Q: What does cortisol actually do?
Dr. Gillian Goddard:
Poor cortisol gets such a bum rap. It needs a publicist. It needs some good PR.
Cortisol is critical to us being alive. We have to have cortisol. And cortisol is supposed to rise and fall on a normal pattern over the course of a day.
Cortisol is responsible for helping to maintain our diurnal variation, our normal circadian rhythms and sleep cycles. Cortisol is a big part of that. And so we need our cortisol to rise and fall over the course of the day.
Now, cortisol is also responsible for responding to stress. And I think this is where people get the idea that cortisol levels have to be low.
But actually, a certain level of stress, a certain type of stress, is actually really productive. Because one of the things that cortisol does is help us focus our attention. It helps us think more clearly and make decisions.
Which was really important when that stress was, you know, running into a saber-toothed tiger outside of our cave. But it can also be really useful in other situations as well—more modern ones, perhaps.
Q: When does cortisol become a problem?
Dr. Gillian Goddard:
Where we get into trouble is when we have this sort of chronic stress. And not low-level stress, but really significant chronic stress.
Dealing with job loss, dealing with sick family members, challenging relationships. Those types of stressors over time can raise cortisol levels more chronically.
Q: What can you do to help manage cortisol levels?
Dr. Gillian Goddard:
The best things to do to lower those levels are not necessarily to take a cortisol supplement, but do some of the things that we all know help with stress.
Exercise, adequate sleep, mindfulness. All of those kinds of things are actually quite effective at managing our cortisol levels.
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