The Cumulative Nature of Stress and the Cortisol Connection (Video)

Stress is Cumulative

Stress in cumulative throughout the day. If we do not keep our intra-personal and inter-personal engagement in check, the resulting sense of ‘dis-ease’ leaves us feeling overwhelmed. The negative thoughts, unproductive conversations, and situations we find ourselves in where we have no actual contribution, increases cortisol, and thus anxiety.

The Cortisol Cycle

Cortisol has a natural cycle throughout the day connected to our circadian rhythm. From the time we wake up, to the time we go to bed, cortisol decreases throughout the day. While we sleep, cortisol increases evenly to the point where we start the next day. This natural cycle helps our body regulate several functions during our sleep-wake cycle.

Each stressful experience we encounter spikes cortisol relative to the perceived stressor. If we do not manage daily stressors, the resulting anxiety over time effects our health (i.e., increased blood pressure, stroke, and depression). The biggest short term impact is observed in our ability to sleep.

What We Do Matters

How we engage with the world effects cortisol. If we get control of the distorted thoughts that cause anxiety, disengage from unproductive conversations, and back out of situations where we are not needed, we will find that we have significant influence over the level of stress we experience, the resulting evening of cortisol levels, and thus anxiety.

Video Outline

The Cumulative Nature of Stress and Cortisol

1. Realization:
   • I track anxiety throughout the day using my Garmin Epix.
     • Stress Score is calculated using Firstbeat Analytics  engine, primarily using a combination of HR and HRV data.
     • Body Battery score is directly impacted by your Stress Score and daily activity (e.g., running).
   • My stress score is always high.
     • I have a stressful job.
     • Historically I drank alcohol most weekends.
   • I have always believed that with some relaxation I could “end” my stress at any given time.
     • This never worked (PMR, circular breathing, etc.)
   • Started to ask myself, “If I monitor my stress throughout the day, can I decrease the overall score, rather than not caring and attempting to ‘end’ later in the day?
     • Check-in with how my body is feeling (butterflies).
     • Determine what thoughts, conversations, and situations were causing me the most anxiety and look to fix those along the way.
   • Confounding Variable – Stopped drinking for 90 days, could this be affecting my anxiety as well?
2. What I found:
   • There are many thoughts, conversations and situations that cause stress throughout my day. By the end of the day I am a buzzing mess of anxiety.
   • I discovered that in most situations I had influence on the thoughts, conversations, and level of engagement in difficult situations where I did not need to be there.
   • Eliminating alcohol decreased the “backdrop of anxiety” I have been experiencing.
3. The Cortisol Connection:
   • Cortisol impacts anxiety.
     • Increases in high stress, and decreases in low stress. Directly impacts HRV.
     • Cortisol puts your health at risk (high blood pressure, stroke, depression, etc.)
   • Circadian Rhythm and Anxiety – Cortisol Connection
     • Controlled by hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis.
     • 24 hr cycle
     • Normally, lower levels of cortisol are seen at the beginning of sleep, with a rise towards the end of sleep – The highest level reached when we wake up.
     • Normally, Cortisol levels then decrease throughout the day up to when we go to bed.
     • If we experience high stress throughout the day, with an inability to manage it, the cumulative effect is having high cortisol/anxiety at the end of the day, thus difficulty getting to sleep.
4. What this all means for you?
   • Determine what thoughts, conversations, and situations cause you stress.
     • What catastrophic thoughts are you having (Burns Triple Column Technique)
     • What conversations do you engage in that disrupt your sense of calm.
       • Do you need to be there? Much of the time we do not.
     • What situations are you engaging in where you are also not needed – Your input is only peripheral at best.