How to lower cortisol: what your stress hormone does and what actually helps

Cortisol has become the internet's favourite villain. Scroll for a minute and you'll find "cortisol belly", "cortisol face" and drinks that promise to bring your levels down. If you've been feeling wound up and tired, you might wonder whether cortisol is to blame.

The short answer: cortisol is a normal, useful hormone. Your body makes more of it when you're stressed, and it follows its own daily rhythm. There's no quick trick to switch it off, and you wouldn't want one. What helps is the everyday stuff that helps with stress: regular sleep, moving your body, slower breathing and time with people you like. Here's what cortisol does, what pushes it up, what helps, when to see your GP, and how the Thrive Health Band and the Thrive by Optihealth app can show you how stress shows up in your own body.

What cortisol actually does

Healthdirect explains that cortisol is a steroid hormone made by your two adrenal glands, which sit on top of each kidney. When you feel stressed, your body releases more cortisol into your bloodstream. Your pituitary gland, at the base of your brain, sends the signal.

Cortisol has plenty of jobs. Healthdirect says it helps:

your body respond to stress or danger
control your heart rate and blood pressure
reduce inflammation

It's also part of your "fight or flight" response, which healthdirect calls your healthy, natural response to perceived threats. So cortisol isn't the enemy.

Your daily cortisol rhythm

Your body releases cortisol in a daily pattern. Healthdirect says it peaks in the morning and decreases in the evening, and that working night shifts for a long stretch may change this pattern.

That rhythm is one reason regular sleep and wake times matter so much. If your bedtime swings around, see social jetlag and Monday tiredness.

What can push cortisol up

According to healthdirect, the release of cortisol can be influenced by:

very warm or cold temperatures
infections
exercise
traumatic or stressful events
some health conditions

Exercise is on that list, and that's normal. It's not a reason to skip it.

Ongoing stress is a different story. The Better Health Channel notes that when you're under stress, your heartbeat, breathing rate and blood pressure all go up, and the longer you feel stressed, the greater the demand on your body.

What does "high cortisol" mean?

Feeling stressed and tired is common, and on its own it doesn't mean your cortisol is out of balance. A photo of your face or your waistline can't tell you anything about your hormones either.

Healthdirect explains that a condition called Cushing's syndrome is when your body has too much cortisol. It's rare. It can be caused by a tumour or by taking high doses of steroid medicines for a long time. Symptoms healthdirect lists include a rounded face, weight gain especially around the torso, a hump between the shoulders, feeling tired or moody, skin that bruises or heals slowly, stretch marks and lower libido.

If your doctor thinks your cortisol may be out of balance, healthdirect says they may arrange blood, saliva or urine tests. Because cortisol changes through the day, they may take several measurements at different times.

Everyday ways to manage stress

There's no single food, drink or hack that resets your stress hormone. The Better Health Channel's stress tips are a reassuring place to start, and they're the same habits that help your body settle after a stressful patch:

Keep a regular routine. Consistent times for sleep, meals, work and exercise. See how much sleep adults need.
Move regularly. Better Health calls regular exercise a great way to manage stress. A walk counts. See walking for mental health.
Slow your breathing. Paced breathing, mindfulness or yoga can help your body settle. Try box breathing.
Go easy on alcohol. Better Health suggests avoiding alcohol or drugs as ways to cope. Our piece on alcohol and sleep explains the overnight side.
Eat well and regularly. Hunger and tiredness are on Better Health's list of common stress triggers.
Break big jobs into smaller steps. Focus on the next practical step.
Stay connected. Spend time with people who make you laugh, and ask for help when stress feels like too much.

You'll also see supplements and drinks sold online that promise to lower cortisol. Before you try any supplement, talk to your GP or pharmacist, especially if you take other medicines. If stress at work is keeping you up, see work stress and sleep.

When to see your GP

Everyday stress comes and goes, and your body is built to handle it. Even so, it's always fine to check in with your GP if you're unsure. The Better Health Channel suggests seeing your doctor if:

you feel stressed often
particular things stress you and feel beyond your control
your reactions to stress feel extreme or worry you
you feel anxious or down about stress

Healthdirect also says to see your doctor if you have any symptoms of Cushing's syndrome. If you take steroid medicines, don't change them on your own. Talk to your doctor first.

You can show your Thrive trends to your GP too. They can help you describe when things changed. You can call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 any time to speak with a registered nurse, and Lifeline is on 13 11 14 (or text 0477 13 11 14), any time, if stress feels like too much.

See how stress shows up for you with Thrive

What Thrive doesn't do. The Thrive Health Band doesn't measure cortisol. Only tests your doctor arranges can do that. What Thrive can show you is how stress shows up in your own signals over time.

Log how you feel. In your Daily Check-In you rate your stress and mood from 1 to 10, and tag your day with things like Work stress, Time pressure, Mental overload, Breathwork or Meditation.

See your body's side. The Band has no screen and up to 14 days of battery, so you can wear it day and night. Thrive shows your HRV and resting heart rate, plus your hours slept along with Quality, Quantity, Regularity and Timing. See what HRV is and resting heart rate explained.

Try a small change. Try the Stress downshift experiment (7 days) and compare your signals before and after. Your Recovery Estimate shows how ready you are for another full day.

Over time, Thrive builds a picture of what's usual for you right across your health, from sleep, heart and activity to mood, stress, meals, medications and symptoms. Your Health Fingerprint is ready after about 30 days of wear. Then you can ask Ask Thrive questions like:

"Is my resting heart rate higher in weeks I tag Work stress?"
"How did my sleep change on days I rated my stress above 7?"
"Did my stress ratings come down while I was doing Breathwork?"

Before you buy

Thrive Health Band: A$589 for the band including 12 months of the Thrive plan, paid upfront. Prices are in AUD and include GST.

Free shipping. Your 12 months start when you activate your Band, and there's no automatic renewal.

One size, IP68, up to 14 days battery, 12-month warranty, not a medical device, no Apple Health sync. The app is Thrive by Optihealth on iPhone and Android.

See today's price on the Thrive store

At renewal: a new band plus 12 more months for A$589.

Or keep your band and renew the plan for A$240 a year.

Or A$29 a month with no lock-in.

Consumer guarantees under Australian Consumer Law always apply. See Returns if something is wrong with your purchase.

Common questions

What time of day is cortisol highest?

Usually in the morning. Healthdirect says cortisol peaks in the morning and decreases in the evening.

Does exercise raise cortisol?

It can. Healthdirect lists exercise as one of the things that influence cortisol release, and Better Health calls regular exercise a great way to manage stress.

Can a fitness band measure cortisol?

No. The Thrive Health Band doesn't measure cortisol. It shows signals like your HRV, resting heart rate, sleep and stress check-ins, so you can see how stress shows up for you.

For more answers, see Questions.