Stress can be a wellness risk to otherwise healthy people but when you have type 1 diabetes, your wellbeing can really be in jeopardy, and it is even more crucial that you learn how to deal with your stress.
Stress can be triggered from a number of physical and emotional reactions to different situations. A negative event, like divorce, can obviously cause you to be stressed but even positive events, like the birth of a baby, can trigger it. Stress can lead to headaches, upset stomach, fatigue, and anxiety for most people, and if you have type 1 diabetes, it can also elevate your blood sugar levels.
When your body is stressed, it produces more adrenaline and cortisol hormones. This normally helps the body’s stress responses by prompting the liver to release more glucose, or blood sugar, for additional energy. This can result in a dangerously high blood sugar level, on the other hand, if you have diabetes.
When it comes to increasing your insulin to handle stress, there are no hard and fast rules on how much you require so you need to monitor yourself closely, and check your blood sugar levels as often as possible when you’re in stressful situations. It might be beneficial to rate each moment of stress on a scale of 1 to 10, along with your glucose level, every time you test, and this might help you gauge what effect, if any, stress has on your blood sugar.
Obviously, the best way to look after your wellbeing is to avoid stress altogether, though this is often easier said than done. Avoid stressors that are in your control wherever you can, like steering clear of well-known traffic jam areas. If your personal responsibilities are making you feel overwhelmed, you might want to consider reducing the time you spend on non-essential or voluntary activities.
If you can’t escape a stressful situation, which, let’s face it, is likely, learn to cope with them in as healthy a way as possible. Usually, 20 minutes of daily exercise is an effective stress reliever but this is not as simple as it sounds for people with type 1 diabetes if you have ketone in your blood or urine. Before starting an exercise programme, it is always advisable to contact your doctor to ensure it is appropriate for you to do so. You can also try deep-breathing exercises to counteract the short, shallow breaths associated with stress. At least once a day, for 5-20 minutes, sit or lie down with your legs and arms uncrossed and take in a deep breath, and then push out as much air as you can. However, if these traditional techniques don’t work, it may be a good idea to ask your doctor to recommend a counsellor or psychotherapist to help you find ways to cope with your problems.
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