I’m challenging you to use your brain. Ready? Don’t worry, it’s nothing crazy. Think back to growing up. Who was the one person who would get blamed for everything, even if they didn’t do it?

That person for me was a classmate, Tony. Tony was a good kid. There was one time where I needed a No. 2 pencil for a test and didn’t have one so Tony gave me the extra he had. But he was also a trouble maker and got blamed for everything. 

This person you thought of…Tony for me…is the equivalent to cortisol in your body. 

A video popped up on Facebook of an “expert” blaming cortisol for everything. Not being hungry in morning, waking up at 3am to pee, thinning hair, weight gain around your stomach, inflammation and joint pain. All were because of high cortisol. Or so he said…

Guess what he did after listing these? He pitched his supplement that allegedly lowers cortisol and makes all these frustrations go away. I called BS. And you should too. 

Cortisol isn’t a disease, ailment, or alien thing you shouldn’t have in your body. It’s a hormone just like estrogen. And its job is like an internal shot of coffee. 

When you wake up in the morning and have the energy to get out of bed, that’s cortisol. You’ve heard of melatonin before, right? Most people know of it as a supplement but it’s a hormone, too.

Cortisol and melatonin play on a seesaw in your body. Ideally, when cortisol is high in the morning, melatonin is low and you feel alert and energized. At night, cortisol is low and melatonin is high, helping you feel tired and drift off to sleep. 

Notice two lines back where I said “ideally”? That’s because our modern environment makes it hard for that ideal to actually happen. 

Instead, we often feel exhausted in the morning and awake at night, struggling to fall asleep. This happens when our body’s out of whack with cortisol being low in the morning and high at night. The opposite of what you want. 

But the experts who blame everything on cortisol don’t often understand this. They think cortisol’s a Tony. A problem child. But having high cortisol’s the canary in the coal mine. It’s not the root problem. It’s a messenger telling you that something deeper is going here. 

High cortisol doesn’t just happen. There’s a reason for it. Could you have high cortisol and experience the frustrations the “expert” shared? Of course. But that doesn’t mean it’s the cause. 

Inflammation and joint pain could be from an injury. 

Weight gain could be from a slower metabolism due to having less muscle after going through menopause. 

Thinning hair is often caused from a nutrient deficiency.

Could you have these things and have high cortisol? Of course. But does the cortisol cause these? No…

Instead of focusing on solving this through cortisol, here’s how to get to bottom of it.

If you’ve seen one of these videos, thought you have high cortisol,  and feel duped, that’s not on you. It’s on them. For not knowing enough to give you the right information. 

The good news? You’re here and we’re going to set the record straight. So you never have to worry about having high cortisol or any of the other frustrations that are said to be caused by it. 

First, you don’t want to get rid of cortisol. You just want it to work the way it’s supposed to. High in the morning. And low at night. 

And getting your cortisol back on schedule comes down to doing the right things at the right time throughout your day. 

Here’s how to setup your ideal day for cortisol:

When your alarm goes off in the morning, don’t hit snooze. Even if you’re tired. Get out of bed and get moving. Once you’re up and moving, eat at least 30 grams of protein. A smoothie or greek yogurt with some fruit is simple and delicious. And after you finish breakfast, head outside for a short 10 minute walk to get some movement and sunshine (without sunglasses - you’ll find out why in a sec).

Midday, make sure to cut off caffeine after 12pm. It stays in your system for a long time so caffeine from your 2pm coffee can keep you up at 11pm. For lunch, more protein! At least 30 grams here, too. And then ideally you get outside again for 10 minutes of movement and sun (don’t worry, we’re almost to why).

In the evening, it’s all about relaxing. Turn off screens around sunset and switch to more physical like stretching, reading, journaling, or playing a game. Ideally getting out of your head and into your body to wind down. You can finish your night by sipping on some chamomile (or other herbal tea) with a pinch of salt, squeeze of lemon, and teaspoon of honey to help you fall asleep. And sleep through the night. 

I know…no screens at night is hard. I struggle with it too. But here’s why it’s so important.

Cortisol is released due to light. It’s important to get outside in the morning with no sunglasses to get sunlight (don’t stare at it lol) in your eyes. This signals to your body to release cortisol and help you feel energized.

The opposite is true at night. If you’re watching TV, using your phone, or working on your laptop…maybe all three at once like I’m guilty of doing…the light from your screens are signaling to your body to release cortisol. And remember what happens when cortisol is high? Melatonin lowers. Making it harder to fall asleep. 

Yes, menopause can make sleep challenging but having cortisol’s schedule out of whack can make it way worse.

Feeling like you’re in control of your body again doesn’t come from taking a supplement. It comes from understanding what’s causing your frustrations. Then knowing what to do next.

And that next thing isn’t always blaming your Tony. 

Your f