12. Elevated Heart Rate
An elevated heart rate is another by-product of elevating the general levels of stress and activity throughout the body.
Again, increasing cortisol results in the accompanying increase in adrenaline, which triggers the fight or flight response. The body believes that something is wrong and that it must provide you with the ability to run from danger, fight, or quickly seek out food.
Part of this response involves the elevation of the heart rate. Here, the body increases the heart rate in order to deliver more blood and oxygen to the muscles and the brain, thereby allowing you to think faster, punch harder, and generally perform optimally.
However, when stress becomes chronic or when cortisol levels are incorrectly elevated, this can lead to a situation where your heart rate remains constantly high, without offering you any tangible benefit.