I’m sorry, I know it was a rubbish summer, I know so many people have waited for this weather but personally? I can’t stand it. I really am sorry. I just don’t understand the appeal of feeling like you’re cosied up inside of a McDonalds apple pie.
Since this heatwave has kicked in, I’ve been more irritable than usual, more sensitive than usual (which is impressive in itself) and I generally just feel quite bleak. I was wondering if it was my summer seasonal affective disorder kicking in but it turns out, it could actually be my hormones. More precisely, it could be cortisol.
That old chestnut.
Why does warm weather have an impact on hormones?
So, cortisol is often dubbed the ‘stress hormone’ and if you are unwell, stressed, or traumatised, you’re likely to have very high levels of cortisol. It’s also recently gained popularity as a talking point on TikTok as many people are identifying a high cortisol count as the root of a lot of their issues.
A recent study actually found that cortisol increases in warm weather meaning that people are likely to feel more of the symptoms of high cortisol counts can include initially feeling euphoric but then feeling irritability, mood swings, and depression.
So that’s great.
How to reduce cortisol levels
So, in the case that our hormones are impacted by this weather, what do we do aside from daydream about grey skies and leaves falling off trees?
Well, according to the experts at ZOE, we need to be looking after ourselves as much as possible by:
- Eating a healthy, balanced diet
- Getting enough sleep and keeping a regular sleep schedule
- Consume probiotic foods and drinks
- Exercise regularly
- Try to manage your stress using proven techniques such as yoga, meditation or talking to somebody you trust
- Make sure that you’re doing things that bring joy to your life
Brb, off to do all of the above and fantasise about chillier days.