Diabetes is a lifestyle disease. A stressful and hectic lifestyle can affect the blood glucose levels of your body and lead to diabetes. Furthermore, a hectic lifestyle can cause inconsistent sleep, overconsumption of processed foods, smoking habits, lack of exercise, etc. All these factors also contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes. This kind of lifestyle not only causes diabetes but also worsens it further if not managed in time. 

Consequences Of A Hectic Lifestyle And Their Impacts On Diabetes:

Stress

Long hours of work, building work pressure and irregular sleep patterns are a few of the main causes of stress. The release of stress hormones in your body can raise your blood sugar levels and worsen your diabetes. It can also cause hypertension and heart problems in the body. Stress can further lead to many unhealthy lifestyle practices such as eating an unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, smoking habits, excessive alcohol consumption, etc. Managing stress while leading a hectic lifestyle can become very difficult. However, there are some easy techniques that can help you manage your stress more effectively. 

• Practice Yoga, meditation and mindfulness. These practices help to manage stress more efficiently.
• If you are involved in a stressful project or activity, take short breaks and take deep breaths to reduce stress.
• Listening to music and talking with your family and friends are also effective tricks to manage stress.

Poor Quality Of Sleep

A hectic lifestyle is often accompanied by inconsistent sleep patterns, sleep deprivation and poor quality of sleep. Inconsistent and irregular sleep can decrease insulin sensitivity, elevate the level of cortisol and increase oxidative stress in your body, vastly affecting your blood sugar levels. Lack of sleep can also affect the hunger hormones and increase the risk of obesity, which is both a complication and cause of diabetes. Therefore, it is extremely important to get good sleep, both quantitatively and qualitatively. You must try to take at least 7-8 hours of sleep. However, if for some reason, you were not able to get sufficient sleep, you may take short naps during the day. Try to wake up and sleep every day at the same time to get your body into a routine. Avoiding electronic devices and caffeinated beverages before bedtime can further help to improve your sleep.

Overconsumption Of Processed Foods

Busy schedules make us opt for quick and convenient processed food options. Stress can also induce hunger hormones and make us overeat processed and packaged foods. These foods can elevate your blood sugar levels, increase blood pressure levels and also cause obesity. In the current world, it is difficult to avoid processed food altogether. However, you can limit the consumption of such foods by following some easy tips. 

• Avoid foods that have added sugar, saturated fat and processed carbohydrates such as muffins, biscuits, etc. As an alternative, you may eat a handful of nuts and fruits as snacks.  
• Eat a healthy and fulfilling breakfast. It will help you control your cravings.
• Pack a lunch and a small snack box with yoghurts, nuts, etc. This will help you to avoid munching on processed food items.
• Whenever you are buying food, always check the nutrition label to verify ingredients.

Irregular Eating Patterns

Busy schedules can make you indulge in irregular eating patterns and habits. Skipping breakfast, eating at untimely hours, munching on snacks all the time are some of the habits that may form due to hectic schedules. Diabetes management puts a lot of focus on eating at regular intervals of time. Irregular eating patterns can severely affect your blood sugar and blood pressure levels. Therefore, you must try to not miss any meal, eat at regular intervals of time and take a balanced diet. 

Smoking Habits

Stress, anxiety and work pressure can easily build smoking habits in you. Smoking is harmful to everyone, but for people with diabetes, it is even more injurious to health. It not only raises your blood sugar levels but also causes kidney diseases, heart diseases and nerve damage. Therefore, you must quit smoking to manage your diabetes effectively. You can take the help of a doctor or support groups to quit this habit. Managing stress is also extremely important if you want to leave this habit permanently.    

Lack Of Exercises

The gravest impact of leading a hectic lifestyle is the lack of exercise and physical movements. Physical activity is of high importance if you have diabetes. Exercising helps to regulate blood sugar levels, improve insulin sensitivity in the body, reduce stress, manage body weight and prevent heart diseases. Therefore, it is advised to exercise regularly for at least 30 minutes. However, usually busy schedules do not allow you to spare time for exercise. In that case, you should strive to be physically active in whatever capacity you can. Instead of using elevators, you may use stairs to induce physical movements in the body. You may also take short walks within your office to avoid sitting for a long time. These small movements will contribute largely in the long run.

Reference Links:

1. https://www.healthline.com/health/diabetes-and-stress
2. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/14891-diabetes-stress–depression
3. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326193
4. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/physical-health/lack-of-sleep-and-diabetes#:~:text=Researchers%20believe%20that%20sleep%20restriction,having%20elevated%20blood%20sugar12.
5. https://www.healthline.com/health/diabetes/diabetes-and-sleep
6. https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/enjoy-food/eating-with-diabetes/your-lifestyle-diabetes-and-food-
7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5792082/