Why Managing Cortisol Is So Important for Your Health (and Your Healing)

When it comes to healing your body—especially if you’re working to reverse symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis—there’s one hormone that plays a bigger role than most people realize: cortisol.

Let’s talk about what cortisol is, why it matters, and how keeping it in check can be a game-changer for your inflammation, your energy, and your overall wellbeing.

What Is Cortisol (and What Does It Do)?

Cortisol is often called the “stress hormone” because it’s released into your bloodstream any time your body senses stress. That stress can be physical (like an injury), emotional (like anxiety), or even imagined (like worrying about something that hasn’t happened yet).

The main job of cortisol is to trigger your body’s “fight or flight” response—basically, to help you react quickly to danger.

When cortisol rises, it:✅ Speeds up your heart rate✅ Raises your blood pressure✅ Pumps extra sugar (glucose) into your bloodstream for quick energy

And that’s actually a good thing in moments of real danger—like if you need to jump out of the way of a speeding car. Cortisol is also the hormone that naturally rises in the morning to help you wake up and get moving.

When Cortisol Becomes a Problem

The issue isn’t cortisol itself—it’s too much cortisol for too long.

Many of us live in a state of chronic stress: nonstop work demands, financial pressures, poor sleep, unhealthy diets, too much caffeine, and constant mental overload. All of these can keep cortisol levels stuck on high—and that’s when it turns harmful.

Here’s what too much cortisol can do to your body:

❗ Chronic Inflammation:Elevated cortisol keeps your body in a pro-inflammatory state. If you’re battling rheumatoid arthritis, this is the opposite of what you need—it can trigger joint pain, stiffness, and immune dysfunction.

❗ Increased Sensitivity to Pain:High cortisol can actually make your body feel more pain. So aches, flare-ups, and stiffness may feel worse than they should.

❗ Weight Gain (Especially Belly Fat):Cortisol encourages your body to store fat around the midsection. This belly fat isn’t just cosmetic—it contributes to more inflammation and raises your risk of other chronic diseases.

❗ Blood Sugar Imbalance and Sugar Cravings:Cortisol raises blood sugar levels, which can leave you on an energy rollercoaster, battling sugar cravings, crashes, and more inflammation.

Why Cortisol Matters for Rheumatoid Arthritis Recovery

If you’re working to reverse rheumatoid arthritis naturally, your biggest goal is to lower inflammation.

Since high cortisol feeds inflammation, learning how to manage and lower cortisol becomes one of the most powerful things you can do for your healing.

That’s why many of the strategies I teach are designed to help your body bring cortisol back into balance. These include:

🌿 Cutting back on caffeine, especially in the morning🌿 Improving sleep habits🌿 Practicing daily stress-reduction techniques like gratitude or mindfulness🌿 Moving your body regularly with gentle exercise

The Bottom Line: Balance Cortisol, Reduce Inflammation

Every small lifestyle choice you make—whether it’s going to bed earlier, pausing for deep breaths, or choosing nourishing foods—plays a role in calming your nervous system and balancing cortisol.

👉 When cortisol is in balance:• Inflammation goes down• Pain decreases• Energy rises• Healing speeds up

So don’t underestimate the power of these simple shifts. They aren’t just “nice extras”—they are essential steps in breaking the cycle of inflammation that drives rheumatoid arthritis.

Take it one day at a time. Every choice matters.