Little changes can go a long way.

Cortisol is the body's primary stress hormone. While we need it for various essential bodily functions (like regulating blood sugar levels and getting up in the morning), too much of it can make life ...

What is cortisol, and how is it related to stress? Cortisol is often called the "stress hormone" and is released by the adrenal glands -- part of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, a bodily ...

When it comes to preventative health recommendations, few are more common than admonitions to get one's stress levels down. Such recommendations make sense considering that experiencing too much ...

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Lowering stress levels may mean the body makes less cortisol. In other cases, high cortisol is the result of an underlying medical condition or a side effect of a medication. A doctor can advise on ...

Cortisol is today’s least-loved hormone. In truth, cortisol isn’t actually all bad—it’s essential for helping us stay alert and respond to stress. Of course, if left unchecked, high cortisol levels ...

Modern life gives us more access, flexibility -- and stimulation -- than ever before. Two major culprits? Remote work and technology. Read full article: When is the best time to eat dessert? A ...

Cortisol helps regulate stress, sleep and metabolism—but chronic elevation can harm long-term health. Signs of high cortisol include poor sleep, visceral fat gain and feeling mentally alert but ...

Photo-Illustration by Chloe Dowling for TIME (Source Images: Robert Brook—Science Photo Library, Getty Images, Elena Fontana—Getty Images, nito100/Getty Images) Contributor Do you feel overwhelmed by ...

Plus, what to do about it.