It’s no secret that chronic stress takes a toll on our bodies, affecting our health, energy levels, sleep, mood, and even our longevity. And sometimes it seems like, despite our best efforts to move, meditate, manage stress, and do all the self-care “things,” we can’t seem to fully relax. We’re simultaneously “itchy” and exhausted — and we don’t know why.
So what gives?
According to Tristan Gatto, an age-reversal coach and DailyOM course creator, this phenomenon can be summed up in two words: cortisol addiction.
“Most of us don’t realize that we’re addicted to cortisol because we’re so used to that hit of, like, action, action, action,” Gatto explains. “And so we’ll unconsciously recreate situations and stress to get that temporary boost that cortisol provides, where we feel more alert, focused, and ready to take on challenges.”
The problem is that this constant state of heightened alertness can lead to an unhealthy dependency on stress to feel “normal,” Gatto tells us. And over time, running on cortisol can lead to a host of unwanted health challenges, threatening your physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
Interested in learning more? Check out Cortisol Detox to Reduce Your Biological Age.
Meet Your Teacher: Tristan Gatto
When we asked Tristan Gatto about his favorite part of being a physical therapist assistant, certified yoga teacher, and creator of Yoga Prehab, he didn’t hesitate: “I love seeing people transform and regain hope that they can have a different reality.”
With more than a decade of experience in the physical and emotional healing space, and a personal background as a trauma survivor, Gatto has empowered thousands of people worldwide to overcome pain, build strength and mobility, and reclaim their power through his work.
“When you feel trapped or stuck, when you’re having pain, or when you’ve got an environment that isn’t supportive of your growth, it can feel like things are never going to change,” Gatto says. “If I can help just one person not give up on themselves, then I’ve done my job. As people change their reality, and change their attitude and thoughts, they start changing the world around them — and that’s how we collectively make an impact.”
What Is Cortisol Addiction?
A hormone produced by your adrenal glands, cortisol is released in response to stress, Gatto explains. But although it’s often labeled the “stress hormone,” it’s not all negative.
“Cortisol gets a bad rap, because we often link it with stress, skin issues, hormone issues, and extra weight around the middle, but it’s there for a reason: to help us survive,” Gatto says. “It’s there when you need it to make a quick reaction, like if a car is going to swerve and hit you. Before you even have time to process it, your body’s in action, and cortisol is what is helping you in the world around you.” It also helps regulate your blood sugar levels, reduces inflammation, and controls your sleep-wake cycle.
The complication occurs when we become addicted to cortisol, Gatto adds. When you have too much, you’re essentially experiencing the “fight-or-flight” nervous system response on overdrive.
“Cortisol is meant to be released in short bursts, for those moments when you really need it, not for day-to-day living,” he says. “When your body is constantly under stress from work, relationships, financial worries, or even your own thoughts, that’s when the trouble begins.”
(The flip side of that, notes Gatto, is having too little cortisol, which can make you feel sluggish or low energy.)
The end goal for optimal health and well-being is to learn how to take cortisol — this naturally created hormone in your body — and really leverage it to your advantage, Gatto says.
Key Things to Know About Cortisol
- Cortisol can provide short-term benefits. Cortisol can make you feel recharged and raring to go, helping you meet a deadline or power through a grueling workout, Gatto shares. “In small doses, this can be invigorating, even exhilarating,” he says.
- Over time, it can be damaging to the body. Having cortisol in our system on the regular can lead to accelerated aging, impaired immune function, and mental health challenges, per Gatto. “It’s like revving a system at fifth gear all the time,” he notes. For example, one study linked high cortisol levels with long-term psychological consequences, such as anxiety, depression, and cognitive impairment.
- Recognize signs that you might have a cortisol addiction. These include feeling the need to be constantly busy, struggling to unwind at the end of the day, persistent anxiety, and feeling exhausted despite getting enough sleep.
- You can take control over your cortisol levels. Balancing them through a “cortisol detox” — which includes nutrition, lifestyle changes, and mindset shifts — is essential for maintaining overall health and slowing biological aging, Gatto says. In fact, one randomized controlled trial found that mindfulness practices helped to lower resting cortisol levels.
Why Is a Cortisol Detox So Game-Changing for Well-Being?
According to Gatto, a cortisol detox is about rebalancing your fight-or-flight response and the automatic release of cortisol in your system through diet, exercise, sleep, and mindset shifts.
Although there is no scientific research supporting that a short-term cortisol detox improves overall wellness in the long term, it can help you reset your relationship with stress and put an end to self-sabotaging lifestyle habits.
In order to break the cycle of cortisol addiction, Gatto says the first step is to identify how cortisol might be running your life.
“We all want a vibrant, healthy, fun, enjoyable life, end of story,” he says. “If you’re somebody in a high-stress, high-intensity life, it’s important to recognize the problem, and then ask yourself, ‘How can I build more resilience?’ Because you’re going to be in a cycle of ‘fight-or-flight’ all the time if you don’t have the tools to build resilience toward stress.”
In addition to helping your body clear excess cortisol, a cortisol detox is also about creating active change and new neuroplasticity in your brain for better well-being overall, Gatto says.
8 Benefits of Doing a Cortisol Detox
Taking steps to balance your cortisol levels — both by clearing excess cortisol and by breaking the cycle of cortisol addiction — can help you establish sustainable lifestyle and health shifts that positively impact your overall wellness and vitality for the long term.
Here, Gatto shares some life-altering, holistic benefits of undergoing a cortisol detox as a 360-degree shift in your relationship to stress.
1. It can reverse the effects of aging and contribute to longevity
“It is really important to start prioritizing balancing cortisol levels in your 40s and 50s, as the body starts changing,” Gatto tells us. “This is the time when our hormone levels start dropping, enzymes start decreasing in our system, and we’re more likely to end up with unwanted belly fat, skin changes, and increased signs of aging overall. This is because our cells don’t bounce back as quickly as they used to.”
And when we add elevated cortisol levels to the mix, this supercharges the aging process, leading to muscle weakness and a decrease in muscle mass, not to mention bone loss and an increased risk of osteoporosis.
By regulating our stress responses — and, in turn, our body’s cortisol levels — we turn all of that on its head. “Managing cortisol allows you to regain control over your stress response, giving your body a chance to restore itself and reduce your biological age,” Gatto says.
2. It helps you build resilience to stress and infuses meaning into your life
A cortisol detox — in which you learn to identify your stress triggers, build small daily habits that regulate cortisol, and create a sustainable routine that protects your body — is like an adaptability program, Gatto says.
“If we know that we have a stress response and a built-in alarm system, why don’t we make the alarm system work for us, just like we can exercise our bodies to be fit or armor ourselves with knowledge to be scholars and doctors?” Gatto says. “We can do that for our emotional and stress resilience, too.”
And by changing your relationship with stress, you change your relationship with the world, adds Gatto. “You’re no longer running around creating more stress and more trauma for others.” Instead, you’re more at peace and able to share that sense of peace with others around you.
3. It can help you lose stubborn belly fat
“High cortisol levels are strongly linked to weight gain, particularly around the middle,” Gatto says. This not only affects our self-esteem, but it can affect our long-term health, too, as abdominal fat is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic conditions.
“By regulating cortisol, we can balance adipose tissue (fat tissue), redistributing fat in a healthy way or losing unwanted weight,” Gatto explains.
4. It can support the reduction of systemic inflammation and boost immunity
According to Gatto, when cortisol is coursing through your system for extended periods of time, it can suppress the immune system, stall the body’s natural healing process, and lead to chronic inflammation, which is linked to arthritis, heart disease, and even cancer.
Conversely, when cortisol finally comes into balance in the body, it can help regulate inflammation and support the immune response.
5. It can promote gut health and hormonal balance
When cortisol is working for you, you can expect to experience enhanced gut health overall — which includes better digestion, nutrient absorption, and hormonal balance.
“When your gut is inflamed, you don’t produce testosterone, estrogen, and other hormones and enzymes that are important for nutrient distribution in the body and also for mood,” Gatto says. “If you don’t have a healthy balance of hormones in your body, you’re going to feel low, depressed, sluggish, and things like that.”
6. It can alleviate anxiety and depression
Cortisol also plays a role in regulating mood, according to Gatto, as chronic stress can disrupt the balance of neurotransmitters like serotonin, contributing to depression and anxiety.
One study found a direct link between high cortisol levels and anxiety, and by targeting cortisol levels, anxiety may be prevented.
7. It boosts mental clarity and concentration
While cortisol can sharpen your mind in the moment, prolonged exposure to elevated cortisol can shrink the hippocampus, the region of your brain responsible for memory and learning.
“Think about when you’re really stressed about a toxic situation,” Gatto says. “You start ruminating, and it removes you from being present; it can color your entire day, preventing you from focusing on the task at hand or your work. And then once you finally get out of that loop, there’s almost like a stress hangover, which has you perpetuating the cycle of looking for more cortisol.”
Regulating your stress response and cortisol production can help you find true peace of mind, presence, clarity, and focus.
8. It enhances your sleep quality
“One of the first things people usually notice after a cortisol detox is an improvement in their sleep quality,” Gatto says. “When cortisol levels drop, it’s much easier to fall asleep and stay asleep, and you wake up feeling more refreshed.”
The Bottom Line
Cortisol addiction can be sneaky — and it’s more common than you might think. The good news is that you have the power to regulate your stress response and cortisol levels. By committing to a simple cortisol detox, you can reset your entire relationship with stress to cultivate lasting changes that improve your overall vitality and experience of life.
“Once your body isn’t in constant ‘fight-or-flight’ mode, it can focus on healing and repair, which gives you a lot more energy to get through the day,” Gatto adds. “It’s all about creating balance, and when your cortisol levels start to normalize, your body responds in kind.”
Healing and balance? Now those are two themes we love.
