Can Stress and Anxiety Raise Blood Glucose Levels?

Stress and anxiety are a normal part of life, but for people living with diabetes or prediabetes, they can also affect blood glucose levels.

Yes, stress and anxiety can raise blood glucose levels. When your body experiences stress, it releases hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones increase glucose production and can make insulin less effective, which may cause blood glucose to rise. The American Diabetes Association explains that stress hormones can directly influence glucose levels and insulin sensitivity, which may make blood glucose harder to manage during stressful periods.

For women living with diabetes, stress may also affect sleep, eating patterns, activity levels, and daily self-management tasks. Understanding the connection between stress, anxiety, and blood glucose can help you take steps to support both your emotional well-being and physical health.

At DiabetesSisters, we believe women should never have to navigate these challenges alone. Our community is built to help women learn, connect, and thrive throughout their diabetes journeys.

How stress and anxiety affect blood glucose

When you experience stress, whether physical or emotional, your body activates a natural response often called the “fight-or-flight” response.

During fight-or-flight, the body releases several hormones, including:

• Cortisol
• Adrenaline (epinephrine)
• Glucagon

These hormones signal the liver to release stored glucose into the bloodstream to give your body quick energy.

For people without diabetes, insulin typically helps move this glucose into cells for energy. But for people living with diabetes, the body may not produce enough insulin or may not use insulin effectively. As a result, blood glucose levels may rise during periods of stress or anxiety.

Research published in the journal Diabetes Care shows that stress hormones such as cortisol can increase glucose production and reduce insulin sensitivity, which may contribute to elevated blood glucose levels.

Similarly, research in the journal Diabetes highlights how stress responses can influence glucose metabolism and insulin regulation.

Stress may also reduce insulin sensitivity, which means the body needs more insulin to move glucose into cells.

Why stress can cause challenges for diabetes management

Stress doesn’t only affect hormones. It can also influence everyday habits that help keep blood glucose in range.

When stress or anxiety increases, you might notice changes such as:

• Difficulty sleeping
• Changes in appetite or eating patterns
• Less motivation to exercise
• Forgetting to take medications or monitor glucose levels
• Feeling overwhelmed by diabetes tasks

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that stress can also make diabetes self-management more challenging by affecting sleep, eating habits, and physical activity.

The “Mood” component of the Michigan 5 M’s of Diabetes framework highlights that emotions, including stress and diabetes distress, can influence blood glucose and daily decision-making.

That’s why emotional health is considered an important part of diabetes management.

Can anxiety alone raise blood glucose?

In some cases, yes.

Anxiety can trigger the same stress-hormone response as other forms of stress. Even without eating, anxiety may cause the body to release glucose into the bloodstream.

However, everyone’s response to stress is different. Some people may notice their blood glucose increases during stressful situations, while others may see little change or occasionally lower levels.

Monitoring your glucose patterns can help you understand how your body responds.

Signs stress may be affecting your blood glucose

Stress can show up in blood glucose management in different ways. Some signs that stress may be influencing your glucose levels include:

• Elevated glucose readings during stressful periods
• More time above your target glucose range
• Feeling overwhelmed by diabetes decisions
• Experiencing diabetes distress or frustration with daily management

It’s also important to remember that blood glucose numbers are information — not a judgment of your effort or character. They simply help guide your next step in caring for your health. DiabetesSisters resources emphasize using glucose data to guide decisions rather than viewing numbers as “good” or “bad”.

Strategies to reduce stress and support blood glucose

Managing stress can help improve both emotional well-being and blood glucose patterns. Even small changes can make a difference.

Practice mindfulness or relaxation techniques

Mind-body strategies may help calm the stress response and lower stress hormones.

Examples include:

• Deep breathing exercises
• Meditation or mindfulness
• Yoga or gentle stretching
• Journaling

Just a few minutes each day can help the body shift out of a stress response.

Stay physically active

Physical activity can help reduce stress hormones and improve insulin sensitivity.

Activities that may help include:

• Walking
• Cycling
• Dancing
• Strength training
• Yoga or Pilates (Chair yoga or chair aerobics is also an option)

Movement also supports overall mental health and can improve sleep.

Prioritize sleep

Poor sleep can increase stress hormones and affect blood glucose levels.

Healthy sleep habits may include:

• Maintaining a consistent bedtime
• Reducing screen time before sleep
• Creating a relaxing nighttime routine

If sleep challenges persist, consider discussing them with a healthcare professional.

Connect with supportive communities

Living with diabetes can sometimes feel isolating. Connecting with others who understand your experiences can help reduce stress and build confidence in your diabetes management.

Peer support communities allow women to:

• Share lived experiences
• Learn new strategies
• Ask questions
• Feel supported and understood

Research and community feedback show that peer support can help people feel more confident in making healthy behavior changes related to diabetes management and emotional well-being. DiabetesSisters hosts regular meetups and support groups for women living with or at risk of diabetes.

Work with your healthcare team

If stress or anxiety is affecting your blood glucose, your healthcare team can help.

They may recommend:

• Reviewing glucose patterns
• Adjusting medications
• Behavioral health support
• Personalized stress-management strategies

Diabetes management works best when both physical and emotional health are part of the conversation.

When to seek additional support

Occasional stress is normal. However, persistent or severe anxiety or diabetes distress that impacts activities of daily living deserves attention.

You may want to speak with a healthcare professional if you experience:

• Frequent anxiety about glucose levels or overall diabetes management
• Difficulty managing diet or taking medications
• Ongoing sleep problems
• Feeling burned out by diabetes management
• Persistent sadness, worry, or overwhelm

Mental health professionals who understand chronic conditions can help you develop tools for managing stress and building resilience.

You are not alone

Stress and anxiety are common experiences for people living with diabetes. Recognizing how these feelings can influence blood glucose is an important step toward caring for your whole health.

With the right information, support, and tools, women can learn strategies to manage stress while continuing to make empowered decisions about their diabetes health.

At DiabetesSisters, we believe connection, education, and shared experiences help women feel stronger and more confident throughout their health journeys.

Join the DiabetesSisters community

Looking for support from women who understand life with diabetes?

Explore DiabetesSisters peer support groups, expert-led topic-specific support groups, educational webinars, and online events designed specifically for women living with diabetes.

Visit https://diabetessisters.org to find community, resources, and support.

References

American Diabetes Association – Stress
https://diabetes.org/health-wellness/mental-health/ease-diabetes-care-stress

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Diabetes and Mental Health
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/living-with/mental-health.html

Hackett RA, Steptoe A. Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Psychological Stress. Nature Reviews Endocrinology.
https://doi.org/10.1038/nrendo.2016.153

Stress and Diabetes – Diabetes Spectrum
https://diabetesjournals.org/spectrum/article-abstract/18/2/121/1827/Stress-and-Diabetes-A-Review-of-the-Links?redirectedFrom=fulltext

Michigan 5 M’s of Diabetes Framework
https://diabetessisters.org/resources/t2d-prevention-michigan-5-ms-of-diabetes/

Using Data for Actionable Decisions About Blood Glucose
https://diabetessisters.org/resources/using-blood-glucose-data-for-actionable-decisions-downloadable-tip-sheet/