It’s often used as asynonym for bad bodily news. But the so-called stress hormone isn’t designed to work against you.
It’s often used as asynonym for bad bodily news. But the so-called stress hormone isn’t designed to work against you. ‘The purpose of cortisol is to maintain an equilibrium in your body,’ says Adrian Sandra Dobs, professor of medicine and oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Secreted into your bloodstream when you face athreat –whether that’s abus heading towards you at speed or adeadline –it’s not exactly to your detriment; an increase in cortisol triggers the liver to release glucose into your blood so you can summon the energy to confront or avoid danger.Cortisolalsomaintains metabolism, regulates blood pressure, fights inflammation (more on which, over the page) and is essential to your circadian rhythm. As for having cortisol levels that are too high, you can’t feel cortisol; nor is there away to test your levels, given that they’re influenced by everything from the time of day to medications you’re taking. But while high levels may not equate to amedical issue, if you’re enduring cortisol elevators (chronic stress, poor sleep) then it’s worth seeking advice.
Q Can napping make up for lost sleep?
Dedicated disciples of the disco nap, look away now. While a daytime snooze can feel reviving, it can’t compensate for the recommended seven to nine hours. For starters, you lose out on the perks of a complete four-stage sleep cycle, especially deep sleep, which is responsible for helping your body heal injuries and supporting your immune system. If you suffer from insomnia or sleep apnoea (characterised by the stopping and starting of breathing during sleep), napping could work against you, says Rashad Ramkissoon, a doctor at Houston Methodist Primary Care Group. That’s because you could take longer to fall asleep at night, thus disrupting your circadian rhythm. That said, napping does seem to be better than not sleeping at all. Astudy conducted at Universidad de la República, Uruguay, found that short daytime naps were linked to larger total brain volume, which – according to DNA from 379,000 participants – equated to a difference of nearly four years of ageing between habitual nappers and non-dozers. The dream daytime snooze? Asub 30-minute nap, taken before 3pm.
Q How do I forgive someone?
You’re right to consider forgiveness a health habit. ‘When we feel we’ve been wronged, it can cause emotional dysregulation,’ says psychologist Simira Freeman. ‘Making a conscious decision to forgive a transgression is a chance to release negative feelings.’ But how do you actually do it? Forgiveness begins, says Robyn Martin, a senior clinician at Menning Clinic
