Just wondering if anyone has any little tricks that work for them when it comes to stress. I am going through an EXTREMELY stressful time and it is making my sugars go through the roof!!!
I have increased both my short and long acting insulins and nothing has helped this far. I have also tried exercise to both relieve stress and lower my sugar but no to avail!! Needless to say, I am not eating very much (my stomach is in knots from all of this stress) and when I am able to eat it isn't always the healthiest choices. Any ideas or suggestions are greatly appreciated!!!
The only thing that has worked for me has been to alleviate stress. Increasing insulin doages, eating less, etc hasn't worked in my experience. Of course, there are a million ways to relieve stress and everyone seems to have a particular way of dealing with it. When I'm moderately stressed, exercise and music help. When I'm under severe stress, the only thing that works is confronting the situation head on in the calmest, most rational way possible. For example, I'm in college and this past semester for a good week or two I had a lot of problem with my sites (the tissue was dead and wasn't absorbing insulin...seemingly anywhere lol). I was also taking the heaviest courseload I have ever taken. I freaked out for a while, then took some deep breaths, assessed the situation, contacted professors, disability services, asked for extensions, came up with a plan as to how to get everything that needed to be done done. So my advice is definitely to treat this as a mental health issue (by that I just mean stress ;)) and not an endocrine issue. Figure out why you're stressed and do whatever you can to alleviate it. If it's a long term problem that's causing you stress and you think there's nothing you can do about it, get help from friends, colleagues, family (haha didn't mean to put family last). One last thing: in my experience if you don't treat the systemic issue and instead rely entirely on coping mechanisms that only scratch at the surface, you're only going to exacerbate the problem. HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!
Alisha - One of the most difficult things to control is our emotions, and stress is part of that evil. The more we stress the more out of control our sugars go. The emotional strain can and does cause us stress, which causes a rise in metabolism, which causes the glucose in our livers to dump, which causes our sugars to stay out of control. If you practice when you let your emotions run free, then you can predict your insulin requirements and things are not so crazy. Stress is not something I can tell you how to control, except take a minute or few to meditate and collect your thoughts, find a level place and move through your day, this helps me to maintain and keeps my sugars more level. I learned this the hard way, and I would save you that path, do not feel like you have to walk that one, it is only destructive at best. Good Luck.
You have to take care of yourself to deal with the stressful situation you're in. Don't stress about your blood sugars, but test and correct often.
Get good sleep and make a special effort to have quick, healthy food in your house (yougurt, bread and peanut butter, apples). Drink lots of water. One of my favorite fast meals is to spread a guacamole snack pack on a tortilla and top with smoked turkey slices, salsa and shredded cheese. Roll it up and in a minute you have a quick meal that's not too high carb or fat.
Ask your friends and family for help. I'm a Christian and have learned that in times of stress I have to be extra sure to take time to pray and do Bible study. If you're a person of faith, rely on it now.
Thank you for all of your advice. Things have gotten better blood sugar wise, the stress is still very high.
My Dr put me on Cipralex for depression and anxiety, after my appointment I read the information about this medication, It is something I work a lot with just don't know the diabetes related side effects and this medication can either increase or decrease blood sugar. I am one of the lucky ones that it lowers blood sugar for :) Guess it is a good thing that I didn't have time to ask her to put me back on Metformin!!
The stressful situation I am going through is far from over unfortunately but I am feeling better health wise :)
p.s. Jennagrant, thank you so much for the tortilla idea!!! Wonderful quick meal and even my 3 year old daughter loves them (she is a very picky eater!!!)
Cool! I got the recipe from a healthy mom's cookbook. My son is super picky too. The book is cool because it has common ingredients and the recipes are things my son and husband will actually eat.
Oh that would be a great cook book! I definately have to get that one! Thank you so much!! I thought that my daughter would just pick the wrap apart and just eat the cheese and meat as that is what she usually does, but she ate it all :) Thank you again!