Miranda Priestly didn't just stress Andy out emotionally. She was actively dysregulating her HPA axis. And if you've ever worked a job — or lived a life — that felt anything like that, this episode is for you.

In honor of Devil Wears Prada 2 hitting theaters, Dr. Kelsy Vick is breaking down one of the most misunderstood hormones in women's health: cortisol. Not to demonize it — but to completely reframe it. Because cortisol is not the villain. A dysregulated cortisol rhythm is. And those are two very different things.

In this episode you'll learn:

• What cortisol actually does for you every single day — and why you'd be in serious trouble without it
• How the HPA axis works and why the rhythm matters more than the level
• What a "Miranda Priestly environment" does to your body over time
• How to recognize if your own cortisol rhythm might be off
• 5 evidence-based tools to restore your cortisol rhythm — even in a high-demand life

All backed by peer-reviewed research. Zero fear mongering. Just the science you actually deserve to have.

🎧 Part of the Spring Cleaning Series — check out our episodes on the lymphatic system, glymphatic system, and liver health linked below.

The Glymphatic System Episode (pod episode 96)

loving the pod? click the follow button, & we'd love if you could leave a review! thank you x 1000 :)

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insta:: @dr.kelsyvickdpt & @wellnessbigsispod

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Sources:

• Knezevic et al. (2023) — Cells / PMC — Cortisol physiology, HPA axis & chronic stress dysregulation 📎 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10706127/
• Lengton et al. (2024) — Clinical Obesity / PMC — Cortisol, HPA axis & body weight 📎 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11907100/
• Li, Huang & Zhu (2025) — Sports / PMC — Optimal exercise modality for cortisol reduction across 44 RCTs 📎 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12736704/
• Liu (2024) — Sleep / PMC — Cortisol-sleep bidirectional relationship in young women 📎 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11381560/
• Meta-analysis — PMC — Mindfulness-based interventions & salivary cortisol 📎 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5069287/

Welcome to Wellness Fix the pod, a

bi maven media production where we

2

believe you deserve real education

from real experts delivered

3

in a way you can actually use.

4

I'm Dr.

5

Kelsey Vick, your board certified

orthopedic doctor of physical therapy, and

6

this podcast was built for the girl who

is done feeling overwhelmed and frustrated

7

by conflicting health noise and is ready

for something she can actually trust.

8

Every week we have honest

science-backed conversations

9

about your health, your hormones.

10

Your brain, your body and

everything in between.

11

No fluff, no fear mongering, just

the truth because understanding

12

your body is the most powerful

thing you can do for yourself.

13

A table full of experts built for

the curious girl who wants the truth.

14

So welcome.

15

Your seat is waiting for you.

16

Cortisol has a PR problem.

17

It has been branded as the stress

hormone, the belly fat hormone, and

18

I need to push back on all of that

19

because the peer reviewed research

tells a completely different story.

20

Cortisol itself isn't the problem.

21

I call it the misunderstood mean girl.

22

Cortisol dysregulation

is the actual problem.

23

And in honor of the Devil Wears Pro two,

we are unpacking exactly what that means

24

because Miranda Priestly's whole

world is basically cortisol

25

dysregulation in designer clothes.

26

Welcome back to Wellness Exists, the Pod.

27

I'm your host, Dr.

28

Kelsey Vic, a board certified

orthopedic doctor, physical therapy,

29

and a pelvic floor physical therapist.

30

And one of my favorite things to

do is relate pop culture, current

31

trends to health and wellness.

32

I'm a huge metaphor person.

33

I learn less by listening and more by.

34

Kinesthetic awareness

and then also visual.

35

So I feel like if I'm able to relate

certain concepts of the female human body

36

to movies or activities, Or different

things that actually have my attention

37

in another realm, I'm better able to

remember that health and wellness concept.

38

So since the Devil Wears Pro Two just

came out, I figured what better way

39

than to relate the Devil Wears Pro.

40

Two, that iconic movie with cortisol

and the role it actually plays within

41

our body, Rather than branding it

as this mean girl, when really it

42

is the misunderstood mean girl.

43

So before we blame cortisol for

everything, let's talk about what our

44

lives would look like without cortisol.

45

Cortisol gets a really bad reputation.

46

It's blamed for belly fat.

47

It's blamed for stress.

48

It's called the stress hormone,

which never sounds that great.

49

It's blamed for burnout, for

breakouts, for pretty much everything.

50

But today we're gonna

reframe that entirely.

51

So what actually is cortisol?

52

And this is where we get

a little bit sciencey.

53

So if you are a nerd like me

and like to understand the

54

science, this section's for you.

55

Cortisol is a glucocorticoid hormone,

56

which means that it's a hormone

that directly influences How our

57

bodies handle glucose, manage

inflammation, and respond to stress.

58

It is produced by your adrenal glands

that sit on top of your kidneys.

59

the release of cortisol from these

adrenal glands is controlled by

60

what we call the HPA axis or the

hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis.

61

Which we can think about as our

body's internal stress command center

62

that connects our brains to hormonal

communication throughout our bodies.

63

Here's what that

communication might look like.

64

first, your brain's

internal clock, the nucleus.

65

Detects a signal.

66

This could be stress, it

could be exercise, or it can

67

even be the morning sunlight.

68

They all trigger this same response.

69

The hypothalmus fires first,

the H part of that HPA axis.

70

It releases a hormone called

CRH or corticotropin releasing

71

hormone to the pituitary gland

or the P part of hypothalamic

72

pituitary adrenal axis, HPA axis.

73

The pituitary gland receives that

signal and then releases a CTH

74

or adrenocorticotropic releasing hormone.

75

A CTH is released into the

bloodstream And the adrenal glands

76

receive that A CTH and start to

produce and then release cortisol.

77

cortisol, then travels through

the bloodstream to different

78

cells across our entire bodies.

79

Once enough free cortisol has

accumulated, it sends a signal back

80

up to the HPA axis to stop releasing

signals that help to produce cortisol.

81

So it's a feedback loop.

82

Here's what most people dunno.

83

You heard me mention free cortisol.

84

That is only about 5% of the

cortisol within our bodies.

85

The other 90 to 95% Is

actually bound to proteins and

86

biologically considered inactive.

87

So only that small fraction of cortisol,

about 5% can actually enter cells,

88

do some of that biological work.

89

and then send that feedback back up to

the brain to tell it to slow production.

90

This is one reason why cortisol

testing is very, very nuanced.

91

the other thing that most people don't

realize is that cortisol is supposed to

92

rhythmically pulse throughout the day.

93

Meaning we're supposed to

have these elevated levels of

94

cortisol and these depressions

of cortisol throughout the day.

95

It's not one flat line.

96

Our cortisol is not designed

to sit at a steady level.

97

It's supposed to respond to acute stress

placed on our body, whether that's morning

98

sunlight, a workout midday, or even more

of this like good stress or excitement.

99

when meeting up with a friend for coffee.

100

It pulses rhythmically throughout

the day with varying amplitudes,

101

and it's this dynamic oscillating

rhythm that our cells learn

102

to read and respond to

103

when we lose that rhythmic patterning.

104

The entire downstream communication

from cortisol is affected.

105

so here's what cortisol is

actually doing for us every day.

106

It is helping us get outta bed.

107

A cortisol naturally peaks 30

to 45 minutes after waking.

108

This is why there is that tip to not

drink caffeine within an hour of waking.

109

That way, your body naturally has this

cortisol peak, this cortisol elevation on

110

its own without an additional stimulant

or stressor in the form of caffeine,

111

this natural peak.

112

30 to 45 minutes after

waking is supposed to happen.

113

it raises blood pressure slightly.

114

It gets us ready to tackle the day.

115

Cortisol also has a role in

regulating our blood sugar levels.

116

It increases gluconeogenesis or

the production of glucose so that

117

our bodies, our cells, have energy

for whatever the day throws at us.

118

Cortisol also helps us to manage blood

pressure in our overall cardiovascular

119

readiness for throughout the day.

120

It enhances vasoconstriction or that

decrease in diameter of our vasculature,

121

which in turn raises blood pressure.

122

And it increases cardiac output

or the volume of blood pumped

123

out of our heart in one minute.

124

Our vascular system is the way

that we deliver a lot of different

125

resources to the cells in our bodies.

126

So cortisol helps with all of that.

127

Cortisol actually helps to

control inflammation in a

128

properly regulated system.

129

This is the one that might

surprise most people.

130

When we encounter different

stress responses, whether that's

131

eustress or maladaptive stress,

132

our body might cue inflammation,

and cortisol is actually a

133

built-in anti-inflammatory helps

to control that inflammation.

134

If you've ever heard of corticosteroids,

it's an entire class of medication

135

that works against inflammation.

136

Some of the time it's topical,

like topical corticosteroid.

137

Sometimes it's internal and

internal corticosteroid injection.

138

But in a healthily functioning

cortisol system, cortisol can

139

actually act as an anti-inflammatory.

140

Cortisol also helps us to sharpen

our overall focus under pressure.

141

At healthy well-timed levels,

cortisol can actually enhance

142

focus memory consolidation.

143

And attention and the research confirms

that this is sort of a U-shaped where

144

too little and too much cortisol can

negatively impact cognitive function.

145

It's this sort of Goldilocks

effect where we need the right

146

amount at the right time.

147

So bringing it back to the Devil Warrior's

Prada, cortisol is not Miranda Priestly.

148

Cortisol is Emily doing every

job that needs to be done.

149

often thankly completely holding the

operation together And only falling apart

150

when pushed past a reasonable limit.

151

So here's what a healthy cortisol

rhythm actually looks like.

152

It's high in the morning.

153

We call this the cortisol

awakening response.

154

We expect that cortisol peak

30 to 45 minutes after waking.

155

There's been a gradual

decline throughout the day.

156

Energy and alertness remain, but

that urgency sort of softens.

157

We expect cortisol to be the lowest

at night, creating an internal

158

environment of rest, recovery, and sleep.

159

And then the next morning it resets.

160

This rhythm is not optional.

161

It is the mechanism by which a

lot of different communication

162

happens within our bodies.

163

When this rhythm is disrupted,

that's when things downstream

164

start to feel all outta whack.

165

Cortisol is not the enemy.

166

A dysregulated cortisol system is.

167

So what does a Miranda Priestly

type environment actually do

168

to our cortisol systems and how

can they become dysregulated?

169

If we take a look at Andy,

she wasn't just exhausted.

170

Her nervous system was running

a full blown cortisol flood

171

every single day, which can really

wear down a body when we take a look

172

at the acute cortisol response, the

one that we want, the one that we

173

expect, versus this chronic cortisol

response, we see the differences between

174

a healthy cortisol system and then a.

175

Dysregulated cortisol system.

176

So in an acute cortisol response,

your body's doing exactly

177

what it's supposed to do.

178

Something hard happens,

your cortisol rises.

179

You get this sharp increase in

focus, alertness, awakeness.

180

You handle that hard task, whatever it

is, whether it's a mental task, a physical

181

task, and then your cortisol comes

back down and the system resets This is

182

healthy, adaptive, and exactly the way our

cortisol system is supposed to function.

183

Think about that moment when

Andy gets that 2:00 AM phone call

184

and snaps into action to

deliver her cortisol rises.

185

She handles the task and

then she falls back asleep.

186

However, in chronic cortisol elevation

that never really comes back down,

187

which is exactly what happens to Andy.

188

Andy's body can respond to that acute

stress, but if it never fully comes

189

back down, that's when we get this

domino effect, this dog piling effect of

190

cortisol signaling and communication

that the body eventually shuts down to.

191

So the baseline of

cortisol keeps creeping up.

192

The system never gets to fully reset.

193

We are messing with that,

oscillating that natural rhythm

194

that we expect for cortisol.

195

If we tie it back to the

devil, where's product?

196

Think of Andy's entire year at runway.

197

It's just one unresolved

spike after another.

198

That compounds continuously with

no recovery or reset built in.

199

So what is this chronic cortisol

elevation actually doing to Andy?

200

AKA?

201

What's it actually doing to

us if we do get stuck in this

202

period of cortisol dysregulation?

203

The first phenomena I call the

boy who cried wolf phenomena.

204

Where constant cortisol release

or constant calling out blunts the

205

response of that HPA axis in the brain.

206

So it gets so many signals that it starts

becoming less sensitive to that signal.

207

The boy cries wolf, wolf, wolf when

there's really no wolf, and then

208

all of a sudden he cries wolf when

there is a wolf, and that system is

209

already less sensitized to his cries.

210

Same thing happens with

cortisol and that HPA axis.

211

Over time, that stress response

becomes less efficient.

212

Our body.

213

Stops responding appropriately to

the real threats because we never

214

fully got back down to that baseline.

215

We never let the system fully reset.

216

This is called cortisol resistance.

217

And it's directly analogous to insulin

resistance, where our body is still

218

producing that hormone of cortisol, but

these cells have stopped responding to it.

219

The cruel truth is that cortisol

elevation, chronic cortisol

220

elevation causes the body to

actually lose cortisol's initial

221

anti-inflammatory effect.

222

So you end up with elevated

cortisol and elevated inflammation

223

simultaneously.

224

Not because cortisol isn't there,

225

but because the cells can

no longer hear its signal.

226

And this has this inflammatory

cascade that follows

227

chronic stress, activates our

fight or flight nervous system,

228

and that HP axis simultaneously.

229

Together, they trigger

pro-inflammatory responses.

230

Cortisol is supposed to be the hormone

that helps to balance that out,

231

but in chronic cortisol elevation,

232

it can't do its job.

233

The result is a self

perpetuating inflammatory loop

234

where the hormone designed to combat

this loop is shouting, shouting,

235

shouting, but no one's listening.

236

This is why chronic stress is

so difficult to push through.

237

It's because this loop is

also working against you.

238

Where the system built in to help

with inflammation, to help combat

239

that is a part of this loop, and

helping to perpetuate that loop.

240

In chronic cortisol elevation,

there's also a body weight and

241

metabolism issue that comes into play.

242

Cortisol plays a direct

role in metabolism.

243

Appetite regulation and adipose or

fat tissue distribution within our

244

bodies, particularly visceral fat

storage, which is that dangerous

245

fat, that organ lined fat,

246

that increases our risk for

a lot of different diseases.

247

Chronic cortisol elevation is linked

to obesity development, not because

248

of a lack of willpower or a lack of

trying or laziness, but due to the

249

actual hormonal responses that are

happening within your body and this cycle

250

that your body just can't get out of

251

chronic cortisol elevation.

252

It drives the body towards fat storage,

primarily around the midsection.

253

It also, as we said earlier, kicks up that

fight or flight response, meaning your

254

rest, your digest response is blunted.

255

This is why high stress seasons

might bring a little bit of weight

256

gain or unexplained cravings.

257

Like all of a sudden you're

having cravings for foods that

258

you didn't previously have before.

259

Even if you're trying

to do everything right.

260

It is not a discipline problem.

261

It's a communication

problem within our bodies.

262

, Linking it back to the Devil Wears

Pro Andy spent an entire year in

263

a body that never fully came back

down from this high alert state.

264

She wasn't just tired.

265

every system in her body,

was paying a compounding

266

biological cost from this

high stress environment.

267

That looked like exhaustion,

emotional fragility, and

268

overall just energy depletion.

269

She's not being dramatic.

270

That's researched physiology.

271

So people with this chronic cortisol

elevation in this dysregulated

272

cortisol system aren't just weak,

exhausted, or lacking willpower.

273

our bodies were just never

designed to run the Miranda

274

Priestly protocol all the time.

275

And your body will find

ways to tell you that.

276

And that chatter will only get

louder and louder and louder.

277

Here's how you can tell if your

cortisol rhythm is also like Andy's

278

and living in this Miranda Priestly

protocol where it is always on high

279

alert and can't actually ever reset.

280

And as a hint, it doesn't show

up as this dramatic entrance.

281

It's this slow build over time.

282

And it can show up as a long list

of things that you've been saying

283

is just a lack of sleep or getting

older or a certain time in your cycle.

284

But also, this is not

a diagnostic segment.

285

These are just things that can happen.

286

And since cortisol is a hormone and

can affect so many things within your

287

body, a lot of the symptoms will.

288

Show up in a lot of different systems

within your body, so definitely not

289

diagnostic, but something to look out

for, especially if you think your body

290

is ever fighting against you when it

comes to how it responds to stress.

291

So some morning signs you might be waking

up exhausted or not fully refreshed.

292

This can be indicative of that

cortisol awakening response being

293

blunted and that rhythm being off.

294

You might feel like you need

caffeine immediately upon waking in

295

order to help with that response.

296

Like add a little bit of an assistance

to what was supposed to be happening

297

in your natural cortisol rhythm.

298

You might be feeling anxious, overwhelmed,

299

or wired before the

day has actually begun.

300

This can indicate cortisol may

be spiking too high, too fast.

301

you might also feel genuinely foggy and

slow within the first few hours of waking.

302

That's not supposed to happen.

303

Cortisol can help with focus

and attention, so this is a sign

304

that your cortisol levels might

be a little bit out of balance.

305

A few of the daytime signs you might

experience energy crashes, especially

306

in that two to 4:00 PM window

307

that feels disproportionate

to your activity level and

308

amount of sleep that night.

309

Every time I'm saying these, I'm

thinking of new moms and obviously

310

certain things have to be sacrificed

in certain phases of life, so.

311

I think paying a little bit

extra attention to things

312

that you can help with.

313

That cortisol rhythm, knowing that there

are nights that you are not gonna get very

314

much sleep, or you have to wake up earlier

than your body would ideally want you to.

315

During the day, you might also feel a

little bit of brain fog, slow, sluggish,

316

you might experience more cravings.

317

All of these can be signs of a

dysregulated cortisol system.

318

You might experience digestive issues.

319

Again, that sympathetic fight or flight

nervous system is increased in chronic

320

cortisol elevation, meaning that

parasympathetic that rest digest part of

321

your nervous system is taking a back seat

and not necessarily able to accomplish all

322

of the jobs that it has under It's roll.

323

You might also realize you're getting

sick a little more frequently.

324

In the evening, you might experience

this like wired but tired feeling

325

where your energy might be

low throughout the entire day.

326

All of a sudden, right before

you go to bed, you're like wired.

327

Even though you know that you're

exhausted, you might experience

328

getting a second wind around

329

This can often be mistaken for

a natural night owl tendency

330

when in reality it's just a

331

cortisol curve that's shifted

later than it should be.

332

If you're waking between

2:00 AM and 4:00 AM.

333

With a racing mind or a sense of this

like low grade anxiety that you can't

334

fully explain, that can indicate cortisol

imbalance Or falling asleep fine, but

335

waking up feeling completely unrestored.

336

Another sign is that you feel like

you have to rely on wine or alcohol

337

or melatonin or different sleep

aids in order to help you sleep.

338

Emotionally, you might feel a

little bit more reactive or have

339

trouble regulating your emotions.

340

You might have memory lapses or times when

you don't actually remember something that

341

you feel like you should have remembered.

342

You might have difficulty

making decisions.

343

And you might just feel like

emotionally drained, flat detached,

344

where things that used to excite

you might not excite you anymore.

345

Physically, you might see

unexplained weight gain,

346

especially around the midsection.

347

You might see skin changes,

menstrual cycle changes.

348

Low libido, chronic muscle tension,

hair thinning, or increased shedding.

349

There's a lot of different physical

symptoms you might see in this sort of

350

chronically elevated cortisol state.

351

So these are just a few signs to

know if you might be struggling

352

with an imbalanced cortisol system.

353

Again, cortisol's not the bad

guy, but these are some signs

354

and symptoms to look out for.

355

And a lot of these also fit

under the umbrella of a lot of

356

other health conditions as well.

357

So this is not just the one plus

one equals two, it's the body is a

358

puzzle, but maybe those signs and

symptoms can help you figure out your

359

body as a puzzle a little bit better.

360

So let's zoom in a little bit on

this sleep cortisol connection,

361

since we've learned that cortisol is

particularly affected by our circadian

362

rhythm and can influence how awake

we feel in the mornings and how well

363

we're able to go to sleep at night.

364

There was a 2024 study

done at UCLA that looked at

365

cortisol levels in young women

and how they affect their sleep.

366

They found that higher pres sleep,

cortisol predicted shorter sleep time,

367

lower sleep efficiency, and longer

time to fall asleep that same night.

368

Shorter duration and poorer sleep.

369

Then produced a flatter cortisol slope

that next day, meaning they're not

370

reaching the peaks that you would expect.

371

So each of those factors, sleep

and cortisol disrupt the other.

372

If cortisol's affected,

it's gonna affect sleep.

373

If sleep's affected, it's going

to affect cortisol functioning

374

throughout the rest of the day.

375

I.

376

Zooming in and taking a look at Andy

in this sort of high alert, high stress

377

environment, that stress would elevate

her nighttime cortisol levels, which

378

then disrupts your sleep quality,

379

which further disregulates her

cortisol rhythm the next day.

380

Which makes stress harder to manage,

which elevates cortisol again,

381

which feeds back into sleep, and

this loop just cycles through.

382

As a side note, if you listened

to . Our glymphatic system

383

episode on brain cleansing.

384

You will understand a lot of this,

so I'll leave that link below

385

if you guys missed that episode.

386

But we talk about the importance of sleep

on brain cleansing and actually detoxing

387

and being able to clear out different

waste products within our brains.

388

These two episodes will

tie together perfectly.

389

And of course, linking it back

to the Devil Wears Pro two.

390

Remember when Andy's phone would

go off in the middle of the night

391

and she'd jolt awake immediately?

392

That's not just a narrative

device or a script That's actually

393

what's happening physiologically.

394

When we talk about a

dysregulated cortisol system,

395

it is this unpredictable.

396

Chronic activation that keeps cortisol

elevated throughout the night when it

397

is supposed to be at its lowest points,

398

and it prevents the nervous system

from ever fully recovering from that

399

chronic stress throughout the day.

400

So how can we actually work with

our cortisol systems, especially

401

in a high demand life like Andy has

when working for Miranda Priestly?

402

You don't have to necessarily quit your

job or move to the countryside or become

403

a Buddhist monk in order to find this

peace and work with your cortisol system.

404

Although more power to you, if

that is what you choose to do,

405

you need a few specific evidence-based

tools to add in your toolkit to help.

406

And as a reminder, the goal is never zero.

407

Cortisol, people struggle with

too low of cortisol as well.

408

There is an actual disease state, and

let me tell you, One of my best friend's

409

mom's struggles with this, and it is

not something that should be our goal.

410

Zero cortisol is never the goal.

411

We want to be able to work with our

body's natural cortisol rhythms.

412

And understand when signs and symptoms

of cortisol imbalance show up within

413

our bodies so that we can be more

purposeful in helping our bodies

414

to rebalance and get back on the

right rhythm of cortisol elevation

415

and depression throughout the day.

416

So tool number one, we

want morning anchoring.

417

Our bodies should naturally elevate

cortisol in the morning again,

418

30 to 45 minutes after waking,

so we want to work with that.

419

We can view natural light in the

morning within 30 minutes of waking.

420

Moving our bodies also helps

with that morning anchoring,

421

even if it is just 10 minutes.

422

Eating a real balanced breakfast with

good protein, fats and carbohydrates

423

can help balance our blood sugar,

which is a role of cortisol,

424

what works against this

natural cortisol rhythm.

425

Reaching immediately for your phone.

426

Beginning that day in a highly reactive

state after checking your emails,

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skipping breakfast, or any sort of high

stress So as a recommendation for Andy,

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maybe 10 minutes of morning sunlight,

a little bit of movement to help work

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with that natural cortisol rhythm.

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Tool number two, the right form of

exercise, and this is where I want

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to proceed with caution because high

intensity interval training, sprint

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interval training have been given a

bad reputation because of cortisol.

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It is great.

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Our bodies as women need those forms

of exercise, but if your body is in

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this chronically stressed chronic

cortisol elevation state, we might

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need to adjust that a little bit to

allow our bodies to reset and not

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be in this like higher threshold of

cortisol state, and then performing

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high intensity interval training and

sprint interval training on top of that.

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So.

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If you're working out in the morning,

high intensity interval training,

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sprint interval training, great.

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If you're working out close to

bedtime, A, don't recommend.

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But B, if you have to, you feel like

you need movement, maybe choose a

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slower, more breath, work based form

of movement, whether that's a walk,

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whether that is yoga, something where

you're able to pair your breath work,

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tapping into that parasympathetic

nervous system with an easier.

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Lower intensity form of movement.

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And if you're stuck in this chronically

elevated state and you're doing high

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intensity interval training, workouts and

sprint interval training workouts, and not

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seeing any progress, try maybe more low

intensity exercises for a period of time.

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This is not forever and

it's not for everyone.

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Sometimes people might still benefit from

those high intensity interval training

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and sprint training when they are in this

chronic cortisol elevation state, but.

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Worth it to experiment, especially

knowing that when our cortisol is

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chronically elevated, that sympathetic

nervous system is kicked into overdrive.

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So if we can use exercise as a way to

tap into that parasympathetic nervous

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system, it might help out with some of

our symptoms and some of those feedback

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loops that are sent to our brains.

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Tool number three, sleep first.

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Everything else Secondary sleep is

so important for everything, but

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especially if you are experiencing a

high alert, high stress environment

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and feel like your body hasn't fully

been able to reset After a super hard

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workday or super big push in your life,

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try resetting with consistent

sleep and wake times

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a genuine wind down period,

60 to 90 minutes before bed.

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Avoiding high stimulation before

bed, especially screens, which I know

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is so easy to revert to before bed,

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sleeping in a cool dark room, and

then avoiding things that affect your

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sleep, like sleeping aids or alcohol.

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Tool number four, mindfulness.

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Again, any sort of breath work meditation

that taps into that parasympathetic

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nervous system is going to help

when we're in a high stress state.

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There was a peer reviewed

research study that found that

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mindfulness based interventions

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produced a statistically

significant improvement.

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In cortisol secretion in healthy adults,

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and what it really came

down to was consistency.

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It wasn't the intensity of a single

session, but it was the consistency

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throughout the research study

that yielded the best results when

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it came to improving cortisol.

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So what did this look like?

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Practically 10 to 15 minutes

of intentional breath

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work or meditation daily.

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which included slow controlled breathing

that directly helps to activate

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that parasympathetic nervous system.

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And they found that consistent small

doses always outperform long, intense

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ones that happen very few times.

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And lastly, tool number five, which

is way easier said than done, but to

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reduce the overall load on the system.

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All the cortisol tools in the

world can't move the needle if

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the load is not properly managed.

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If you're still running high alert,

high stress 24 hours a day, but you're

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trying to get your sleep, your morning

sunlight, your movement, your yoga, your

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mindfulness, but you're still running on

high alert the rest of the time, nothing

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is going to move the needle as much

as just helping to reduce that load or

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working to reduce that load in some way.

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It might be worth it to try and identify

what is the thing that is causing me

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the most sustained cortisol activation.

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Not necessarily the acute stressors,

but the always on background ones.

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The ones that say, you always have

to be on that you're never enough.

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The ones that have you on always

on availability or trying to

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reach this never enough standard.

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Try and create boundaries surrounding

those activities or mindsets that

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create this high stress environment

for you in this overall chronic load.

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The other way to combat this

chronic load is social connection.

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Friendship heals, right?

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So bringing other people in to

help be that support system for

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you is huge when it comes to

this chronic cortisol elevation.

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Andy's problem wasn't that

she couldn't handle stress.

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Her problem was that she

was living inside a system

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specifically designed

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to generate continuous cortisol activation

with zero recovery time built in.

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The solution wasn't become tougher.

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It was to recognize what the

system was doing to her body

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and choosing differently.

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And it's not weakness, It's

just biology, meeting wisdom.

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The Devil Wears Prada gave

us a lot, a lot of Saru,

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a fear of Miranda and honestly the perfect

picture of what happens when a human body

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runs on chronic stress with no recovery.

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Don't be Andy, or at least if you are

Andy right now, give yourself what.

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She never got

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The information to understand

what's actually happening within

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your body And the tools to

actually do something about it.

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I hope you guys enjoyed this episode.

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A little Devil Wears Prada

mixed with cortisol education.

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I love talking about cortisol.

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I think it's so important, especially

with all of the misinformation

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out there about cortisol.

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So I hope you guys understand

that system a little bit better.

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I hope you enjoyed this deep dive into

Devil Wars Prada, cortisol, the human

531

body, and I will see you guys again on the

next episode of Wellness Exists, the pod.