Table of Contents
- Why Is Everyone Talking About Cortisol?
- What Is Cortisol and What Does it Do?
- Why Is the Cortisol Craze Growing Right Now?
- Why Do We Want a Physical Explanation for Stress?
- Why Do Social Media Wellness Promises Feel So Powerful?
- What Does the Bible Say About Peace and Stress?
- How Can Christians Respond to Stress Wisely?
- Frequently Asked Questions About Cortisol
- For Further Reading
In 2016, searches for “cortisol” surged, nearly doubling and remaining at record-high levels. Our culture is obsessed with stress. Social media is filled with reels and posts featuring “cortisol face,” “adrenal fatigue,” and “hormone balancing.” While cortisol does matter and definitely impacts our health and well-being, it is often misunderstood. Severe cortisol disorders such as Cushing’s syndrome are pretty rare. Many experts believe that cortisol is being used to generalize our culture's struggle with stress, fatigue, weight struggles, and more. Attributing all our health issues to cortisol does not provide a precise diagnosis. Often, we have to investigate a bit further to unpack what is going on in our bodies. What we do see is that the cortisol craze reveals that our culture is longing for peace, control, and relief from inner unrest.
The cortisol craze is about more than hormones. It reveals how deeply our culture longs for peace, control, and relief from chronic stress. This article explores what cortisol actually is, why so many people are talking about it now, and why the deepest answer to unrest must go beyond biology into the peace of God.
Why Is Everyone Talking About Cortisol?
People are talking about cortisol because many are looking for a concrete explanation for exhaustion, anxiety, burnout, and the feeling that life never slows down. Cortisol gives stress a measurable name, which can feel reassuring in a culture desperate for answers. But while hormones matter, the deeper human need is not just lower stress, but lasting peace.
What Is Cortisol and What Does it Do?
Cortisol is a steroid hormone that is produced by the adrenal glands. It acts as the body’s main long-term stress manager and affects nearly every organ system. It is often called the body's “stress hormone” as it regulates energy metabolism, maintains blood sugar levels, reduces inflammation, and controls the sleep/wake cycle.
Cortisol is not inherently bad! It is necessary for survival, helping us to respond when our bodies perceive a threat. Cortisol levels in the body rise and fall throughout the day. For example, in the morning, our cortisol levels rise to get the body ready for the day. Normal stress-related spikes do not lead to disease; for there to be a true disorder, your body must have sustained abnormal cortisol levels accompanied by specific symptoms. Online, cortisol is often seen as the enemy rather than as a tool our bodies use to regulate systems and respond to stressors.
Why Is the Cortisol Craze Growing Right Now?
This trend indicates an increased awareness of mental health and burnout in our culture. Our viral wellness culture often simplifies our God-given, very complex biology, but indicates we are all searching for measurable, scientific explanations for our emotional distress and physical ailments.
We are all asking Why am I tired? Why do I feel anxious? Why can’t I rest? Cortisol offers us a biological answer to struggles, but experts caution that most people’s cortisol levels are regulated by the body and are not dangerous. So many of us are struggling, and the real question we need answered is Why don’t I feel at peace?
Why Do We Want a Physical Explanation for Stress?
Humanity seeks explanations for suffering. The entire book of Job captures a raw conversation with a man who had lost it all, the response of his friends, and God. The problem of suffering is timeless. Our minds, bodies, and souls struggle under the weight of sin, chaos, and death that are a part of our fallen world.
In modern times, we tend to explain our distress biologically rather than spiritually. In ancient times, our suffering led to spiritual reflection, and now we believe that a chemical imbalance is the primary driver of our pain. The reality is that both are true. Our bodies react to our world, and chronic stress taxes our body's systems, but the mind and body are connected. We cannot just focus on reducing stress hormones alone and ignore the soul. Bitterness, unforgiveness, lust, overindulgence, lack of healthy boundaries, anxiety, depression, and more impact our stress levels, and they are also spiritual problems that we need God’s help to overcome. We are not just physical beings; we are body, mind, and spirit. Our chronic stress does impact the brain and body, but it doesn’t fully explain our struggle to find meaning in our lives, the guilt we feel when we fail, or the longing for more.
Why Do Social Media Wellness Promises Feel So Powerful?
We are all drawn to the messaging of these posts because we are searching for solutions. Diets, supplements, science, and routine changes promise us control and healing. While our habits matter, most health and stress issues are very complex and require more than a 7-day detox to remedy. Over time, these posts feel like more of a burden than a path towards healing.
As a 39-year-old Mom of six who struggles with an autoimmune disease and stress management, I have found that every time I open my social media feed, I am overwhelmed by an onslaught of posts promising that if I follow their advice, I can heal, lose those last ten pounds, and become a better version of myself. These posts are filled with incomplete information and empty promises, but it’s so tempting to think maybe they do know something I don’t truly, though I am a unique and complex person. The solution to my struggles can’t be reduced to 10 slides in a post from a random stranger. We need wisdom from the Holy Spirit and the invested practitioners to find the healing and peace we are seeking. Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us,
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
If we want to live more peacefully, we have to surrender everything to the Lord. Trusting God is the only true path to peace and relief from the chaos we are all navigating in our daily lives. The believer's peace comes from a different source than what is being sold online. Yes, we must steward our lives well. We need to create healthy habits, employ healthy boundaries, prioritize rest, and pursue wisdom. All of this is wasted if we don’t have God’s peace that surpasses understanding. What is also true is that if God is leading us, our minds, bodies, and souls have an expanded capacity for hard things because we are never doing life alone. When we take on God’s easy yoke and offer our burdens to Him, our load lightens, and the math of our life changes by God’s grace.
What Does the Bible Say About Peace and Stress?
Shalom, the word for peace in the Bible, points us towards a life marked by a sense of wholeness, completeness, and most importantly, a right relationship with God. John 14:27 Jesus says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” Jesus acknowledges that our world is full of trouble, but as God’s children, we have access to supernatural peace! Philippians 4:6-7 reminds us,
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Our world tells us that peace is the absence of stress. Removing all stress from our lives is impossible! You can even find things to be stressed about when on your dream vacation, when you are married, single, have young kids, older kids, work full-time, or are retired. There is always something to be stressed about. We need a better path to peace than stress removal!
The Bible says we can find peace through the presence of God. That means we can find peace in the waiting room at the hospital, when the divorce is finalized, while waiting for the baby to come or the adoption to move forward, we can trust God when we are unemployed, or when our work feels like more than we can handle. Peace is available to us no matter the circumstances. God does not promise a stress-free life; He promises stress within peace.
With God, our peace is not dependent on hormone levels. Paul endured so many hardships yet wrote about peace. He reminds us that God is with us in every season and that our hope extends beyond the grave. With Christ, our bodies can feel stressed, but our souls can remain anchored in the hope of Christ. This can reframe how we, as believers, approach stress. We have a powerful tool to help us through life’s harder seasons, which is God’s comforting and guiding Holy Spirit. His gentle leading can help us find habits that support our health and lead us towards supernatural peace. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 states,
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.”
Our bodies matter, and caring for them is a holy practice. We have to honor the temple God has given each of us by getting proper sleep, nutrition, exercise, and employing proper stress management techniques. Chronic stress can affect our health and should not be ignored, but obsessing over our cortisol can become overwhelming all on its own. Use science as a tool to support your wellness journey, but remember it is not your Savior. We address our stress both physically and spiritually, knowing that God is our ultimate provider for all that we need.
How Can Christians Respond to Stress Wisely?
Christians can respond to stress wisely by caring for both their bodies and their souls. That means taking symptoms seriously, seeking wise medical help when needed, building healthier rhythms, and refusing to make wellness culture a savior. It also means bringing anxiety, exhaustion, and fear before God in prayer, trusting that His peace does not depend on perfect circumstances or perfect hormone levels. We honor God by stewarding our bodies well, but we find our deepest rest by placing our trust in Him.
The cortisol craze is not just about health- it’s about human longing. It reveals a desire for peace. Many of us are trying to solve a spiritual problem with biological language. Understanding our bodies is helpful, but it can’t heal our souls. True peace is through a right relationship with God. Instead of asking “How do I fix my cortisol? We can begin to ask, “Where am I placing my trust for peace?”
Frequently Asked Questions About Cortisol
- What is cortisol?
Cortisol is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands that helps regulate the stress response, energy metabolism, inflammation, blood sugar levels, and the sleep-wake cycle. - Is cortisol always bad?
No. The article itself explains that cortisol is not inherently bad and is necessary for survival. The issue is not cortisol itself, but how chronic stress affects the body over time. - Why are so many people focused on cortisol right now?
Many people are searching for measurable explanations for fatigue, anxiety, burnout, and emotional distress. Cortisol gives stress a biological name, which can feel easier to understand and manage.
For Further Reading
- What Does “God Is Light” Mean in 1 John 1:5?
- What Does the Bible Mean by “Be Sure Your Sin Will Find You Out”?
- 7 Ways to Find Freedom in a World of Sin and Temptation
- Biblical Discernment: What Does the Bible Say about Judgment?
- 5 Sneaky Sins Being Overlooked in Christian Ministry
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