As quoted in the Hindustan Times broadcast on Friday (2/1), anesthesiologist and pain medicine specialist Kunal Sood explained daily habits that can disrupt the balance of cortisol, the so-called stress hormone, and increase the body's stress response.
"Cortisol helps you cope with stress, but daily habits can keep levels high or disrupt their normal rhythm. This can affect sleep, metabolism, mood, and recovery. Elevated cortisol often stems from various daily stressors," he explains.
Here are some daily habits that, according to Dr. Kunal Sood, can disrupt the balance of cortisol in the body.
Lack of sleep
Dr. Sood said that getting enough sleep helps suppress cortisol levels at night and that sleep deprivation causes this stress hormone to increase, magnifying the stress response the next day.
Excessive exercise
Excessive exercise without adequate rest can keep cortisol levels high and disrupt the body's stress balance.
"Exercise increases cortisol briefly, then it should return to normal. When exercise exceeds recovery, the cortisol rhythm becomes abnormal, reflecting HPA axis dysfunction, not a healthy adaptation," said Dr. Sood.
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