Diabetes Management and Stress

Stress is a normal and natural occurrence. Stress can come from positive things, such as a wedding or vacation, or from negative things, like a hectic schedule or a family member who is ill. Stress may be good because it can add enthusiasm and excitement to your day. Too much stress is usually harmful because it has a lasting effect on your emotional and physical condition.

Stress can cause you to have:
� Increase in your blood pressure and heart rate
� Increase in the rate of your breathing
� increases in the levels of your blood sugar

These are the ways that stress causes the body to use more oxygen, and to force blood to move more rapidly in your body. This may be harmful if your blood vessels are narrowed or damaged, or if they are stressed from high blood pressure.

Stress can also cause:
� increased fat around the abdomen
� a suppressed immune system, so you get colds or other infections more easily
� increased cholesterol levels
Learn about different ways to manage stress, so you will know what works for you. Some different ideas are:
1. Practice relaxation exercises � stretch and take deep breaths.
2. Concentrate on breathing deeply for 2 or 3 minutes continuously.
3. Think positive thoughts. Picture in your mind what you see as great outcome in a stressful situation
4. Identify what is causing you to feel stress. Be honest with your assessment.
5. Find someone to share your thoughts with and talk to � this may be your pet.
6. Listen to music. Dance. Read a book.
7. Get creative: Put your pictures in frames, do some painting, use your kids art supplies with them.
8. Write your thoughts and feelings down. You can keep a journal, write letters, send postcards.
9. Work on your favorite hobby. Or find a new one: knit or crochet, take pictures, make scrapbooks.
10. Do volunteer work. Take care of a pet or help others.
11. Walk and increase your exercise.
12. Avoid individuals or situations that are negative or make you feel bad.

How do you arrange your life to help with stress?
1.Make sure your life goals are reachable, at least in the short term.
2. Prioritize the parts of your life to find out what is truly important.
3. Maintain and/or seek spiritual guidance as appropriate.
4. Take time for yourself, away from what has to be done, and do what you want.
5. Communicate your feelings to friends and family or seek professional help as needed.
6. Develop a strong support system around you. Join a support group. Attend education classes.
7. Maintain proper nutrition and hydration, including a daily activity plan.

It is unlikely that someone can go through life without feeling stress. If you feel overwhelmed or you are not sure if you are managing your stress well, please talk to your doctor or diabetes management educator about getting help. You may need to see a diabetes management specialist, or you may just need to change your management of stress. Whatever you need to do to manage stress, it is important to find a way to minimize its effect on your health.