammation, cravings, and mood instability. Over time, it puts serious pressure on your metabolism and fast-tracks aging from the inside out.

When you’re stressed, your body releases cortisol—which raises blood sugar. Eating sugar on top of that can cause even greater glucose spikes. That combo increases insulin resistance, oxidative stress, and systemic inflammation—the foundation for metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. .

What the science says:

• Elevated HbA1c is linked to faster biological aging.
• Cortisol dysregulation contributes to insulin resistance.

Actionable tip: Swap sugary desserts for protein-rich snacks—like fruit with nut butter or a protein-packed smoothie. 

Measure the impact:Test your fasting glucose, insulin, and HbA1c levels every 3-6 months to see how your body is handling sugar.

3. Eat more fatty fish: Fight inflammation with your fork

Do this: Add fatty fish to your plate (2–3 times per week)
To avoid: Inflammation and cortisol dysregulation
To improve: Cortisol, Omega-3:Total

Your cells are built from fat—and the type of fat matters. Omega-3 fatty acids are critical for its antiinflammatory properties, stabilizing mood, and supporting hormone balance. Most people are deficient, and that deficiency shows up as mood disorders, chronic pain, and even accelerated aging. Fatty fish delivers the cellular fuel your body needs to stay resilient.

Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, and herring deliver potent omega-3 fatty acids that calm inflammation, balance stress hormones, and protect brain function.

What the science says:

• Higher omega-3 levels are associated with slower biological aging.
• Low omega-3 status = increased cortisol, anxiety, and inflammation.

Actionable tip: If you’re not eating fish weekly, supplement with high-quality omega-3s. Function helps you track your omega-3 and omega-6 levels—so you know your overall inflammatory balance.

Measure the impact: Test cortisol, omega-3 total, and omega-6/omega-3 ratio to see how adding fatty fish affects your inflammation and stress markers.

4. Move your body: Consistency over intensity

Do this: Exercise regularly
To avoid: Weakened immunity and inflammation
To lower: hs-CRP

Movement is a biological stress reset. It helps regulate excess cortisol, oxygenate tissues, and build metabolic flexibility. It also directly impacts mood and energy by boosting neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin. 

Exercise isn’t a luxury—especially during times of stress. It helps regulate cortisol, reduces systemic inflammation, and supports mitochondrial health (your cells’ energy factories).

What the science says:

• Regular physical activity lowers hs-CRP.
• Movement improves immune resilience and metabolic health—even if it’s just walking.

Actionable tip: Mix strength training, cardio, and recovery days. Even a daily 20-minute walk can help break the stress cycle.

Measure the impact: Test hs-CRP to see if your daily movement is enough to lower inflammation and reduce your risk for stress-related chronic diseases.

5. Ditch the alcohol: Your liver can’t multitask

Do this: Skip the cocktails
To avoid: Liver dysfunction
To improve: GGT, AST, ALT, Albumin, Total Bilirubin

Alcohol might feel like stress relief—but it’s actually a stress multiplier. It disrupts sleep, elevates cortisol, depletes micronutrients, impacts the gut microbiome, and slows your detox pathways. When your liver is overloaded, your whole system slows down, from hormone clearance to energy production.

Alcohol is a stress amplifier, not a reliever. Your liver take the hit—which can show up in your lab results.

What the science says:

• Alcohol raises liver enzymes and increases cellular aging.
• It impairs your body’s ability to metabolize cortisol and remove toxins.
• It increases your risk for inflammatory chronic conditions—including liver disease and cancer. 

Actionable tip: Cut back on alcohol and test your liver biomarkers to gauge function. 

Measure the impact: Keep tabs on your GGT, AST, ALT, and total bilirubin levels over time. 

What stress actually does to your body

Stress isn't just emotional—it's biochemical. Here’s how it can show up in your lab results:

• Increased hs-CRP: A key marker of inflammation and predictor of future cardiovascular risk.
• Cortisol dysregulation: In a healthy state, cortisol levels typically spike in the morning and then decline throughout the day, but chronic stress can disrupt this natural rhythm, leading to a flattened cortisol curve. 
• Elevated blood glucose and insulin: Chronic stress = cortisol spikes = blood sugar dysregulation = insulin resistance.
• Weakened immunity: Chronic stress weakens the immune system, particularly reducing T-cell function, by increasing cortisol levels, which suppress immune cell function and reduce the body's ability to fight infections.
• Epigenetic aging: Epigenetic aging is how your cells show signs of aging based on changes to your DNA over time, not just your age in years. Chronic stress can speed up this process by shortening telomeres (the protective caps on your chromosome) and by disrupting DNA methylation, which controls how your genes are turned on or off. 

Track it. Don’t guess. Function membership helps you map these changes with real biomarker data—it starts with 100+ comprehensive lab tests.

Your stress management cheat sheet

These methods go beyond surface-level fixes. They help target stress at the biological level and build resilience over time:

1. Sleep like it matters (because it does)

• Keep your bedroom cold and dark
• Stop screen time 90 mins before bed
• Stick to a consistent bedtime routine
• Ensure you get 7-9 hours of quality sleep

2. Train your stress response with movement

• Exercise lowers cortisol and inflammation
• Short on time? Try a 10-min walk post-meals

3. Eat for hormone balance

• Prioritize high-quality protein, fiber, and healthy fats
• Reduce ultra-processed foods and added sugars

4. Eat more fatty fish

• Add salmon, sardines, anchovies, herring, or mackerel to meals 2–3x a week
• Supplement with omega-3s if needed

5. Skip the alcohol

• Alcohol taxes your detox systems and inflames the body
• Moderate alcohol consumption with two drinks or less in a day for men and one drink or less in a day for women

6. Use smart supplementation

• Consider magnesium, L-theanine, rhodiola
• These stress relief supplements can reduce cortisol and improve mood

7. Seek out beneficial stressors

• Short, intentional stressors like cold plunges, sauna, or intermittent fasting activate repair pathways

8. Lower stress with proven techniques

• Science says meditation, breathwork, yoga, and tai chi can help regulate stress response

9. Monitor your biology

• Test your biomarkers every 3-6 months to gauge whether your actions are reducing or fueling cellular stress.

For more information on stress management, visit Stress Management 101.

Takeaway

A single season of stress ages you. But it doesn’t have to be permanent. Biological age moves both ways. Stress can push it forward, but smart choices can slow it down—or even reverse it. Now that you know the many ways to manage stress, you can use sleep, diet, exercise, supplements, and biomarker data to your advantage.

You don’t have to wait for burnout to act. 100+ advanced lab results help reveal what’s happening beneath the surface. Inflammation, high cortisol, elevated glucose, liver function—they all tell a story. Rewrite yours with proactive lab testing through Function.