Cortisol: The Hormone Running the Show (and How to Keep It in Check)

Let’s Talk About Cortisol

Cortisol gets a bad rep, like the villain in every hormone story. But here’s the truth: cortisol isn’t the problem. It’s just doing what it’s supposed to do, keep you alive.

When it’s balanced, it gives you energy, focus, and resilience. When it’s constantly high, your body lives in survival mode, and that’s when everything starts feeling off.

What Cortisol Actually Does

Cortisol is produced by your adrenal glands, which sit on top of your kidneys. It’s part of your “fight or flight” response, designed to keep you safe.

When your brain senses danger (real or imagined), it triggers a surge of cortisol and adrenaline.

That does a few key things fast:

• Raises blood sugar for quick energy

• Increases heart rate and alertness

• Temporarily slows down digestion and reproduction because survival takes priority

  
  

Short bursts of cortisol are a good thing. But modern life doesn’t have a real “off” switch. Your body reacts to traffic, work deadlines, lack of sleep, poor nutrition, and emotional stress the same way it would to a tiger.

Why We Actually Need Cortisol

Before you start cursing this hormone, let’s get clear, you need cortisol to function well. When it’s balanced, it plays a vital role in:

• Managing perceived danger: Helps your body respond quickly and effectively to stressors.

• Balancing blood sugar: Keeps your energy steady between meals by releasing stored glucose.

• Supporting circadian rhythm: Naturally rises in the morning to wake you up, then drops at night to let you rest.

• Reducing inflammation short term: Helps regulate your immune system.

• Supporting pregnancy: Plays a role in foetal development, hormonal shifts, and overall body adaptation during pregnancy.

• Regulating metabolism: Works with other hormones like insulin to help your body use and store energy efficiently.

• Boosting cognitive function: Influences alertness, focus, and memory. Balanced cortisol means a clearer mind and better decision-making.

  
  

The key is not getting rid of cortisol; it’s keeping it in check.

Key links to Cortisol

Whilst everybody is different, there are key areas that cortisol can potentially affect:

• PCOS: Inflammation and insulin resistance may keep cortisol levels higher as the body tries to stay balanced.

• Fertility: Chronic stress can shift the body into survival mode, sometimes lowering fertility signals.

• Metabolism: Ongoing cortisol spikes can drive cravings, affect blood sugar, and contribute to weight changes.

  
  

How to Help yourself

Mornings

Cortisol is elevated during this time. Like a car your body need times for all the processes and organs to wake up and get started in order to work effectively, don’t stress it out.

Tips to start your day right:

• Avoid your phone for 30 minutes after waking.

• Don’t grab coffee immediately; wait 1–2 hours after breakfast.

• Drink 500ml water.

• Eat something to stabilise blood sugar.

  
  

This approach helps your body wake up calmly, supports metabolism, and avoids interfering with iron absorption.

Nutrition - Feed your body, don't starve it

Skipping meals or undereating is a stress signal. Cortisol rises to keep you going, but over time, that backfires.

Aim to build balanced plates with:

• Protein at every meal

• Slow carbs and fibre for blood sugar stability

• Healthy fats for hormonal support

• Plenty of colourful veggies for antioxidants & fibre.

Move Smart, Not Excessive

Exercise lowers stress but too much can backfire. Fasted workouts or back-to-back HIIT can spike cortisol, leaving your body more frazzled than fueled.

I’d focus more on strength training, plus low-impact movement like walking, yoga or other restorative work. This supports your nervous system instead of stressing it out.

Once your body’s back in sync, you can slowly add 1 HIIT or conditioning session a week and see how it feels. Strength gives you more bang for your buck, while a little conditioning goes a long way.

The Bottom Line

You can’t avoid stress, but you can help your body stop living in constant fight or flight.

Balancing cortisol is about daily habits that make your body feel safe: slower mornings, better nutrition, smarter training, deeper rest, and giving yourself a break.

When cortisol is balanced, energy feels steady, your mood lifts, your hormones behave better, and your brain finally stops running at 100mph.

Cortisol doesn’t need fighting, just a little understanding and care. If you’re ready to bring your body back into balance, let’s chat, book your free discovery call today.

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