We get a lot of calls about blood glucose levels on the Diabetes WA Helpline. Read on to learn more about the impact of stress and some strategies that can help.
Stress is a feeling that we experience when faced with a challenging situation. This can be physical, like an injury or illness. Or it can be mental, such as problems in our personal life or a fear of something. Stress can also be acute and ongoing, depending on what is going on in our lives.
When we are stressed, our body responds with the fight or flight mechanism. This is our body’s way of preparing us either to fight the stressor or run away from it. During this response, the body releases stress hormones such as cortisol, glucagon and adrenaline.
These hormones increase our heart rate, blood pressure and breathing so that our body can pump blood to our muscles faster, providing them with more oxygen.
Stress hormones also stimulate the liver to release stored glucose. As a result, our blood glucose levels rise to give enough energy for the body to fight or flee. Additionally, they make our body less sensitive to insulin or, in other words, they increase insulin resistance, which over time can cause type 2 diabetes or make diabetes harder to manage.
This response made perfect sense for our ancestors, when most stress was physical. If an animal was chasing them, they had to either run for their lives or fight back. However, in modern life most stress is mental, which can’t be managed by fighting or running away.
The fight or flight response happens to everyone, but it does not cause significant problems with blood glucose levels for people without diabetes. In people with diabetes, the pancreas may not produce enough insulin to move this extra glucose to the cells effectively. Coupled with potential insulin resistance this can lead to high blood glucose levels. So what can we do about it?
Managing stress
The first step in managing our stress levels is to identify the stressor, which is the event that leads to the stress. Managing diabetes itself can be stressful for many people, and there may also be stressors that are not related to diabetes. Sometimes, identifying the stressors can be more challenging than managing them.
Two key ways of dealing with stress are:
- Change the situation when you can.
- Change your response.
Here is an example.
Stressor: Planning meals and following healthy eating guidelines as part of your diabetes management.
Change the situation
Possible approaches include:
- Working with a dietitian to develop a realistic meal plan.
- Seeking support from your health care team if you are overwhelmed.
Change your response
Some suggestions include:
- Focussing on small and gradual dietary changes.
- Starting slowly and build upon each change.
- Believing in yourself and avoiding negative self-talk such as “I can’t manage my diabetes.”
Some practical tips to reduce stress
- Exercise regularly.
- Make time for activities that you enjoy, such as gardening or knitting.
- Try to learn new activities.
- Talk about your worries with people who listen and support you.
- Get quality sleep. 7 ways to improve your sleep.
- Practice relaxation techniques like yoga, meditation and deep breathing.
- Seek help from a health professional when needed.
Remember, managing stress is not about being perfect – it’s about learning what keeps you going! Here at Diabetes WA, we offer LISTEN, a free program that helps you build practical skills to manage diabetes stress and improve your emotional wellbeing.
Call 1300 001 880 or email us to learn more.
And remember, you can always call the Diabetes WA Helpline on 1300 001 880 if you have any questions about your blood glucose levels, or to access additional diabetes support from our team.
