Cortisol: the hormone of rhythms & resilience

This is the final deep-dive in the series, woohoo! Time flies when you’re nerding out on neurochemistry (just me?)

As I’ve been writing these, I’ve noticed how many of the tools overlap. End of the day, we don’t need 37 techniques. We need a few powerful ones done consistently, at the right time.

So I’m creating a follow-up resource that pulls everything together into something super practical. Think:

• A daily rhythm map (when each naturally neurochemical peaks + what to do)

• Or a choose-your-own-tool table (like a Notion table with tags and filters)

• Or a 4-week experiment sprint (an email sequence to experiment with a series of tools)

Which one would be most helpful for you? Or if you have any other ideas, just reply to this email.

Okay, let’s get to it.

Out of all the chemicals and hormones, learning about cortisol has probably changed me the most.

It helped me realize something I have never been taught:

I’m made of rhythms. And so are you.

We cycle through energy highs and lows roughly every 90 minutes. Our breath moves in waves. Body temperature rises and falls. Even immune and repair functions follow daily patterns, peaking while we sleep.

Cortisol plays a central role in all of this.

It shapes your sleep-wake cycle, your focus, your motivation, your recovery. It helps you rise to meet challenges, and rest when the challenge is over.

What’s made the biggest difference for me is learning to work with those rhythms instead of trying to override them.

When I feel a dip in energy, I don’t force or push anymore.

I run. I nap. I breathe. Then I return clearer, sharper, and more motivated.

I now finally understand and appreciate that this isn’t indulgent, selfish or weak. It’s not about “self-care.”

It’s about working with your body.

And the irony is: you end up getting much more done, and you have more fun doing it 🙂 

Cortisol: the stress rhythm & resilience hormone

Here's something I really dislike about social media: oversimplification.

Labeling cortisol as purely a "stress hormone" and implying it's universally bad is one of those oversimplifications.

In reality, cortisol is one of your body's most important allies.

You absolutely need cortisol in your system.

You just need it at the right times and in the right amounts.

Think of cortisol like your body's internal messenger:

When your brain detects a challenge—whether that’s waking up in the morning, an important presentation, an intense workout, or even an emotional conversation—it signals your adrenal glands to release cortisol.

This hormone then travels through your bloodstream, carrying instructions from one area to another, telling your cells how to respond to what's happening around you:

• It mobilizes energy by releasing glucose into your bloodstream

• It sharpens attention so you can focus and respond quickly

• It manages inflammation, keeping your immune response in check

• It maintains stable circulation and blood pressure during periods of stress or high demand

But here’s where it gets tricky.

Cortisol stays chronically elevated when your brain perceives ongoing challenges, like relentless deadlines, poor sleep, or constant rumination.

In that case, your cortisol is constantly shouting, "We're still in danger!" And your body responds accordingly:

• Disrupted sleep

• Anxiety or mood issues

• Weakened immune response

• High blood pressure

Cortisol isn't causing these problems directly. It's just stuck in the messenger role, continually signaling "alert mode."

So bottom line:

Our goal isn’t to eliminate cortisol.

It’s about helping cortisol rise when needed, then naturally subside once we’re safe and calm again.

How to ride the cortisol wave

Dopamine, epinephrine, acetylcholine, and serotonin are mostly neurotransmitters — fast, moment-to-moment messengers in the brain. You can intentionally influence them to shift how you feel, think, and focus.

Cortisol, on the other hand, is primarily a hormone.

It moves through the bloodstream, works more slowly, and follows a daily rhythm that’s already built into your biology.

So for this deep-dive, we don’t have our usual baseline tools > directed tools > task-oriented tools breakdown. Instead, this deep-dive is about how to sync with your natural cortisol rhythm, as in, how to “ride the wave.”

Because here’s what’s so cool:

Cortisol already has a rhythm—one that plays out every single day, whether you're paying attention to it or not.

It follows what's called an ultradian rhythm—pulses that occur every 90-120 minutes:

• Morning: You get a big pulse to wake you up.

• Throughout the day: Smaller waves help you cycle between high-focus and recovery.

• Evening: Cortisol naturally tapers, helping you wind down and prepare for sleep.

So whether you're aware of it or not, your brain and body are shifting between peak energy and natural dips every 1.5 to 2 hours.

I used to fight these natural dips, thinking they were a sign of laziness or procrastination. I'd push myself to stay “on,” even when my brain desperately needed recovery.

I now know that this state—physiologically low but mentally pushing high—isn't efficient, effective, nor enjoyable. Plus, it teaches your body that recovery and rest aren’t safe.

Instead, here’s how you can align with your cortisol rhythm:

• Morning sunlight: Go outside within 30–60 mins of waking. Even just 2–10 mins of natural light (cloudy or sunny) reinforces your cortisol rhythm, boosting daytime alertness and nighttime melatonin production.

• Work in 90-minute cycles: Do deep, focused work in blocks of around 90 minutes, followed by intentional 10–15 minute recovery breaks.

• Respect the highs: Don't waste your peak cortisol-driven focus scrolling or doing low-value tasks. Get clear on what you're working on, how long you’ll focus, and what “done” looks like. Write it down, and then practice radical single-tasking. After 90 minutes of focused work, don’t push through. Your biology is shifting.

• Embrace the lows: Use natural dips for real rest. Step away from screens, books, or podcasts—no new input. Move your body: go for a walk, fold laundry, stretch. Let your mind wander. Or fully disengage: lie down for a nap or listen to a guided NSDR session. After 15–30 minutes of rest, you’ll naturally find yourself ready to re-engage.

• 7-8 hours of quality sleep: disrupted sleep dampens cortisol’s natural pulsatility, leading to fatigue, brain fog and poor recovery. Make sleep a #1 priority.

When it’s time to recover: use your breath to lower cortisol

Your breath is one of the fastest levers you have.

When cortisol rises during stress, pressure, or performance, your breathing shifts:

It becomes faster, shallower, and often through the mouth.

That makes sense in moments of real demand. But if that pattern sticks, your body stays in alert mode long after the challenge is over.

To bring cortisol back down, you need to send the opposite signal.

Slow, gentle, rhythmic breathing through the nose tells your brain: “We’re safe now. You can shift gears.”

Here’s a simple practice that helps:

• Sit or lie comfortably

• Breathe gently in and out through your nose

• Inhale for 5 seconds, exhale for 5 seconds

• Do this for 10 minutes daily

This slows your breath to around 6 breaths per minute, lowering cortisol, improving HRV (heart-rate variability), and making your nervous system more resilient.

Use a simple app Breathe or Breah. You can adjust the durations of the inhales and exhales in order to customize the exercise to your unique nervous system.

Overriding your natural cortisol wave isn't discipline—it's misunderstanding your body.

So there you have it:

Cortisol isn't out to get you, it's there to help. It's your body's way of saying:

"Hey—something's happening. Let's rise to meet it."

Your job isn't to shut this down but to help cortisol complete its natural cycle.

So:

• Go outside in the morning

• Move your body regularly

• Ride your energy waves (highs and lows!)

• Breathe like someone who's safe

As always, thanks for reading! Any questions, thoughts, feedback,… lemme know 🙂 

And if you’re interested in taking this work one step further for yourself…