If you’re diagnosed with diabetes, managing stress is one of the crucial things because it significantly impacts your blood sugar levels. Stress can increase blood sugar levels and increase the risk of further complications. However, you can easily manage your stress along with managing your blood sugar level. Learn 7 techniques to manage stress for blood sugar control in this article. Visit the best Mental Health Clinic in Brooklyn at Doral Health & Wellness or log on to www.doralhw.org for a consultation.
7 techniques to manage stress for blood sugar control
Stress can significantly impact your blood sugar level and increase the risk of diabetes or make it worse. However, these techniques help you lower stress while managing your blood sugar levels:
- Physical activity:
Exercise not only helps with maintaining a healthy weight but also improves insulin sensitivity and releases dopamine and serotonin (feel-good hormones), both play an important role in reducing stress. Research shows that participating in regular physical activity increases insulin sensitivity, which helps to lower blood glucose levels, along with burning calories. Exercise releases endorphins, which are natural mood elevators that lower cortisol levels, which lowers the impact of stress on blood sugar. So, try to incorporate at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity like yoga, walking, or swimming, every week. This way, you can manage both stress and blood glucose levels.
- Get enough sleep:
A good night’s sleep helps your body and mind relax and handle stress more easily because it regulates cortisol and allows your body to recover from daily stressors. During deep sleep, the brain processes emotions and enhances cognitive function, which helps with problem-solving. However, poor sleep quality can increase your stress. So, make sure you get a good night’s sleep. If you have poor-quality sleep, improve your sleep hygiene practices like following a consistent sleep schedule, having a relaxing bedtime routine, making your bedroom dark and quiet, and limiting your caffeine intake and screen time before bedtime.
- Get organized:
Take some extra measures to get organized, especially for things that cause you stress. Make sure you make a to-do list before sleep, and after completing the task, you mark it off to worry less later on. This helps you prevent stress in the long term by not worrying about last-minute scrambling in everyday situations.
- Breathe:
Your breath is a very powerful tool to release stress and make you feel less worried. When you feel stressed, your breathing may become shallow and quick, and tense your muscles. So simple breathing exercises can make a big difference if you take them in your routine. Make sure you take deep, regular breaths, which helps your heart rate become steady and calms your nervous system. Take a breath like this – inhale slowly to the count of four, hold it till the count of seven, and exhale it completely at eight. You will feel a difference right away.
- Talk about it:
When you share your worries and concerns with family and friends, it not only lowers your stress but also gives you a sense of belonging that helps you manage your blood sugar levels. Social isolation is the most common reason for stress and premature death. Social support is associated with better physical and mental health. So, make sure to make a strong social support system with friends, family, or community to fight the stress that comes from loneliness.
- Good nutrition:
Lowering junk food and refined sugars that have low nutritional value and are high in calories will reduce your energy and make you feel sluggish, which is also unhelpful for managing your blood glucose levels. That’s why it is important to eat a healthy, balanced diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains and cut down sugar, caffeine, and alcohol to promote good health and lower stress.
- Give thanks:
When you reflect on your life’s upsides, it helps you improve your overall well-being, according to research. Try keeping a journal to remind yourself to enjoy everyday things like a fun lunch with friends, a warm hug from a spouse or grandchild, the companionship of a pet, and even the moments where you can just relax.
Managing stress is crucial for controlling your blood sugar levels. Follow the above-mentioned techniques to manage stress to control blood sugar levels in your everyday life to live a better life.
Need help with stress management? Visit our mental health specialist in the Brooklyn clinic to get professional help. Call us to book your appointment now!!!!
Visit our mental health clinic in Brooklyn, to get professional help and guidance on how to manage your problem. Call us on +1-347-384-5690 to get a consultation. If you need help learning coping methods, register your information and make direct contact with our doctors and psychiatrists to learn those methods, log on to www.doralhw.org. Visit us at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11212.
