Being diagnosed with diabetes can feel stressful. Managing diabetes can also cause stress. High levels of stress can, in turn, negatively impact blood sugar. It’s important to understand the connection between stress and diabetes and learn healthy ways to cope with both.
How Stress Affects Diabetes
Stress is one of many health factors that impact blood sugar. Chronic stress can make the body more insulin-resistant and more prone to diabetes. When under stress, the body releases stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones stimulate the liver to release glucose into the bloodstream. This is why individuals with diabetes often notice that their blood sugar runs higher on days when they are feeling more stress. It is also very common for a person with diabetes to see their HbA1c go up after a prolonged stressful life situation.
Your Mental Health Matters
Stress impacts everyone, and people with diabetes are no different. Mental health concerns can impact people with diabetes in different and specific ways.
- Anxiety. Feelings of fear and worry are 20% more likely in people with diabetes.
- Depression. People with diabetes are up to 3 times more likely to experience depression, and fewer than half of those affected are likely to seek treatment. The link between diabetes and depression can be double-sided. High blood glucose levels can cause fatigue, and then feelings of depression can make it more difficult to engage in diabetes management.
- Diabetes distress. This occurs when an individual with diabetes experiences overwhelming feelings related to diabetes and diabetes management. It often leads people to “give up” and stop engaging with their health due to feelings of overwhelm. This, in turn, can lead to additional health problems.
When experiencing mental health struggles, it is important to communicate these issues with your healthcare team.
Stress Management Strategies
Navigating a difficult season of life is never simple, but stress management strategies can help. Below are some small steps that can make a difference.
- Breathe deeply. Deep breathing can calm the nervous system and let the body know you are safe. Try breathing in as you count to four, then exhaling as you count to four again. This breathing exercise can relieve stress and promote calmness. It can also be completed as a regular part of a daily routine.
- Join a support group. Talking to others with diabetes is a good way to connect and feel community support.
- Move more. Exercise is a proven stress reliever. All forms of exercise are effective. This can include taking a quiet stroll in the neighborhood or a high-intensity kickboxing class. Moving the body is a great way to calm an anxious mind.
- Start a gratitude journal. Write down a couple of things for which you are thankful. This can re-focus the mind and promote positive thinking.
- Tackle one task on your to-do list. When feeling overwhelmed, pick one task to do right now, such as washing the dishes, running an errand, or making a phone call. Completing one task can promote a feeling of accomplishment and control.
- Take a diabetes education class. Learning about your condition and tips for healthy living may reduce diabetes-related stress.
- Meditate. Sitting quietly and focusing on your breathing for a few minutes may seem like a difficult task. But there are multiple apps and thousands of online videos with short, guided meditations that can help you start practicing meditation. Even five minutes a day can make a difference.
Ask Your Doctor for Help
Your healthcare team understands that diabetes can affect many aspects of your life, including your mental health. If you’re struggling with anxiety or depression or feel overwhelmed, there are resources to help you cope. Remember that asking for help is a sign of strength.
Watch a Video
Stress isn’t just a feeling — it can have a lasting impact on your overall health and wellness. Luckily, there are small actions you can take in your daily life to lower your stress levels.
Listen to a Podcast
Everyday Habits for Stress Reduction
Stress reduction can be a learned behavior—and an everyday habit that helps you lead a more joyful life. By practicing mindfulness-based stress reduction regularly, you can make time to live more freely in the moment, focus on the present and give yourself the “mind space”—or the breathing room—to positively affect your feelings, thoughts and behaviors. Join integrative health professional Ginny Jump, CRNP, for inspiration, advice and an uncommonly relaxing discussion about stress. Listen below or on our website.
More to Read
- The Connection Between Diabetes and Mental Health
- Mindfulness Activities for Stress Management
- How to Reduce the Stress in Your Life
- Guided Meditation: A Daily Exercise to Reduce the Stress, Anxiety, and Depression in Your Life
- Artful Meditation: A Handful of Gratitude
Medically reviewed by Catherine Vroome, MS, RD, LDN, CDCES, Diabetes and Nutrition Educator at The University of Maryland Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology at Upper Chesapeake Health.
