Is Worry Raising Your Blood Sugar?

Forget about the past and future. Let yourself focus on what’s happening in the present.

Where’s your mind right now? Maybe you’re thinking about your chores piling up, worrying about something that happened this morning or stressing about an important relationship.

“Worrying about the past and future causes stress, and stress causes your blood sugar to spike,” says endocrinologist Gretchen Perilli, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. “High blood sugar can make you more anxious and may tempt you to find relief through unhealthy habits, like eating comfort foods high in carbohydrates, smoking or drinking alcohol.”

There is a healthier way to find stress relief. “Try not living in yesterday or tomorrow and instead focus on what is happening in the moment,” says Susan Wiley, M.D., a psychiatrist at Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network and co-director of the Center for Mindfulness. “It helps you respond to situations rather than react to them, and helps you to listen during conversations and communicate better with your friends, colleagues and loved ones.”

It’s not easy to stay focused when demands are pulling at you. A technique called “mindfulness” uses meditation and yoga to help train your mind to live in the present. “Focusing on your breath during meditation or your body’s sensations during yoga teaches you to focus on the moment, because your body lives in the present moment,” says psychologist Joanne Cohen-Katz, Ph.D., Wiley’s colleague and Center for Mindfulness co-director.

The result is good for your mind and body. “One small study showed that mindful practices helped reduce HA1C levels (a reading of your blood sugar over three months),” Wiley says. “Other research has shown that mindfulness can also help improve your blood pressure, immune system, anxiety, depression and help you cope with pain.”

How Can You Learn Mindfulness?

It’s important to find qualified teachers and group support. Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network offers 8-week courses that guide you through these mindfulness techniques:

Body scan. You’ll learn to slowly focus on each part of your body and be in tune with the physical sensations. You develop greater familiarity and confidence with your body.

Meditation. You’ll learn to incorporate meditation into your life in practical ways. You can meditate while lying down, sitting, standing, eating and walking.

Mindful movement. You’ll learn to stretch and move without forcing your body into complicated or difficult positions. You can accept your body as you find it.

Group discussion. Sharing your experiences and listening to the experiences of others in a nonjudgmental way helps you learn that your challenges are not unique. It also gives you a chance to be inspired by other group members learning to cope with life’s chaotic moments.

Awareness calendar. You’ll record the details of significant events – a pleasant or unpleasant moment, a stressful communication. The exercise helps you become in touch with your thoughts, moods and feelings, and resolve many issues.

Communication. You will learn how mindful awareness can improve communication skills, cultivating both greater presence in listening and clarity of speech.

Want to sign up for the mindfulness course? The next class series begins on Jan. 23 and 24. There is a free introductory session on Jan. 16. Call 610-402-CARE to sign up.

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