How Stress Can Affect Blood Sugar Levels

In this fast-paced world, where you have to manage work, family, and everything in between, one unwelcome companion that always comes along for the ride is stress.

Stress has become just a normal part of our lives. But can stress affect blood sugar levels too?

In short: Yes. In fact, too much stress, be it psychological, physical, or metabolic, can make it harder to manage blood sugar levels, regardless of whether you are taking proper medications, eating all the right foods, and doing relaxation techniques.

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What Happens to Your Blood Sugar When You’re Stressed?

To understand how stress impacts blood sugar levels, let’s have a basic understanding of what stress actually is.

Stress is a response by your mind and body when you face a difficult or new situation. Believe it or not, stress isn’t your enemy! In fact, it is the part of you that helps protect you and makes you more alert… provided it is for the short term.

For instance, you have an exam, or you are running late to the office and are stuck in a traffic jam, or you had something physical like an accident or illness. All these situations can make you stressed. When this happens, your body goes into “fight or flight” mode, a survival response in your brain that signals your adrenal glands (small, triangular-shaped glands on top of each kidney) to release stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. In short spurts, these hormones give your body a quick boost of energy to react quickly—whether to escape danger, stay alert during an exam, or push through a physically demanding situation.

Adrenaline makes your heart race, your muscles tense up, and sharpens your focus, whereas cortisol triggers your liver to release extra glucose or sugar into your blood circulation, making sure your body has enough fuel to handle the stress.

In people without diabetes, once the stress subsides, the level of increased blood sugar gets back to normal with the help of the insulin hormone, which is a blood sugar regulator released by the pancreas. But for someone who has diabetes, insulin resistance, or prediabetes, this sudden rise in blood sugar can become problematic because their bodies either don’t produce enough insulin or can’t use it effectively. As a result, this surge stays too high for longer periods, leading to difficult-to-manage diabetes.

Can Stress Raise Blood Sugar in People Without Diabetes?

Yes, stress can spike blood sugar levels, even in people who don’t have diabetes. In hospitals, especially in patients admitted to the ICU, this is a common occurrence. A study shows that almost 50 percent of ICU patients have high blood sugar levels, i.e., above 180 mg/dL, within the first 48 hours. But, in the hospital setting, it is effectively monitored and managed to avoid serious health complications.

That said, even outside of hospitals, stress, illness, injury, or infection can cause temporary increases in blood sugar and insulin resistance. But as mentioned earlier, in most healthy individuals, these spikes are usually not severe enough and subside after some time.

One thing for sure is that chronic stress can make it difficult to manage sugar levels, which can raise your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

How Do You Know If Stress Is Making Your Blood Sugar Rise?

Here are are few clear signs that stress is pushing your blood sugar levels up:

1. Your Blood Sugar is High Even When You Haven’t Eaten Anything Sugary

Suppose you had a balanced meal comprising a good amount of protein, fibre and little carbs. But when you monitor your glucose it shows levels that are higher than normal. This is a huge red flag that your stress hormones are out there in your body and are keeping your blood sugar elevated.

2. You Feel Jittery, Restless, or Easily Irritated

High stress-related blood sugar feels different from a sugar rush. Instead of just feeling hyper, you may experience sudden irritability or mood swings, a racing heart, even when sitting still and feeling “on edge” for no reason.

3. You Crave Carbs and Sugar

Cortisol messes with your hunger hormones and makes you crave quick-fix energy sources like chocolates, chips, and cakes. But how to tell if it’s stress hunger vs. real hunger?

If you’re suddenly craving only specific foods (like chocolate or fries), it’s likely stress.

If you’re willing to eat anything (even healthy food), you’re genuinely hungry.

4. You Are Constantly Tired But Can’t Sleep Well

Stress-induced blood sugar spikes lead to energy crashes, making you feel exhausted but wired at the same time. You might notice feeling drained in the afternoon, even after sleeping well, waking up in the middle of the night, especially around 3-4 AM and tossing and turning because your brain won’t shut off.

5. You Have Frequent Headaches or Dizziness

Fluctuating blood sugar (caused by stress) messes with circulation, leading to headaches, dizziness, or even lightheadedness when standing up.

Take These Steps to Treat High Blood Sugar From Stress

Stress isn’t leaving your life anytime soon. But it doesn’t have to own you or your blood sugar levels. You just need to know how to outsmart it.

1. Trick Your Brain Out of Stress Mode

Your brain is like an overprotective parent. The moment it senses “danger” (a missed deadline, a fight, a traffic jam), it floods your body with cortisol and glucose, even if you’re just sitting in a chair doing nothing.

The hack is to convince your brain that you’re safe.

Take a deep breath like you just woke up from a nap: Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7, and exhale for 8. This literally tells your nervous system, “Chill, we’re good.”

Dunk your face in cold water for 30 seconds. This triggers the “dive reflex,” slowing your heart rate and immediately cutting down stress hormones.

2. Move But Make It Count

Yeah, everyone says, “exercise reduces stress.” But if you’re already feeling drained, forcing yourself to do a 45-minute workout is a task and can make things worse.

Instead, try micro-movements that quickly kill stress without exhausting you. Go for a 5-minute fast walk around your house or office. Do 10 squats or jumping jacks, just enough to burn off excess glucose.

These small, fast movements tell your body, “We used up that extra sugar; no need to keep pumping it out.”

3. Use Adaptogens, Nature’s Stress Killers

Adaptogens are natural substances, primarily herbs, that help your body adapt to and handle stress better. They promote a balanced response to both physical and mental challenges so the stress hormone doesn’t make your blood sugar rise. A few well-known adaptogens in Ayurveda are:

• Ashwagandha
• Tulsi
• Mulethi
• Giloy
• Kutki

You can consume them separately, like you can take Ashwagandha Juice or Ashwagandha Powder daily if you are a non-diabetic but struggle with daily stress. And if you are a diabetic, we recommend you take Krishna’s Diabic Care Juice. Not only does the juice contain adaptogens, but herbs that directly aid in blood sugar management. This Ayurvedic remedy is also clinically proven to manage high blood sugar levels.

Know more about Why Diabic Care Juice Is Beneficial For Managing Sugar Levels

4. Stop Eating Like You’re in a Zombie Apocalypse

Stress makes your brain crave sugar and junk food. It’s not your fault; it’s biology. But if you keep feeding stress with sugar, your blood sugar will stay on a rollercoaster.

Here’s how you can fight back smartly:

• Start with protein (paneer, tofu, dal) so your body doesn’t overreact to carbs later.
• Try something salty (nuts, cheese, olives). It satisfies cravings without spiking your glucose.
• Chew slowly, sit down, and actually taste your food. Sounds basic, but it stops stress-eating.

Takeaway!

Managing diabetes is already a full-time job, and when life throws additional stress your way, it’s like piling weight onto an already heavy load. The more stress stacks up, the harder it gets to keep blood sugar in check.

It’s a vicious cycle: stress raises blood sugar, high blood sugar adds to stress, and round it goes.

So whether you have diabetes or are without diabetes, try to avoid stressful situations and follow the things mentioned above to make it easier to cope.