Cortisol
There are many critical onflow effects that take place when cortisol is released.
- Our awareness heightens and our âfight or flightâ response is activated.
- Blood sugar rises to provide the body with a quick surge of energy to help us respond to stress.
- Muscle function is enhanced to prepare the body to physically fight or flee any perceived stress.
- All non-essential functions that arenât required for our immediate survival (e.g. digestive and reproductive systems) are suppressed, with energy redirected to prioritize survival resources.
- Blood flow is directed away from these non-essential organs and areas like the skin and digestive system, and toward the muscles and brain to support the supply of oxygen and nutrients.
These immediate responses are necessary and even beneficial in dealing with acute stress, but when increased cortisol production is ongoing or prolonged, these effects can have detrimental consequences over time.
Cortisol follows a daily routine to keep the body functioning optimally. It rises in the morning to help you feel alert and ready for the day ahead, and naturally drops at night, helping you wind down and get a good nightâs sleep. But this typical pattern is not the reality for a lot of people.
Prolonged exposure to high cortisol levels caused by ongoing stress, poor stress management, excessive exercise, poor nutrition and irregular sleep patterns, can eventually disrupt the natural rise and fall of cortisol, sending your hormones out of whack. This can reverse the typical cortisol pattern, lowering cortisol levels in the morning and raising them at night â making it harder for you to get to sleep, and even harder to wake up.
This imbalance can contribute to stress-related issues like fatigue, increased feelings of worry and overwhelm, disrupted sleep, weight gain, digestive issues, poor cognitive function and focus and more.