The silent threat: How stress impacts health and work
Stress is often referred to as “the silent killer,” and for good reason—it affects nearly each one of us at some point, and for some, it’s a persistent challenge. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), approximately 80% of U.S. adults experience stress at levels that can compromise their health and well-being. Among them, 34% report feeling overwhelmed most days, while 20% experience cognitive symptoms such as forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating, and impaired decision-making. These effects are not only personal—they ripple into the workplace. If similar trends apply to your credit union, stress may be impacting up to 80% of your staff, potentially affecting their performance, productivity, and long-term health and well-being.
When stress becomes a way of life
Chronic stress can build up slowly over time, and many people become so used to living with unmanaged stress that they do not recognize it as abnormal or harmful. But underneath, it is working through the body, damaging anything and everything, including many of the major body systems.
When stress becomes chronic, so do health conditions that lead to heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and even some cancers—many without any early-detectable or clear symptoms. While these chronic conditions worsen, stress has also been found to lead to harmful coping mechanisms like smoking, drinking, and overeating, all which exacerbate the current health conditions and invite new conditions. It sets the stage for serious challenges ahead, potentially leading to a downward spiral that’s tough to reverse without timely support and intervention.
The cortisol cascade: What happens inside your body
Without diving too deep into the science, let’s take a moment to spotlight a key factor behind many chronic conditions affecting multiple systems in the body. Stress and the hormone, cortisol, have a major influence on your overall health. When you are stressed, your adrenal glands release epinephrine, also known as adrenaline, as part of the “fight or flight” response. In short bursts, this gives you a quick boost, sharper focus, more energy, faster breathing, and increased heart rate and blood pressure. This is great if you turn the corner and there is a bear or a lion standing there, but sadly this response is all too often elicited from non-life-threatening experiences such running low on money, difficult relationships, work stress, family responsibilities, digital overload, and so much more. Life happens, and these stressors are not the fight or flight kind. Over time, these stressors accumulate, quietly wearing us down day by day and week by week.
After the quick initial adrenaline boost, cortisol is released in the body. In stressful situations, it is helpful in regulating blood sugar, blood pressure, energy levels, and inflammation. However, too much cortisol for too long can become toxic, leading to a variety of mental and physical issues. Consider how long-term cortisol release effects different parts of the body:
- Brain: Anxiety, memory loss, brain fog
- Heart: High blood pressure, heart disease
- Metabolism: Weight gain, diabetes risk
- Immune System: Weakened immunity, inflammation
- Hormones: Imbalance, fertility issues
- Sleep: Insomnia, fatigue
- Muscles/Bones: Bone loss, weakness
If cortisol levels stay high for too long, it increases the risk for chronic diseases (heart disease, obesity, diabetes), mental illness, burnout and adrenal fatigue, and ultimately, a shortened lifespan. Clearly, these are all terrible outcomes, but there are things that can be done to help reduce cortisol levels.
Your stress toolkit: Strategies that work
We will look at two methods: one to help reduce the actual stress; and one to deal with cortisol levels in your body. When practiced in combination, both stress and the dangerous levels of cortisol can be controlled.
Guide to reducing the actual stress:
- Identify your stress triggers. Awareness is the first step.
- What causes your stress?
- When and where does it show up most?
- How does your body respond?
- Sort the stress into buckets for deeper discovery.
- Controllable—problem-solve, plan, set healthy boundaries
- Uncontrollable—learn to accept or reframe emotionally
- Shift from reaction to response
- Daily meditation or breathwork, positive imagery
- Journaling or listing gratitude
- Pause before reacting—wait 90 seconds before reacting or responding
- Set healthy boundaries.
Guide to reducing cortisol levels:
- Get sunlight first thing in the morning for ten to fifteen minutes. Light helps regulate your circadian rhythm and lowers morning cortisol over time. Couple this with a walk outside or even a walk barefoot in the grass, which can be grounding.
- Eat a protein rich breakfast and don’t skip it! Skipping breakfast spikes cortisol, which makes it difficult to maintain blood sugar levels.
- Avoid caffeine and energy drinks, which also spike cortisol levels.
- Create opportunities for gentle movement. Walking, yoga, and light strength training have wonderful impacts on reducing cortisol levels.
- Add cortisol lowering foods to your diet like bananas, leafy greens, blueberries, garlic, nuts, seeds, and dark chocolate (in moderation).
- Stay hydrated. A dehydrated body is a stressed body, causing cortisol release.
- Sleep, sleep, and sleep some more. Seven to nine hours each night is the recommended time to reset cortisol levels. If you do not get enough sleep, you will wake up with higher levels. A cool sleeping environment can be important. Set your room to 65 degrees, make sure it is dark, and avoid screentime at least one hour before bed.
- Make time each day to play and do something you enjoy. Chase the kids or grandkids around the yard, play the guitar, read a book, play games, and spend time on your hobbies.
Reset your system: A 7-day cortisol recovery plan
Try a seven-day cortisol reset:
| Time | Habit | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| ☀️ 15+ minutes in the morning | Expose yourself to morning sunlight | Regulates cortisol & sleep-wake cycle |
| 🚶 15–30 minutes/day | Light movement | Lowers stress & boosts energy |
| 🧘♂️ 5–10 minutes/day | Breathing work or meditation | Calms the stress response |
| 💤 7–9 hours | Restful, deep sleep | Cortisol resets during deep sleep |
| 🍽️ 3x per day | Eat protein rich, balanced meals | Prevents blood sugar dips that spike cortisol |
Creating a culture that supports employee wellness
While stress may always be a part of life, how you respond to it and proactive measures can make all the difference. InterLutions, Corporate Central’s employee benefits CUSO, has developed WE-Care to help credit unions contain soaring healthcare costs while empowering their staff to make healthier habits. The WE-Care employee wellness model is thoughtfully designed to support you and your team in creating healthier, more effective ways to work, by focusing on what matters most: your people. If you are curious about how this approach could benefit your organization, we would love to start the conversation. Contact InterLutions today.
