Accu-check’s Diabetes Link has started a series about stress management for people with diabetes. I want to share the first part and thank them for the link to my blog.
Stress: The American Way of Life
Stress is about as American as apple pie. Perhaps even more so, since it’s become more common than home-baked pastries. But just because stress is rampant doesn’t mean you have to give in to those feelings while managing diabetes.
In small doses, stress can be good for you—your body naturally responds by releasing hormones that energize you, helping you take on challenges and win.1 That’s why some people feel like they’re more productive as a deadline approaches or why you may suddenly feel invincible when you’re playing competitive sports.
However, if your stress response goes on for too long, it can lead to trouble—especially if you have diabetes.1,2 Why? Your body responds to stress by releasing sugars, fats and hormones into your bloodstream to boost your energy and fight the stress. As a result, for people with diabetes, stress can lead to high blood sugar levels.3
So having diabetes can be stressful and stress can increase your blood sugar. A vicious cycle? Yes, but you have the power to short-circuit it, and throughout this series of posts, we’ll give you tips for coping with stress.
In the meantime, see how some of our favorite bloggers manage diabetes and stress:
- Beatriz Domínguez deals openly with the hard parts of living with diabetes at Cranky Pancreas
- Scott Johnson lends insight to the “incredible mental struggle of living with diabetes” at Scott’s Diabetes
- Ronnie Gregory makes light of it all at ThePoorDiabetic.com
- Mike Hoskins is a gracious and poignant host at The Diabetic’s Corner Booth
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