Understanding Cortisol: The Essential Stress Hormone and How It Affects You
When you hear the word cortisol, you might immediately think of stress, anxiety, or feeling overwhelmed. It’s often called the “stress hormone,” but that name doesn’t tell the whole story. Cortisol plays a vital role in keeping you alive and functioning well — as long as it stays balanced.
What Is Cortisol and What Does It Do?
Cortisol is a hormone produced by your adrenal glands, small organs that sit on top of your kidneys. It’s part of your body’s natural response system and helps regulate many important processes, including:
Waking you up: Cortisol levels naturally rise in the morning to help you feel alert and energized.
Managing stress: When your brain perceives a threat or challenge, cortisol is released to prepare your body to respond quickly.
Regulating blood pressure: It helps keep your cardiovascular system steady.
Supporting metabolism: Cortisol helps control how your body uses fats, proteins, and carbohydrates.
Controlling inflammation: It reduces swelling and helps manage immune responses.
Put simply, cortisol is essential for survival and day-to-day health.
When Cortisol Gets Out of Balance
The problem isn’t cortisol itself—it’s when cortisol levels stay too high or too low for too long.
What Happens When Cortisol Is Too High?
When you face chronic stress, poor sleep, intense exercise, or irregular eating patterns, your cortisol can stay elevated. This means your body stays stuck in “fight or flight” mode, which is meant to be temporary. Over time, this can cause:
Persistent fatigue: Even after resting, you may feel drained because your body is overworked.
Brain fog: Difficulty concentrating or remembering things can result from cortisol’s impact on brain function.
Mood changes: Anxiety, irritability, or mood swings are common when stress hormones are elevated.
Sugar cravings and weight gain: Cortisol can increase appetite and encourage fat storage around the belly.
Sleep troubles: High cortisol at night makes it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep.
Hormonal disruptions: Irregular periods or symptoms of burnout can be tied to cortisol imbalances.
What Happens When Cortisol Is Too Low?
Less common but equally challenging, low cortisol levels can lead to:
Deep exhaustion: Feeling physically and emotionally wiped out.
Dizziness or low blood pressure: Because cortisol helps regulate blood flow and pressure.
Emotional “flatness”: A sense of numbness or lack of motivation.
How These Science Facts Translate Into How You Feel
Think of cortisol like your body’s internal alarm and fuel system. When it works well, you feel balanced, energized, and able to handle daily challenges. But if the alarm is constantly ringing or fails to sound when it should, your body sends you signals through fatigue, cravings, anxiety, or other symptoms.
Your experience of these feelings isn’t just “in your head” — it’s your body’s way of asking for support.
What Can You Do to Support Healthy Cortisol Levels?
The goal isn’t to eliminate cortisol — that would be impossible and harmful — but to help your body regulate it naturally. Here are gentle, science-backed habits that support balanced cortisol rhythms:
Eat regularly: Skipping meals can cause blood sugar dips, which spike cortisol.
Practice deep breathing: Activates your parasympathetic nervous system and calms stress responses.
Get natural light: Morning sunlight helps reset your internal clock and cortisol cycle.
Move mindfully: Gentle walks or yoga can reduce stress without overtaxing your body.
Prioritize rest: Honour your body’s need to recharge — sleep and downtime are essential.
Remember: It’s not about doing more or pushing harder. It’s about creating a sense of safety in your body that allows cortisol to do its job and then step back — letting you live in calm, presence, and balance.
Try focusing on one of the ways you can support your cortisol levels this week and notice how you feel as the week progresses
