8 Signs & Symptoms of High Cortisol & Ways To Naturally Lower Levels
If you’ve been feeling burnt out, inflamed & bloated, constantly tired, craving sugar, or struggling to lose weight—your stress hormone, cortisol, might be playing a bigger role than you think. High cortisol doesn’t always show up as full-blown panic attacks or major life stress. Sometimes, it’s the little things—poor sleep, skipping meals, or pushing through one too many to-do list items—that slowly push your body into survival mode.
In this post, we’ll break down the most common signs of high cortisol, especially in women, and go over exactly how to lower cortisol naturally so you can get back to feeling like yourself again.
What Is Cortisol and Why Does It Matter?
Let’s start with the basics. Cortisol is a hormone produced by your adrenal glands, and it’s often referred to as your “stress hormone.” But in addition to preparing your body for stressful events, it also plays a key role in regulating your metabolism, blood sugar, energy, immune response, inflammation, and your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle. In small, balanced amounts—cortisol is essential. It helps you wake up in the morning, respond to challenges, and keep inflammation in check.
But when your cortisol hormone levels are consistently high due to chronic stress, lack of sleep, under-eating, or over-exercising—it can cause a whole cascade of symptoms that leave you feeling exhausted, inflamed, anxious, and stuck.
And here's the thing: you don’t have to feel wildly stressed out for your cortisol to be high. Sometimes your body is responding to physical stress you may not even notice, like poor sleep, blood sugar swings, or not eating enough throughout the day.
What Causes High Cortisol Levels?
Before we dive into the symptoms, let’s talk about what drives cortisol up in the first place.
Some common causes of high cortisol include:
Chronic psychological stress (work, relationships, finances)
Poor sleep or irregular sleep schedules
Overtraining or intense workouts without proper recovery
Undereating or skipping meals
High caffeine intake, especially on an empty stomach
Inflammation or chronic illness
Blood sugar instability
Lack of rest and downtime
Your body doesn't always know the difference between mental stress and physical stress, so a packed calendar, high-intensity workouts, and forgetting to eat can all trigger your body to pump out more cortisol than it actually needs and keep your body in fight or flight mode.
8 Common Signs and Symptoms of High Cortisol
Here are some of the most common signs of high cortisol, especially in women. If a few of these are hitting home for you, your body might be telling you it’s time to slow down and reset.
1. Constant Fatigue (Even After Sleeping)
Waking up tired, crashing hard in the afternoon, and needing caffeine to survive the day? This is one of the most overlooked signs of high cortisol in women. When your cortisol rhythm is off, your energy never quite feels right, no matter how much you sleep.
2. Trouble Falling or Staying Asleep
Your cortisol should be low at night to help you wind down and high in the morning to wake you up. But when that rhythm gets flipped? You’re wide awake at bedtime, tossing and turning through the night, or waking up around 2–4 a.m. with a racing mind.
3. Weight Gain Around Your Midsection
If your body is holding on to weight—especially around your belly—despite your best efforts with eating healthy and working out, cortisol could be the culprit. Chronically high cortisol increases insulin resistance and fat storage around the abdomen. It also slows down the metabolism, making it harder to burn calories and build muscle.
4. Sugar or Salt Cravings
Your body craves quick fuel when cortisol is high. That’s why you might feel pulled toward sweets, salty snacks, or processed carbs when you’re stressed. It’s not just a “willpower” thing, it’s hormonal and it’s actually your body’s way of telling you it needs fuel.
5. Mood Swings or Feeling Anxious
Feeling easily overwhelmed, irritable, or like you’re always one step from snapping? Cortisol affects neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, which means when it’s off, your mood can take a hit.
6. Irregular or Painful Periods
One of the sneakiest signs of high cortisol in women? Hormonal disruption. High cortisol suppresses reproductive hormone production like progesterone, which can lead to irregular cycles, worsened PMS, or missing periods altogether.
7. Brain Fog and Poor Focus
Can’t concentrate, struggling to get through your to-do list, or forgetting simple things? Cortisol impacts blood flow to the brain and affects memory and cognitive function—especially when it’s elevated for long periods.
8. Digestive Issues
Bloating, constipation, or a super-sensitive gut? High cortisol can pull resources away from digestion, since your body thinks you’re in survival mode and needs to conserve energy, leading to gut imbalances and inflammation.
If several of these symptoms resonate, don’t panic. Your body isn’t broken—it’s just overwhelmed. And there’s a lot you can do to help bring your cortisol hormone back into balance!
How High Cortisol Affects Hormones, Weight, and Mood
The ripple effects of high cortisol go far beyond stress. When cortisol stays elevated, it messes with your:
Thyroid hormones, slowing metabolism and energy
Insulin sensitivity, making blood sugar swings (and cravings) worse
Progesterone and estrogen, leading to cycle irregularities and worsened PMS
Sleep quality, which then increases hunger and decreases motivation to move
This is why addressing cortisol is a foundational piece of hormone balance, sustainable weight loss, and even mental clarity. If you’ve been stuck in a cycle of burnout, mood swings, or stubborn belly fat, cortisol might be a hidden driver.
Natural Ways To Lower Cortisol Levels
So now let’s talk solutions. Here’s how to lower cortisol naturally and start feeling more grounded, calm, and in control again.
1. Prioritize Sleep (Seriously)
Aim for 7–9 hours of high-quality sleep. Keep your room dark, cool, and screen-free, and go to bed and wake up around the same time each day. Good sleep is one of the most powerful ways to lower cortisol levels. Make sure to avoid screens at least 30 minutes before you want to be asleep and 30 minutes after you wake up to reset your circadian rhythm.
2. Eat Balanced Meals and Don’t Skip Breakfast(or any other meal)
Stabilizing your blood sugar is essential. Eat within an hour of waking and include 25-30g of protein, healthy fats, and fiber (fruits & veggies) with every meal to avoid crashes. Skipping meals or going too long without eating can spike cortisol.
3. Move Your Body regularly & Gently
Swap some of your intense workouts for low-impact options like strength training, walking, Pilates, or yoga. Over-exercising without recovery can increase cortisol. The goal is to feel energized after your workouts, not depleted. If you feel like you need a nap 30 minutes after your workout, that’s a sign that you’re doing too much and it’s time to add in some lower intensity, but still effective, workouts.
Cycle syncing your workouts can really help with this as it’s best to prioritize lower impact workouts during your luteal and menstrual phases, and then can ramp things back up in your follicular and ovulation phases.
4. Reduce Caffeine (or Time It Wisely)
Try to avoid caffeine on an empty stomach, and consider cutting back if you’re feeling anxious or wired. Matcha or herbal teas are great alternatives that are gentler on your system.
Having breakfast prepped and ready to go makes this super easy too if you’re used to having coffee first thing in the morning. For recipes on high protein breakfasts, check out my Cycle Syncing Meal Plan!
5. Practice Breathwork or Short Meditation
Even 5 minutes of intentional breathing per day can help reduce cortisol levels. Try box breathing (inhale for 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4) or guided meditations to calm your nervous system.
6. Get Morning Sunlight
Step outside within 30–60 minutes of waking up. Morning light helps regulate your cortisol rhythm, improve sleep quality at night, and boost mood naturally.
7. Try Adaptogens
Adaptogens are herbs that help your body adapt to stress. Ashwagandha, Rhodiola, and Holy Basil are some of the most well-researched for helping lower cortisol naturally. Talk to a practitioner before starting anything new—especially if you’re on medication or pregnant.
Lifestyle Changes That Support Healthy Cortisol Balance
Small habits = big shifts. If you’re wondering how to reduce cortisol long-term, it’s all about consistent, supportive changes that make your body feel safe and nourished.
Some of my favorites:
Say no to things that drain you—set boundaries
Take real breaks during the day (yes, even if you're busy)
Create screen-free time at night by adding in reading, which has been proven to reduce stress within 7 minutes
Journal your thoughts or use a brain dump to clear mental clutter
Eat meals at regular times
Hydrate throughout the day with water and minerals
Your body wants to feel safe. When it knows you’re fueling it, resting and paying attention, it starts to recalibrate on its own.
Healing Your Hormones by Lowering Cortisol
If you’ve been feeling run-down, overwhelmed, inflamed, or like your body just isn’t responding the way it used to—cortisol might be the missing puzzle piece.
The good news? You don’t need a dramatic detox or expensive protocol to feel better. Often, lowering cortisol starts with giving your body more of what it’s been missing: rest, nourishment, calm, and consistency.
Start with one or two small shifts from this list. Pay attention to how you feel over the next few weeks. When your cortisol starts to balance, your energy improves. Your sleep deepens. Your cravings calm down. And your hormones start doing their thing without chaos.
You are not meant to run on stress and survival mode 24/7. Your body is wise, and it wants to come back into balance. Let’s give it the support it needs to do just that.
And if you’re looking for more support, join my community Becoming Balanced Together, where you get weekly meal plans, low impact strength building workouts, weekly mindfulness practices to calm the nervous system and a beautiful community of women on a similar journey as you!