Stress Management for Better Goals
Stress can cause some people to become ill. And when you have diabetes, stress can significantly affect your ability to control the disease. If you are under stress, you may skip meals or forget to take your medication, which will affect your blood sugar level.
Although you can’t completely remove stress from your life, there are several ways you can reduce it. And by learning to better manage stress, you can help keep your diabetes under control. Plus, with less stress, you can have the energy you need to eat right, exercise, and check your blood sugar. Having ways to bust stress can also help you sleep better. That’s great because when you don’t get enough sleep, your blood sugar can rise.
Here are some tips:
- Try to have a positive attitude
- Be nice to yourself
- Accept what you cannot change
- Talk to someone about your stressors
- Exercise to Lower Stress
Practice Relaxation Skills
Relaxation exercise.
Close your eyes while sitting in a comfortable chair or lying down. Starting with your toes, slowly clench one body part at a time. Hold for 5 seconds and relax. Keep going until you’ve tightened and relaxed every part of your body.
Deep breathing.
Sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor. Then close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Inhale slowly and deeply through your nose, filling up your lungs. Hold for a few seconds. Exhale slowly through your mouth. Let all the air out of your lungs like you’re letting air out of a balloon. Repeat many times.
Yoga.
Slowly relax into a downward dog pose or a warrior’s pose. This forces you to focus on your breathing, stretching, and how you place your body. It loosens tight muscles and turns your thoughts away from the stresses in your life. Consider taking a yoga class at a gym or a local community center. Or do a yoga routine online. If you don’t have time for a full class, even 5 or 10 minutes of yoga posing or breathing can help ease stress.