The Lonely Life of a Stressed-out Molecule: Journey Through Exam Season

Greetings, dear reader. My name is Cortisol and I am a hormone molecule. People sometimes call me “the stress hormone”. I don’t enjoy that name much because it makes it sound like I am causing stress when I am trying to help manage it. I try to keep up with all your body’s demands. I also manage a lot of processes in the human body and I am friends with almost all cells of the body. But, let me tell you, my life is not easy. Sometimes, I spend my entire day running around from one place to another.

Just as with any other worker, there are times when I am overwhelmed too. This time it is the exam season! Let me take you through what all happened as exams approached.

When the panic first emerged, I was hanging out in the adrenal gland, minding my own business. Suddenly, I felt a strange sensation, like a jolt of electricity, and out of nowhere I was swept up and sent hurtling into the bloodstream. Usually, I work in tandem with the body’s natural rhythm (the circadian rhythm). I have noticed that a small amount of stress, here and there, benefits the student and boosts their attention and concentration. But, this was something too big for them to handle without help.

Thankfully, my survival instincts kicked in and I began to do my work. Racing in the bloodstream at breakneck speeds, I passed by the liver. I instructed it to start turning glycogen, the stored form of sugars, to glucose, so that the student’s body has sufficient energy to function. Then, I asked the heart to start pumping blood faster to increase the heart rate and blood pressure. This was done to ensure that whatever was the stressor, the student would be able to deal with it. Because it is exam season, I felt it imperative to enhance memory consolidation and improve cognitive function, which will help with studying and remembering information.

Sometimes, if I am present in the bloodstream for a long period of time, my friends in the sympathetic nervous system get concerned and begin panicking. This leads to the student experiencing palpitations and sweating.

That’s why I always make sure that I am quick to find solutions. Most of the time, my efforts are rewarded sooner rather than later, as the student calms down. When this happens, the brain signals to me that my work is done and I can leave.

But, sometimes this doesn’t happen immediately. This is especially common during exam time, as the student may feel under pressure to perform well, cram the entire syllabus in one go and get good grades. This is not right as remaining in the fight-or-flight state is unhealthy for both, the student and me.

So, I think it is important that I tell the student that even though exams are a big deal, they don’t have to be scary. Hard work and consistency can ensure that they ace their tests. Stress shouldn’t become a part of their day-to-day before exams. I am always there to help, but I feel that they might not even need me with deep breathing, meditation, and regular efforts.

I sincerely hope that this message reaches them and they are able to learn a little more about their own body and strive forward with confidence. After all, all us molecules are there to keep the student happy, healthy and functioning at their best!

Would you help me in spreading my message by sharing this with fellow students who might benefit from it?