C O R T I S O L – You’ve probably heard of cortisol, also known as ‘the stress hormone’. Cortisol levels are shaped by how your brain interprets sensory input, your posture, energy needs, and the demands of your environment. When cortisol levels stay high, the nervous system can struggle to switch ‘off’, leaving you stuck in ‘fight-or-flight’. The good news is that reducing stress and regulating your nervous system doesn’t require extreme or expensive methods. Most of them are simple, human things and completely free.