Many people feel stressed. But when you have diabetes, too much stress can cause harm to your body. No matter where your stress comes from, your body will speed up to try and help get through the stressful situation. Your heart will beat faster, you breathe faster, your blood pressure goes up, you mouth gets dry.

These are all normal reactions; however, your body cannot stay “charged up” like this for too long. Just like a machine that burns out from working too hard, the stress will cause too much wear and tear on your body. This wear and tear will cause health problems. It will make it harder to control your diabetes.

Changes that happen in the body during stress make it harder for the body to use insulin. Insulin is what lowers blood sugar. When your body cannot use insulin as well, blood sugar levels go up. This is why stress can raise blood sugar levels. Learning to manage or deal with stress is important for everyone, especially people with diabetes.

Learn How to Cope

• Set goals, but don’t expect perfection. Breakdown all the things you do to control your diabetes into small steps. Some people become discouraged when they focus too much on the final outcome. Instead celebrate when you achieve even a few steps toward your final goal.

•  Learn how to relax –Diabetes causes stress. Good stress reducers are moderate exercise, deep breathing, thinking about pleasant places or enjoying a hobby. Plan time to relax every day and your diabetes may improve.

•  Share your feelings with your medical team and family. Don’t assume other people know how you feel. Talk about your concerns to find ways to handle them better. You may handle things better once an understanding person listens.

•  Join a support group –Many people find diabetic support groups helpful. Support groups can expose you to new diabetes management ideas. The Diabetes Support Group at Jordan Valley meets the third Wednesday of every month at 3:00 PM.

• Keep a journal –Sometimes writing down your thoughts relieves some of the pressure. Just seeing your concerns in black and white may help you find new ways to deal with them.