How Stress and Anxiety Affect Blood Sugar Levels

Stress is something we all deal with, whether it’s a big life event or just everyday hassles like running late or juggling too many responsibilities. While it’s easy to think of stress as only an emotional issue, it actually has a very real impact on your body—especially if you’re managing your blood sugar. Stress and anxiety can quietly and powerfully influence your glucose levels, making them rise or fall in ways you might not expect. This connection is often overlooked, but it’s a big deal.

In this post, we’re going to explore how stress affects blood sugar, why it happens, and—most importantly—what you can do about it. Whether you’ve noticed mysterious glucose spikes or you’re just curious about the mind-body connection, understanding this relationship can help you stay on top of your health and feel more in control.

For a more detailed breakdown, check out Stress & Blood Sugar: How to Spot the Connection and Keep Glucose Steady - GlucoSense.

What Happens to Your Body When You're Stressed?

When you experience stress—whether it’s emotional, physical, or mental—your body reacts quickly. You may have heard of the “fight-or-flight” response. This is your body’s natural alarm system, designed to help you deal with danger. Even though you’re probably not running from wild animals in today’s world, your body still responds as if you are. When this response kicks in, stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline are released. These hormones get your heart beating faster, sharpen your focus, and signal your liver to release extra glucose (sugar) into your bloodstream. That sugar gives your muscles quick energy to "fight" or "flee."

This reaction is great for emergencies—but if you're under stress all the time, it can become a problem. Especially for people with diabetes, those extra bursts of glucose can lead to higher blood sugar levels that are harder to manage.

The Difference Between Short-Term and Chronic Stress

Not all stress is created equal. A sudden scare—like narrowly avoiding a car accident—can cause a quick spike in blood sugar, but it usually levels out once you calm down. That’s short-term stress, and your body is pretty good at recovering from it. The bigger concern is chronic stress. That’s the kind that sticks around, like ongoing job pressure, money worries, caregiving responsibilities, or long-term anxiety. When your stress levels stay high for days, weeks, or even months, your body is constantly flooded with stress hormones. Over time, this can cause your cells to stop responding properly to insulin, the hormone that helps move sugar out of your bloodstream. This condition is called insulin resistance, and it’s a key factor in Type 2 diabetes. People with chronic stress may also see their A1C (a measure of long-term blood sugar levels) creep up over time. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains more about this on their page about mental health and diabetes.

The Role of Stress Hormones in Blood Sugar Swings

Let’s talk about cortisol and adrenaline—the two main stress hormones behind this whole process.

• Cortisol can make your body less sensitive to insulin. That means the sugar in your bloodstream stays there longer, leading to higher glucose levels.

• Adrenaline, on the other hand, tells your liver to release glucose quickly. It’s part of your body's way of giving you an energy boost in stressful situations.

When these hormones are released over and over again—because of frequent stress—they create a cycle of blood sugar highs that are hard to manage. You may start noticing patterns, like higher glucose readings even if your meals and physical activity haven’t changed.

The CDC also explores how stress hormones affect people with diabetes in more detail here.

How to Know If Stress Is Messing With Your Blood Sugar

One of the trickiest parts about stress-related blood sugar spikes is that they can sneak up on you. You might eat the same breakfast you always do, but your blood sugar is suddenly much higher than usual. Or you might wake up with elevated glucose levels, even though you didn’t snack the night before.

These are common signs of stress-related blood sugar changes:

• Unexplained glucose spikes, especially after emotional events

• High morning blood sugar due to the early release of cortisol (known as the "dawn phenomenon")

• Feeling more tired than usual, even when you’re getting enough sleep

The GlucoSense blog has a helpful article that breaks down how to spot these signs early: Spotting Stress-Induced Glucose Fluctuations.

Managing Stress to Keep Your Blood Sugar Balanced

The good news is that managing stress can have a big impact on your blood sugar levels—and your overall well-being. Even small changes can help reduce the effects of stress on your body.

Here are a few simple techniques:

• Mindfulness: Spending just a few minutes focusing on your breath or doing a guided meditation can calm your nervous system and lower cortisol levels.

• Exercise: Moving your body helps burn off extra glucose and releases feel-good chemicals called endorphins. It doesn’t have to be intense—even a short walk can help.

• Deep breathing: When you feel anxious, pause and take a few slow, deep breaths. This can help bring your body out of "fight-or-flight" mode.

How Technology Can Help

One of the best ways to get a handle on your stress-related blood sugar patterns is to use a Continuous Glucose Monitor, or CGM. These small wearable devices track your blood sugar in real-time throughout the day and night. With a CGM, you can actually see how your glucose changes after a stressful meeting or a tough workout. This insight can help you connect the dots between your emotional state and your blood sugar—something that’s hard to do with occasional finger sticks. GlucoSense offers smart tools and insights to help users track and manage these patterns. Learn more about how CGMs can support stress management here.

The Mind-Body Connection Matters

Stress and anxiety don’t just affect how you feel—they affect how your body works, especially when it comes to blood sugar. For people living with diabetes, stress can be a hidden driver behind unexplained highs and tough-to-manage glucose levels.

But here’s the encouraging part: once you understand this connection, you can take steps to do something about it. Whether it's deep breathing, walking, journaling, or using a CGM to keep tabs on patterns, managing stress is a powerful part of managing your health.