April is National Stress Awareness Month, and throughout the past few weeks, we’ve explored how mindset, nutrition, and movement can help manage stress. But what if you could prevent stress before it builds up and protect your blood sugar in the process?

That’s where self-care mastery comes in. Self-care isn’t about bubble baths and spa days. It's about daily habits that keep your body and mind resilient, so stress doesn’t hijack your health.

For people living with diabetes, this matters more than ever. Chronic stress drives up cortisol levels, which increases blood sugar. Consistent self-care can help stop that process before it starts.

One of the most effective tools to build resilience is something simple but often overlooked: sensory grounding.

Why Sensory Grounding Helps Prevent Stress & Blood Sugar Spikes

Your nervous system is constantly processing information. When life gets overwhelming, your brain can go into overdrive, causing racing thoughts, tension, and mental exhaustion. For people with diabetes, this can trigger unnecessary blood sugar spikes.

Sensory grounding works by bringing you back to the present moment through your five senses, stopping stress and preventing cortisol and glucose surges. Research shows that engaging your senses lowers cortisol, reduces anxiety, and promotes nervous system balance in minutes.

How to Use Sensory Grounding to Reduce Stress & Balance Blood Sugar

Instead of waiting until stress takes over, use this practice daily to keep your nervous system and glucose levels steady. Here’s how:

1. Try the 5-4-3-2-1 Method

This is one of the most effective ways to shift from stress mode to calm awareness.

How to do it:

• Notice five things you can see around you.
• Identify four things you can touch (your clothing, a chair, the ground under your feet).
• Listen for three sounds you can hear.
• Find two scents in the air (or breathe in an essential oil).
• Identify one thing you can taste (take a sip of tea or chew gum).

This method interrupts stress patterns and trains your brain to stay grounded.

2. Use Temperature to Reset Your Nervous System

Your body reacts strongly to temperature changes, making this a simple and effective way to prevent stress buildup.

How to do it:

• Warm: Hold a cup of warm tea or use a heating pad to create a sense of safety and relaxation.
• Cool: Splash cold water on your face or run cool water over your wrists to reset your nervous system.
• Alternating between warm and cool sensations can help you discover which brings you the most relief.

3. Engage in a Texture Reset

When stress builds, your hands may tense up without you realizing it. Activating your sense of touch can break that cycle.

How to do it:

• Keep a smooth stone, soft fabric, or textured stress ball nearby.
• Rub your hands together or massage your fingers to release tension.
• Simple, mindful touch can signal safety to your nervous system and help stabilize blood sugar levels.

Real Client Results: How Sensory Grounding Improved Stress & Blood Sugar Control

"By the end of the day, I used to feel completely drained and my glucose numbers reflected it. I didn’t realize how much my nervous system was in overdrive. When I learned sensory grounding and started doing the 5-4-3-2-1 method before meetings or when I felt anxious, so much changed. I am calmer, more focused, and my blood sugar swings have become less severe. This small practice made a big difference."

— Emma K., Coaching Client

What’s Next? Let’s Build a Self-Care Plan That Works for You

Preventing stress isn’t about adding more to your to-do list. It’s about creating simple, sustainable self-care habits that keep your nervous system and blood sugar balanced.

That’s why I offer a complimentary Diabetes Wellness Connection Call specifically for people living with diabetes with busy schedules. In this private one-to-one session with me, we’ll:

• Discuss your specific stress triggers and self-care needs
• Identify ways to build stress prevention into your routine
• Clarify your next steps to protect your blood sugar and peace of mind

It’s the first step to understanding what's holding you back and how to move forward.

📅 Schedule your free Diabetes Wellness Connection Call here

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Cheryl
Dr. Ac., C.H., RDH
Dr. Holistic Studies, Dr. Acupuncture
Diabetes Wellness Strategist & Coach
Creator & CEO of Holistic Diabetes Solutions
8 X International Best-Selling Author

As a woman living with diabetes for over 30 years, Dr. Cheryl understands the journey firsthand. When she was diagnosed, she received the same outdated advice her grandmother was given for over four decades, who relied primarily on medication, suffered from deteriorating health and eventually lost her life to diabetes. Fueled by this experience, Dr. Cheryl was compelled to seek a better way. Through countless research studies and trials, she developed the winning holistic approach: the Diabetes Success System which merges traditional wisdom with today’s best holistic self-care practices.  It has revolutionized diabetes management by providing a trusted way to maintain consistent and predictable healthy blood sugar levels.

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PROFESSIONAL DISCLAIMER

The material and content contained in this platform is for overall general diabetes health and education information only. It is not intended to constitute medical advice or to be a substitution for professional medical recommendations, diagnosis or treatment. All specific medical questions or changes you make to your medication and/or lifestyle should be discussed and addressed with your primary healthcare provider. Having the right mindset, doing the right movements at the right times of day, and eating foods that help keep blood sugar, insulin, and inflammation manageable can dramatically reduce your risk of the all-too-common complications of Diabetes, increase your energy levels and have you feeling your best every day.