Stress shrinks your brain

Everybody is anxious these days, right? The world is in disarray, what can you do? No problem, we’ll push through! In fact there is an issue. The chronic stress literally shrinks your brain.

When you’re stressed, your body releases cortisol — the ‘stress hormone.’ In small doses, it’s useful: regulates blood pressure, keeps blood sugar steady, reduces inflammation. It’s the body’s way of gearing up to face a challenge. Cortisol rises in the morning so you wake up and get out of bed.

But here’s the catch. When stress becomes constant, cortisol stays high. This reshapes your brain, and not in a good way. The areas that shrink most: the hippocampus — your brain’s librarian, overseeing memory and learning — and the prefrontal cortex, the conductor of thoughts, emotions, and actions.

Chronic stress doesn’t just mess with emotions. It makes learning, remembering, and decision-making harder. Without those, you’re not living — you’re reacting. And if you’re not making conscious decisions, the mind weakens like a muscle without exercise. The brain changes physically.

Basically you devolve back into a monkey. That’s why easing the existential fear, accepting what is going on, is the most effective way of getting rid of stress. It isn’t just a luxury or self-hypnosis — it’s a necessity for our well-being and brainpower.