Cortisol – what is it, anyway?
Cortisol is a hormone that the body releases among others. in response to stress. In the short term it helps mobilize energy: it increases glucose availability, affects blood pressure, and prepares the body for action. Under normal conditions its level varies throughout the day – higher in the morning and lower in the evening.
The problem arises when stressors are present for a long time without sufficient space for regeneration. Then the hormonal system may function in a "ready to respond" mode for a large part of the day. For entrepreneurs this is often related to the rhythm of work, financial responsibility and constant thinking about the company.
Why does an entrepreneur so easily "jump" into a cortisol mode?
Running a business involves frequent contact with situations that the body interprets as potentially critical – financial decisions, negotiations, market risk, responsibility for a team. For the nervous system it does not matter whether the threat concerns physical safety or the company’s liquidity – stress mechanisms are activated in a similar way.
If such situations are everyday occurrences and there is limited time for real "coming down from tension", the body may remain in a state of elevated arousal for longer. This is what is colloquially called "operating on cortisol" – when mobilization ceases to be an exception and becomes the norm.
Adrenaline and cortisol in a life of constant tension
In sudden stress situations, adrenaline and noradrenaline are released first – hormones that rapidly raise heart rate and prepare the body for action. Cortisol works more slowly, but its effects last longer, modifying among others. metabolism, immunity and blood pressure.
Living to the rhythm: "another meeting, another decision, another deadline" can mean that the entrepreneur’s nervous system is repeatedly stimulated to a stress response many times during the day. If periods of calming are lacking, cortisol levels may remain elevated for a long time compared with what is considered a typical daily pattern.
How does chronic business stress affect the body and mind?
Chronic business stress, combined with frequent hormonal mobilization, can be associated with many symptoms in the body and mind. Described among others. are:
sleep disturbances (difficulty winding down in the evening, waking early with thoughts about work),
chronic muscle tension, headaches, pain in the neck and spine area,
gastrointestinal complaints, appetite fluctuations, changes in body weight,
increased susceptibility to infections, a sense of "weakened immunity",
irritability, difficulty concentrating, sense of overload, decreased motivation.
Over time, chronic activation of stress mechanisms may influence the risk of developing various mental disorders (e.g. depressive, anxiety disorders) and the course of somatic diseases. A precise assessment always requires an individual medical consultation.
What is usually assessed in entrepreneurs in the context of "living on cortisol"?
In descriptions of the health of people operating in high professional stress environments (including company owners), several areas are emphasized:
daily rhythm and sleep – working hours, time of falling asleep and waking, sleep quality,
intensity of stimuli – number of meetings, decisions, being "online" outside working hours,
presence of physical and psychological symptoms related to stress,
coping strategies – from exercise and rest to less healthy ways of easing tension,
social support and the ability to share responsibility.
These elements can be discussed with a psychiatrist, psychotherapist or another specialist if the person decides to seek consultation.
How does this look from the perspective of holistic psychiatry?
Holistic psychiatry draws attention to the fact that "operating on cortisol" does not concern only psychological symptoms but the whole organism. In analyzing an entrepreneur’s situation, both the role of chronic stress and lifestyle, habits, ways of working and resting are taken into account.
Descriptively, it can be indicated that during a psychiatric consultation – whether in person or in the form of an online psychiatric consultation, psychiatric teleconsultation or e-visit with a psychiatrist – topics such as long-term tension, sleep disorders or mood changes are often an important part of the conversation.
Selected sources
McEwen B.S., Protective and damaging effects of stress mediators, The New England Journal of Medicine.
Juster R.P., McEwen B.S., Lupien S.J., Allostatic load biomarkers of chronic stress and impact on health and cognition, Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews.
Kudielka B.M., Wüst S., Human models in acute and chronic stress: Assessing determinants of individual hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis activity, Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior.
Chida Y., Steptoe A., Cortisol awakening response and psychosocial factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis, Biological Psychology.
Salvagioni D.A.J. et al., Physical, psychological and occupational consequences of job burnout: a systematic review of prospective studies, PLOS ONE.
The information in this article is general and educational in nature.
It does not constitute medical advice or individual diagnostic or therapeutic recommendations.
Decisions about starting, continuing or changing treatment, including modifying doses of antidepressant medications, should be made only after consultation with a physician, taking into account the patient’s full clinical picture.
