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How to Manage Stress and Diabetes

May 19 2025

A woman is shown thinking about the connection between diabetes and stress.

Stress is a part of life. Everyone experiences it from time to time. Tension headaches, digestion issues, and sleep disruption, are some of the well-known ways stress can manifest in your body. But when you’re living with diabetes, stress can add another layer of complexity, causing blood sugar levels to spike unpredictably. That’s why understanding and managing stress isn’t just a wellness tip, it’s an essential part of keeping diabetes symptoms under control.

If you’ve been feeling concerned about how stress is impacting your health, you’re not alone. The connection between stress and diabetes is real, but so is your ability to manage both. With the right support and mindset, you can stay in control and tackle your daily routine with confidence. Continue reading to see recommended tips, habits, and tools for managing stress and diabetes like a pro.

1. What’s the Connection Between Stress and Diabetes?

Have you ever been in a stressful situation and noticed your blood sugar levels spiked shortly after? When you encounter a stressor, your body enters a state known as “fight-or-flight.” In this state, your respiratory rate increases and adrenaline and cortisol enter your bloodstream. This is your body’s natural and normal response to stress. But the release of these hormones has a direct effect on blood glucose, impacting individuals living with diabetes. When the adrenal gland releases the adrenaline hormone, it stimulates the liver and breaks down glycogen, turning it into glucose. The glucose gets released into the bloodstream, causing the glucose spike.¹

A concerned woman sits on her laptop researching the connection between stress and diabetes.

2. Stress and Type 2 Diabetes

If you’re living with Type 2 diabetes, you’re no stranger to experiencing high blood sugar levels, also known as hyperglycemia.² When you experience stress, it typically results in an increase in blood sugar levels.

Stress and Type 1 Diabetes

If you’re living with Type 1 diabetes, you likely experience both low and high blood sugar levels. So when you experience stress, you may have a more unpredictable response, resulting in either high or low blood sugar.

Stress and Diabetes Management Tips

There are many ways to tackle stress management in diabetes. While everyone undergoes stress, it’s important to find the right method of management for you. Each of the suggestions below are proven to help reduce stress levels. It may take some trial and error to find the routine that suits you best, but you’ll be better prepared to keep your stress and diabetes under control.

Stay Informed on Diabetes Management

For many, managing diabetes may be a source of stress—especially those who are newly diagnosed. Learning how to deal with highs and lows, worrying about overnight spikes, and simply going to work or traveling can all be stressful when adjusting to life with diabetes. Over time, this can cause chronic stress. One of the best ways to combat this is by staying informed and educated on proper diabetes management. The more confident you are in your ability to properly care for yourself, the less stressed you’ll be. For help with this, consult with your healthcare team and check out the American Diabetes Association Support Resources.

If you’re looking for a more hands-on and social approach, consider joining a support group. Having a community of others you can relate to is a great way to reduce stress.

Exercise Regularly

Exercise doesn’t just make it easier to manage diabetes, it can also help alleviate tension. Choose an aerobic workout like dancing, cycling, or pilates, which releases endorphins and may increase your mood. Playing a team sport like pickleball, tennis, or basketball is a great option for the added social benefits and accountability. Finding the right exercise routine for your life can significantly improve your physical and emotional health. Even a 30 minute walk can release endorphins for an instant mood boost.

An African-American man in a blue hoodie is shown stretching his arm.

Practice Mindfulness

Along with exercise, relaxation techniques can help you improve your approach to stress and diabetes management. Deep breathing is perhaps the simplest, most effective step you can take for immediate relaxation. Just breathe in deeply and slowly through your nose, wait a moment or two, and breathe out through your mouth. When you breathe in, try placing your palm on your stomach to focus on inflating your belly rather than your chest for the best results.

For mindfulness paired with exercise, try a yoga class or Tai Chi. If you’re looking for an easy way to incorporate mindfulness into your daily routine, you can try using a meditation app like Calm or Insight Timer.

Limit Caffeine Intake

Have you ever felt your heart start to race after that second cup of coffee or diet soda? When you’re having a hard time keeping stress under control, avoiding caffeine is one of the best things you can do. Even when you can’t completely control stress levels, you can control your caffeine intake. Consuming caffeine stimulates the nervous system and may increase cortisol production. It also may make it more difficult to absorb adenosine, a hormone linked to relaxation.³ If you’re living with diabetes, caffeine might affect the way your body uses insulin, which could lead to unstable blood sugar levels. Caffeine affects each person differently.⁴ If it’s hard to imagine skipping your morning coffee or afternoon soda, try swapping it out for a caffeine-free diet soda or a decaf latte or tea. Remember to stay hydrated by drinking water.

Spend Time Outdoors

Studies have shown that simply spending 20 minutes outdoors, particularly in a nature space like a park, can reduce cortisol levels.⁵ To maximize time in nature, avoid being on your phone or using headphones. Using this time in fresh air to disconnect can also help reduce stress. Take a 30 minute walk in your local park for the added exercise benefit.

Try a New Hobby or Skill

Getting creative, having a goal, and having something to look forward to all have a positive impact on mental health. Trying a new hobby or skill checks all of these boxes. Try a creative hobby like pottery, painting, writing, or photography. Or, opt for something relaxing like gardening, baking, or joining a book club. If you’re looking for something mentally stimulating, try learning a language, taking an online class, or learning how to play a musical instrument. For many people, having a routine can improve overall mental health. Scheduling time during the week dedicated to your hobby can help achieve this.

Prioritize a Healthy Diet

This tip is one you’ve heard time and time again because it works. A healthy mind and healthy body go hand-in-hand. Maintaining healthy habits and healthy eating is an important part of stress and diabetes management. Start by incorporating magnesium-rich foods like leafy greens, nuts, bananas, whole grains, and avocado, as well as antioxidant-rich snacks like berries, beans, and small amounts of dark chocolate.

An overweight woman sits before a healthy meal sipping fresh juice.

Consult With a Medical Professional

If stress is significantly impacting your diabetes symptoms, mental health, or overall wellbeing, consult with a medical professional. While a healthy amount of stress is normal and inevitable, chronic stress isn’t something you have to live with. Working with a doctor or therapist can help you identify the root cause of your stress and create a plan to relieve it.

Here are a few ways doctors may evaluate your body’s response to stress and diabetes:

Heart Rate Variability (HRV): It’s no secret that stress can cause your heart to beat faster. Heart rate variability (HRV) measures the variation in the time interval between successive heartbeats. Your autonomic nervous system controls both your sympathetic (which causes the fight-or-flight response) and parasympathetic (which is active while you’re relaxing) nervous systems. This system is also responsible for your HRV. So when you’re experiencing the fight-or-flight response, your HRV will decrease. Healthcare professionals can measure your HRV with an electrocardiogram. Some smart watches also track HRV.⁶

Hormone Testing: Since adrenaline and cortisol play vital roles in your body’s stress response, your doctor may suggest checking your hormone levels. Lab tests can help you assess your cortisol levels.

Stress Tracking: Your doctor may suggest you track your stress at home by using a stress tracker. This includes fitness trackers and smartwatches. Due to a lack of research and evolving technology, it’s hard to say how accurate these devices are. However, they can still provide helpful insights for your doctor. Stress trackers also rely on a single variable to monitor your stress levels, so they can’t provide an in-depth look at how you respond to stressors. However, if you already have a fitness tracker, you can monitor your stress scores and document abnormal readings to share with your doctor.

Utilize the Proper Diabetes Supplies

Life provides enough stress on its own, you shouldn’t have to worry about the reliability of your diabetes supplies. Ensuring you have enough diabetes supplies from trusted brands is critical for diabetes management. If frequent finger sticks and uncertainty over your blood glucose levels is a source of stress, consider adding a CGM (continuous glucose monitor) to your method of care. CGMs are wearable devices that continuously monitor your blood glucose. They alert you when highs and lows are coming, so you’re not caught off guard. For many individuals CGMs provide peace of mind. Some of the most popular CGMs are the Dexcom G7 and the Freestyle Libre 3 Plus. If you’re unsure which CGM is right for you, give us a call, we’re happy to help.

A woman wearing a CGM laughs while looking at her phone.

Symptoms of Stress

Stress has many different symptoms, some of which are easier to spot than others. When we think of stress, we tend to think about the mental and emotional forms. But physical stress, caused by injury or illness can also cause your blood sugar levels to change.⁷ If you’re unsure if stress is affecting you, here are a few prominent physical symptoms associated with it:

Headaches
Muscle pain and tension
Over or undersleeping
Fatigue
Feeling uneasy or unwell

You might also notice mental symptoms like:

Decreased motivation
Depression
Irritability
Restlessness
Anxiety

If you are dealing with frequent, unexplained blood sugar spikes, it could be due to stress. Consult with your healthcare team to help you find the root cause.

FAQs for Stress and Diabetes

Can stress cause diabetes?

While stress can impact diabetes symptoms, stress alone does not cause diabetes. Type 1 diabetes typically occurs due to autoimmunity and pathological mechanisms. Type 2 diabetes is caused mainly by insulin resistance. While stress can be a contributing factor, it is not the primary cause of diabetes.⁸

Can stress raise blood sugar in Type 2 diabetes?

Yes, stress can raise blood sugar in Type 2 diabetes. The release of hormones like cortisol and adrenaline can cause blood sugar to increase when you are stressed.

Can stress raise A1c?

While stress may not have a direct result on A1c levels, it is likely a contributing factor. A1c measures the amount of glucose in your blood. Stress has been reported to impact blood glucose levels, making them higher than normal in individuals living with Type 2 diabetes. When chronic stress leads to frequent high blood glucose levels, it likely contributes to a higher A1c.⁹

Does cortisol increase blood glucose?

Yes, when cortisol is released into the blood system it triggers the fight-or-flight response, which increases blood glucose.

What doctor should I see for stress and diabetes?

If stress is affecting your diabetes symptoms, you should consult with your endocrinologist or primary care provider. They can assess your situation and suggest other specialists if needed.

An African American woman smiles as she looks out the window holding a mug of tea.

Reducing Stress With Help from ADS

Reducing the stress that comes from living with diabetes can be a huge sense of relief. At ADS, our experts offer one-on-one support for the proper equipment tailored to your individual routine of care. If you’re considering an insulin pump or CGM, we can help you understand your options so you’re prepared for your conversation with your doctor. We also offer a 90-day supply of diabetes equipment, so you can order less frequently throughout the year.

We know that understanding your insurance can also be a source of stress. We work closely with Medicare and offer free benefits checks so you never have to wonder how much your diabetes supplies will cost. Our online patient portal makes it easy for you to manage your orders and billing, so you never have to worry about running out of supplies. Give us a call with any questions.

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