THE 101 ON CORTISOL AND STRESS MANAGEMENT

If you have an Instagram account, you’ve surely scrolled past the word CORTISOL. And most likely, in a negative context.

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it 1,000 times, our bodies are primitive, and they do whatever it takes (whether we know it or not) to protect and prepare us for whatever will keep us alive. Cortisol mobilizes fuel sources to be readily available for activities that require immense energy and effort. Like…running away from a tiger…or lifting a barbell.

Cortisol is usually linked to stress – many refer to it as the “stress hormone,” in fact – as well as water retention, inflammation, and weight gain. But in reality, it doesn’t deserve the demonized reputation the Instagram influencers have bestowed upon it.

We need cortisol to help us manage physical and mental stress.

Not only that, cortisol will…

*Help your brain make memories
*Wake up
*Feel alert
*Manage inflammation levels
*Support metabolism

Sounds important, right? Seriously! We need cortisol.

Here is where we start to get into problematic territories…in 2022, we are stressed, pretty much, all the time. Sure, we’re not running from a tiger, but we’re…

*Working around the clock
*Financially taxed
In the middle of a pandemic
*Amid political turmoil
*Living in a society that continually oppressed marginalized communities
*Getting piss poor sleep
*Having relationship problems because all the above is weighing us down
*Trying to diet ALL the time

As a result – cortisol is chronically high. And that stress impacts the body in a variety of ways:

*Inhibits muscle growth
*Increases body fat storage
*Increases appetite
*Causes digestive issues

Cortisol is linked to fat gain – not because cortisol expands and multiplies fat cells, but because cortisol production leads to other reactions or behaviors that impact energy balance.

When we’re stressed at work, we tend to sleep poorly. Our appetite increases when we sleep poorly, and we’re pre-dispositioned to eat or seek out palatable foods. Read, we do something called EMOTIONAL EATING. What happens when we eat a donut? We say, “FUCK IT” and take the day off from exercising and overeating foods we usually wouldn’t.

Do you see what I mean? It’s not the cortisol itself that causes problematic behavior, rather the stress we endure at work.

So the goal isn’t to eliminate cortisol production, or even daily stressors themselves because life will always throw curve balls our way.

It’s to manage our stress, be flexible, and prioritize rest and recovery.

Techniques to help manage stress:

*Therapy

*Journaling

*Therapy

*Meditation

*Therapy

*Yoga

*Therapy

*A warm bath

*Therapy

*Listening to a soothing playlist

*Therapy

*Implementing time management skills

*Therapy

*Deep breathwork

*Therapy

*Get quality sleep

*GO TO THERAPY

Once I understood the ROOT of the stress I was experiencing, my process became so much easier, and TBH, the 75mg of Zoloft doesn’t hurt. WINK!!!