Vent Away Your Prediabetes Stress

How to vent your prediabetes stress

Good stress management can keep stress as a positive part of your life, and prevent it from interfering with blood sugar control if you have prediabetes or diabetes. You may already be familiar with methods such as getting active, meditating, and reading. Another approach is venting when things get overwhelming. Venting can help you feel better and keep stress under control, and these are some ways to vent when you have a specific stressful feeling.

Talk to Someone

There is no better way to vent than good old talking. Talk to a friend, to a family member, to a colleague, to the person sitting next to you on the metro, or to anyone else who will let you talk. Sometimes it is helpful to talk to someone who knows you well. Other times, you can feel better after talking to any old stranger.

Get Active

Regular physical activity increases your ability to manage stress on a daily basis, but exercise can also help if you are particularly bothered about something in the moment. If it is safe and you are able to, getting out of breath and breaking a sweat can be quite effective. Otherwise, light activity such as walking can help, too.

Write It Down

Journaling online or in a traditional notebook with a pen or pencil can release frustrations even if there is nobody on the other end to read what you wrote. Something about the physical sensation of forming words on paper can increase the calming effects of writing, but typing can also help.

Express Yourself

You can vent effectively without specifically stating what you are upset about by expressing yourself in another way. Examples include writing creatively in prose or poetry, dressing in a certain unique way, singing or playing an instrument, and making art. Whatever makes you feel more like you can help keep stress under control.

Lose Control... In a Controlled Way

Sometimes, holding yourself together can add to your stress. It can feel cleansing to let yourself cry without holding back the tears. If rage is more your style, use a punching bag until you are exhausted. If being destructive would let off some steam, blow up a bunch of balloons and pop them until you feel better.