Stress kills. The best friend of stress is inflammation. Stress causes inflammation throughout the body, and inflammation is present in almost every major disease and illness. This means that if you constantly have a stressful presence in your life, you are increasing the risk of inflaming some body part or major organ, thereby increasing your risk of developing diabetes.
We have known for thousands of years that stress can be deadly. Chronic stress does not give your body and mind enough time to recuperate before another dose of stress lands on your plate. Sometimes we intentionally put ourselves in stressful situations. This is bad for many health reasons, and it doesn’t help the person dealing with diabetes or trying to avoid diabetes. Remember that heart disease and diabetes tend to be a couple.
Since ancient times, meditation and yoga have been used to lower stress and anxiety. You don’t need to go retreat to a monastery or an ashram. Simply taking a few minutes daily to sit quietly and uninterrupted will help you start to reap the benefits. You can listen to a guided meditation or soothing music or nothing at all. When thoughts cross your mind as they inevitably will, tell yourself you’ll address it later and let it go. This part takes a bit of practice, but it gets easier each time you meditate.
Join a yoga class if it interests you. You’ll get the movement mixed with the quietness and soothing atmosphere accompanying most traditional styles. Or try qi-gong or tai chi. Both use flowing movements and breathwork to quiet your mind and connect you to your body.
If you exercise regularly (and as you know, that is one of the recommendations for dealing with diabetes or keeping it from developing), you will naturally lower your stress level.
Strolling through a quiet or peaceful park is an excellent way to either start your day or unwind and let the stress of the day disappear. Even taking a regular evening or morning walk counts as exercise. Take your dog for a walk with you or volunteer to walk your neighbors or one from the local animal shelter. You’ll get happy company that doesn’t require you to talk.
If you live in a highly toxic environment or a place where noise is constantly frustrating your eardrums, get out of those situations if you can. A set of noise-canceling headphones may help when you can’t control the volume of noise around you.
Limiting stress is important for treating diabetes, and the additional payoff is better mental and physical health overall. Warm baths, green tea, and aromatherapy are great stress relievers. Look at your life. Identify those situations and people or material things that crank up your stress. Limit your exposure to them. Create a “quiet space” to retreat for mental peace and calmness.