s?

➡ Let s C
Help Wi t h B e h avi o r
6/21/24, 2:04 PM Your Brain's Cortisol Control Hub — The Behavior Hub

We’ve been going through the human

brain journey for the past few weeks. I
have LOVED sharing with you all about
the pre-frontal cortex, limbic area and
brainstem. And now, we are going to go just a bit deeper into the
different parts of the limbic system.

We’ve already been through the two partners in crime - the amygdala
and hippocampus. I call them “partners-in-crime” since they work
very closely together in controlling emotional response and memory.
Today, we arrive at the hypothalamus.

What is the hypothalamus?

I call it the Cortisol Control Hub (but we’ll get into that
later).

It’s a very tiny part of the brain that makes up less than 1% of brain
weight. It’s literally pea-sized. You’ll find it above the pituitary gland
but below the thalamus. Discussions of the hypothalamus date back
to the 2nd century AD. WHOA!

Regardless of its size, this tiny part is central to many bodily functions
from regulating emotional responses to motor skills to blood
pressure.

Functions of Hypothalamus

https://www.thebehaviorhub.com/blog/2020/11/17/the-hypothalamus#:~:text=Hypothalamus is the key that,rate speed up when afraid. 1/7

 A series of processes have to take place for these functions to be
6/21/24, 2:04 PM Your Brain's Cortisol Control Hub — The Behavior Hub
achieved. Get ready for this wild ride!

The hypothalamus processes the sensory impulses received from

body organs, such as the intestines, blood vessels, and stomach. Once
that is done, it can now regulate the heart rate, bladder function, and
food movement.

In addition to that, it serves as the point of interaction between the

body’s central systems i.e. the endocrine and nervous system. It will
detect changes in the body and stimulate the release of hormones
from glands and organs. This results in the hypothalamus regulating
several bodily processes.

Bet you never knew all that was going on inside your body to help keep you
regulated!

1 - EMOTION REGULATION

Hypothalamus is the key that turns our emotions into physical

responses. Anger, excitement, fear, or stress are all responses
generated in reaction to thoughts, impulses, or some stimuli in our
surroundings. For instance, the hypothalamus makes your heart rate
speed up when afraid.

I mentioned cortisol earlier, and this is where we’ll dive into

it. This is the hormone released when you get stressed.
Cortisol helps the body reduce inflammation and regulate
metabolism. Basically, it’s responsible for putting you in a flight-or-
fight mode. Your heart rate increases, the immune and digestive
systems slow down, and your brain recognizes there is a “situation”
going down.

https://www.thebehaviorhub.com/blog/2020/11/17/the-hypothalamus#:~:text=Hypothalamus is the key that,rate speed up when afraid. 2/7

6/21/24, 2:04 PM Your Brain's Cortisol Control Hub — The Behavior Hub
Too much cortisol means your hypothalamus is activated
more than it should be, and you can suffer from chronic
stress. So if you have a stressful situation later, you’ll keep
releasing higher and higher levels of cortisol in order to have
an appropriate stress response. This cycle can eventually lead to
depression, anxiety disorders, heart disease, and other fun things no
one wants. We want to keep that stress response baseline low.

The brain and stress have a complex relationship, but the good news
is you’ve got some level of control. Before the situation gets to a
critical volume, you can practice these emotion regulation tips. Or, do
something that chills you out, and your brain will take care of the rest.

If you or your kiddo are still struggling, I suggest seeing a professional

to help get that baseline back down. Their bread and butter is stress
management. Literally.

Want To
Learn
More?
Sign up for our mailing
list then enjoy a short
video from yours truly
with more on this topic!

https://www.thebehaviorhub.com/blog/2020/11/17/the-hypothalamus#:~:text=Hypothalamus is the key that,rate speed up when afraid. 3/7

 Twilight Darkness cyc es. t s t e e t e easo y you s ou d d t e
tells the body to
6/21/24, 2:04 PM lights as kiddos get
Your Brain's closer
Cortisol andHub
Control closer
— The to sleeping
Behavior Hub time.
release melatonin
and induce sleep. By the way, that works with adults, too!

During the day / light cycle, it helps prevent

melatonin secretion which is the hormone responsible for sleep. This
keeps up awake during the day. However, as sunlight reduces, the
SCN is inhibited and can no longer prevent the release of melatonin.
As it gets dark, sleep is induced and melatonin is released.

Dysfunctions in this part will cause insomnia or other mood

disorders.

3 - TEMPERATURE REGULATION

The optimal temperature for body processes to occur

is 37°C (98.6°F). The hypothalamus often compares
the body temperature to the ideal temperature and
signals hormones to make the required adjustments to either raise or
lower the temperature.

This is why it’s SO important to have room temperatures set between

68-73F. If too high or too low, the body will start to focus on
regulating and won’t be available to focus on the task at hand.

4 - EATING REGULATION

Did you know the hypothalamus is responsible for eating, too?

When the stomach is full, a certain area of the

hypothalamus is activated. A feeling of fullness is

https://www.thebehaviorhub.com/blog/2020/11/17/the-hypothalamus#:~:text=Hypothalamus is the key that,rate speed up when afraid. 4/7

6/21/24, 2:04 PM can’t be overstated enough.
Your Brain's Cortisol Control Hub — The Behavior Hub

That wraps up our series on the brain!

We presented a whole lot of information, and some of it might be

confusing. Let me know if I can help relate it to working with kiddos.
I’m here to help.

Questions? Need help? Reach out!

Email: hello@thebehaviorhub.com
Social media: @thebehaviorhub
Online school
Schedule a discovery call

RELATED PODCAST EPISODES

https://www.thebehaviorhub.com/blog/2020/11/17/the-hypothalamus#:~:text=Hypothalamus is the key that,rate speed up when afraid. 5/7