People with diabetes can learn how to better relieve stress and prevent overstress by trying different ways to relax, which can help maintain good health. Stress hormones can cause blood sugar to rise, and learning to manage stress can lower blood sugar levels. In addition, reducing stress will give you enough energy to eat right, exercise and monitor your blood sugar. Knowing how to reduce stress can also improve sleep quality. Given that lack of sleep is bad for blood sugar and can raise it, reducing stress can be very beneficial to patients. Try the following ways to manage stress and diabetes.
Relaxation exercises
Sit or lie in a comfortable chair and close your eyes. Starting with your toes, slowly tense one part of your body at a time for 5 seconds, then relax and rest. Continue this movement until all parts of the body feel tight and relaxed.
Breathe deeply
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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 your lungs with air, hold for a few seconds, then exhale slowly through your mouth, letting the air out of your lungs as slowly as you would let the air out of a balloon. And repeat a few more times.
Listen to music
Easy music can ease anxiety and depression and lower blood pressure. Find music that calms you down, then put on your headphones and relax. You can add a few of your favorite stress-reducing songs to your playlist and play them whenever you need them. Separate these types of songs from invigorating exercise music.
Do yoga
Relax slowly and bring your body into a downward dog or warrior pose. This process forces one to focus on the breath, the stretch, and how to position the body. It relaxes tight muscles and takes the focus off of the stresses of life. One can take a yoga class at the gym, for example, or, use some video games to do yoga exercises. If you don’t have time for a full yoga class, just doing 5 or 10 minutes of yoga poses or breathing exercises can also help relieve stress.
Exercise
Think about what kind of exercise can help you relieve stress. For some people, running and hard hitting exercises can help get rid of worry. While others need a quiet walk or bike ride to calm themselves down. Exercise not only relieves stress, it also lowers blood pressure and sheds excess weight. Before starting a new exercise program, consult your doctor and ask which exercises are best for you.
Hobby
Forgetting about stress is also a way to combat it by immersing yourself in a favorite pastime. Do something that relaxes you, such as reading or painting.