If you live with diabetes, it can sometimes feel like taking care of yourself is a full-time job. You may know that things like your diet and medications are an important part of diabetes management, but it's also essential to pay attention to how much stress you have in your life.
Stress can increase blood sugar and keep it higher for longer. When you are stressed, your body produces hormones that cause the body to release glucose (sugar) into the bloodstream. Stress can also affect you emotionally and make it harder to make healthy food choices or find the motivation to exercise.
Luckily, there are ways you can manage stress and anxiety to reduce the impact on your overall health. Let's dive into the details.
First, it's helpful to understand that not all stress is bad. A little bit of stress can actually be beneficial for productivity or help you quickly respond to a problem. Stress is a physical, emotional, or behavioral response to a demand or challenge.
Different people have different ways of responding to stress or reasons for feeling stressed out. When stress becomes chronic or unmanageable, it can be harmful to your health.
When you experience stress, your body releases stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones can cause blood sugar levels to spike as a natural response, giving the body quick energy to deal with a stressful situation (known as fight or flight).
But if you live with diabetes, this normal stress response can be problematic and make it difficult to keep blood sugar stable if it happens too often.
Studies show that people with diabetes who experience chronic stress can have higher blood sugar levels than those who don't. Stress can also make it more difficult for people with diabetes to control their blood sugar levels in the long term.
It's completely normal to feel overwhelmed or stressed about your health if you live with diabetes. You may worry about your blood sugar levels, what you're eating, paying for medication, or finding time for your medical appointments.
It's no surprise that people living with diabetes have an increased risk of mental health concerns, especially something called diabetes distress. Diabetes distress is a type of stress specific to the ongoing worry or frustration experienced by people living with diabetes. It is so common that it's estimated that almost 50 percent of people with diabetes experience diabetes distress within any 18-month period.
Here are some signs that may indicate you're under a lot of stress:
Plus, you may notice that your blood sugar is higher than usual, or it's harder to meet your targets even though your medication, diet, or other factors haven't changed. This could mean that stress is causing your blood sugar to spike.
Physical activity can also help manage blood sugar levels by making your cells more sensitive to insulin, the hormone that helps regulate blood sugar.
Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep each night and try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day to teach your body when it's time to wind down (and turn off those screens if possible).
Meditation is a form of mindfulness that involves focusing on a single point, such as your breath. It can help you learn to control your thoughts and be more present in the moment. If you are new to meditation, you can find guided meditations online.
If you're feeling overwhelmed, don't hesitate to reach out for help. Online support can also be a great resource. You can find mental health providers specifically trained to support people with diabetes here.
Stress is a part of life, but it doesn't have to control yours. The problem is that if you already feel overly stressed, it can feel hard to know how to get started with stress management. 9amHealth can help with that.
9amHealth offers seamless, at-home diabetes care that includes labs, medications, appointments with specialists, and more, all on your schedule. We know that one size doesn't fit all when it comes to stress management techniques and diabetes care.
Learn more about how we can help by visiting our website here.
Diabetes care can be overwhelming. You have to juggle appointments, labs, and medications and then try to fit in time for your own self-care.
Sometimes, managing diabetes feels like a full-time job, and it can quickly feel like diabetes is managing you.
9amHealth gives you access to a care team to create a personalized care plan with you in mind. Our goal is to reduce the time you spend managing appointments, driving to labs, and refilling medications so you can focus on what's important—your health.