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How to Control Your Cortisol & Overcome Burnout

Overview

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Highlights

Transcript

Chapters

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How to Control Your Cortisol & Overcome Burnout

Huberman Lab

2025/08/04
Huberman Lab

Huberman Lab

2025/08/04
OverviewShownoteHighlightsTranscriptChaptersPins

Shownote

In this episode, I explain cortisol and science-based protocols for properly setting your cortisol rhythm, which can significantly increase your daytime energy, focus, mood, and stress resilience, while also improving your sleep quality. Most people mista...

Highlights

Cortisol is a vital hormone that influences energy levels, mood, and stress resilience, yet many misunderstand its role and how to manage it effectively. This episode explores the science behind cortisol rhythms and how aligning them with natural biological cues can enhance both mental and physical performance.
03:21
Cortisol is essential for deploying energy, especially to the brain.
09:25
BetterHelp offers accessible and efficient online therapy with expert therapists.
16:08
Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR) is crucial for alertness and daily cortisol pattern
17:59
Cortisol is released in response to stress, energy needs, and morning wake-up process
24:57
Cortisol takes about 10 minutes to synthesize and release, causing a longer-lasting stress response.
34:40
Get bright light within 30 minutes after waking to regulate cortisol and improve sleep.
39:49
Bright morning light can offset seasonal and mild depression
47:02
Delaying caffeine intake by 60-90 minutes after waking can prevent afternoon energy crashes
55:25
A consistent 2-3 hour exercise window 4-6 days a week anchors cortisol rhythm and boosts energy
57:52
Deliberate cold exposure increases dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine without chronically elevating cortisol.
1:02:51
Grapefruit can extend cortisol's life in the bloodstream by 25-50%
1:17:11
Red or amber light helps maintain low cortisol levels in the evening.
1:28:40
Eating starchy carbs like rice or pasta in the evening helps keep cortisol low by increasing blood glucose.
1:30:46
After three weeks, cortisol levels normalize on a low-carb diet if sleep is adequate
1:35:34
Consuming starchy carbs after late workouts helps manage cortisol and sleep
1:44:33
Ashwagandha can reduce cortisol levels by 11% - 29% when taken in the evening.
1:53:32
Burnout involves distinct patterns requiring different solutions.
1:55:28
NSDR or yoga nidra can significantly lower cortisol when practiced regularly
2:03:56
A physiological sigh can calm the nervous system and improve sleep and mood.
2:08:03
High morning cortisol is crucial, and disrupted patterns may predict lower lifespan.

Chapters

Cortisol
00:00
Stress, Tool: Daily Cortisol Rhythm
01:29
Cortisol & Directing Energy, Glucose, Adrenals
03:16
Sponsors: Carbon & BetterHelp
06:39
Daily Cortisol Phases & Rhythm, Waking Up & Cortisol
10:14
Cortisol Release & Regulation, Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) Axis
17:55
Rapid & Delayed Stress Response, HPA Axis
24:57
Bright Light & Cortisol Release, Tool: Increase Morning Cortisol & Sunlight
28:42
Sponsors: AG1 & David
36:58
Viewing Bright Light & Mood, Depression, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
39:48
Increase Morning Cortisol, Tools: Hydration, Delaying Caffeine Intake
41:44
Exercise, Entrainment Cues & Cortisol Rhythm, Tool: Boost Energy & Exercise Schedule
49:30
Does Deliberate Cold Exposure Increase Cortisol?, Energy & Mood
57:52
Sponsor: LMNT
1:01:19
Increase Morning Cortisol & Nutrition, Grapefruit, Black Licorice
1:02:51
Afternoon & Evening Cortisol Rhythms, Sunlight, Screens
1:11:34
Lower Evening Cortisol, Tools: Dim Lights, Light Color
1:14:30
Lower Evening Cortisol, Tools: Caffeine Timing; Stress Response & Exhales; Starchy Carbohydrates
1:20:54
Low-Carb Diets & Cortisol, Metabolic Syndrome
1:30:42
Evening Exercise & Cortisol, Tool: Spike Your Morning Cortisol
1:35:30
Supplements to Reduce Cortisol, Ashwagandha, Apigenin, Magnesium
1:44:32
Burnout, Cushing's & Addison's, 2 Burnout Patterns
1:50:57
Early-Phase Burnout, Tools: NSDR/Yoga Nidra, Boost Morning Cortisol, Caffeine
1:55:23
Late-Phase Burnout, Tools: Reduce Evening Cortisol
2:01:35
Age, Male vs Females, Lifespan, Cancer; Menopause; Brain Health
2:08:02
Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow & Reviews, Sponsors, YouTube Feedback, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter
2:13:41

Transcript

Andrew Huberman: Welcome to the Huberman Lab Podcast, where we discuss science and science-based tools for everyday life. I'm Andrew Huberman, and I'm a professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine. Today, we're discussing cor...