Cortisol is an important steroid hormone in the body, naturally secreted by the adrenal glands on a schedule throughout the day. It serves bodily functions in our stress responses, blood pressure, immune function and circadian rhythms. 

The release of cortisol is controlled by the hypothalamus (pituitary gland). The hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis regulates both production and secretion of cortisol, a glucocorticoid hormone. It generally peaks at about 08:00-09:00. Throughout the day, cortisol levels steadily drop and reach their lowest at about 20:00-22:00 to ready the body for restorative sleep. This is referred to as your circadian rhythm. 

A circadian rhythm is your body’s natural, internal processes that follow an estimated 24-hour cycle. It mainly responds to environmental factors for example light and darkness. These rhythms are found in various biological processes: metabolism, cell generation, hormone release and sleep-wake cycle. We don’t always take care of this process and often this rhythm is disrupted. 

Chronic stress, disruptions in our life, changes to our work environment all contribute to the release of cortisol. Cortisol is “good” when enough is released. The release of cortisol becomes more regulated and disruptive lifestyle changes are maintained when we manage our stress and do physical exercise. Cortisol is “bad” when too much is released. When we exert too much stress on both our mental and physical resources. Although stress isn’t the only reason that cortisol is released into our bloodstream, cortisol has been termed “the stress hormone”. Loss of regulation of cortisol can lead to cortisol excess disorders, such as Cushing syndrome, or cortical insufficiency, such as Addison disease. Typical symptoms of Cushing syndrome include weight gain, thin arms and legs, increased fat around the base of the neck, a fatty hump between the shoulders, easy bruising, wide purple stretch marks, mainly on the abdomen, breasts, hips, and under the arms, and weak muscles. Typical symptoms of Addison disease are fatigue, nausea, darkening of the skin and dizziness upon standing.

Cortisol also plays a role in the regulation of your blood pressure, insulin release (for example blood sugar maintenance), immune function and inflammatory responses.

Taking good care of your thought patterns and regulating emotional responses, exercising and maintaining a healthy diet help to regulate the release of optimal levels of cortisol  – which is good. Neuroscience coaches and mentors help clients with tools to regulate cortisol. Their knowledge of Neuroscience, helps them to identify client stress levels and equip them with tools to optimise their cortisol levels, improving overall mental health.