I’ve been gone from Winston Salem about the same amount of time that I’ve been in Winston Salem within the past month or so. I’m definitely at a point of hitting a wall and just trying to make it through each day knowing that it’s one day closer to Christmas Break.
As I’ve talked about in previous posts, traveling is stressful with diabetes. And I’ve been traveling a lot, and honestly not good travels either. I’ve toured 3 schools looking at PhD programs. I’ve started working on a new research study with the Provost and gosh those meetings I even dress up for cause there’s so much pressure. I’ve edited my IRB 3 times. My IRB finally got approved last week. I have to do my thesis proposal this Friday, so short notice. And my PhD applications are due next week and I haven’t completely narrowed down my list. I’m tired. And I’m overwhelmed. And I’m STRESSED.
We all have different reasons to be stressed. We live in a society that says stress is a good thing, unfortunately. And stress impacts your blood sugar, so I want to tell you how I combat it when times get tough, like now.
I have a theory that as adrenaline and noradrenaline increase, so does blood sugar. My reasoning is that your body is releasing it’s fight or flight hormones and releasing glucose, or making glucose available, means that the body can use it for energy at any time needed. So as we get stressed and these hormones are released, it makes sense for blood sugar to increase as well.
When I get really stressed, I try to remember other little things that usually accompany stress that also tend to increase my blood sugar. Things like not getting enough sleep, not exercising, not eating well, etc. So when I do find myself in times like these, I set a strict limit for myself that I have to go to bed when I would get at least 7 hours of sleep. For every meal, I try to tell myself that maybe I want pizza or takeout, something easy and quick and not time consuming, but I will ultimately feel better if I make my dinner for 20-30 minutes and it’ll be worth it long run. In terms of working out, I will always restructure what I’m doing to take 45 AT MAX so that I can tell myself it’s worth it. Whether it’s a run or a circuit workout or going kickboxing for a session, I can spare 30-45 minutes doing something that will benefit my health. I know I won’t work straight and will spend 30-45 minutes doing something else and it’d be better to workout than sit on my phone.
So, friends, if your numbers are starting to run high around finals week, that’s normal. But there are things you can do to combat that stress effect. I know it feels like you need to stay up that extra hour, spend all your time studying, and just want comfort food, but I PINKY PROMISE it’s worth it to take care of yourself.
Also, breathe.
HP