As we close out Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re focusing on one of the most overlooked yet powerful ways to support both your mental health and blood sugar stability - through the practice of breath holding.

Self-care is about building small, intentional habits that help your nervous system stay balanced. One lesser-known practice that does exactly that is breath holds - a gentle, controlled way to shift your nervous system out of stress mode.

How Breath Holding Supports Mental Health & Blood Sugar

You’ve probably heard of deep breathing to reduce stress. It is the controlled breath holding that goes a step further by improving your carbon dioxide tolerance, which helps:

• Lower cortisol
• Calm the nervous system
• Improve emotional regulation
• Support insulin sensitivity and glucose control

When you hold your breath briefly and safely, your body learns to tolerate slight stress without panicking, which lowers your baseline anxiety and improves your ability to handle mental stressors, all of which benefit blood sugar regulation.

Your Self-Care Tip: Daily Breath Holding Exercise

This is a simple, science-backed self-care habit you can start today:

How to Practice Breath Holding for Stress & Blood Sugar Balance

• Step 1: Sit comfortably, spine tall, shoulders relaxed.
• Step 2: Take a deep inhale through your nose, then exhale fully.
• Step 3: After the exhale, hold your breath for 5–10 seconds (no need to force).
• Step 4: Inhale slowly and gently when your body signals.
• Step 5: Repeat for 5 rounds, gradually increasing the hold by a few seconds if comfortable.

Start small and listen to your body. Over time, this will train your nervous system to stay calm and reduce stress-driven blood sugar spikes.

Real Client Results: How Breath Holding Transformed Stress & Blood Sugar Control

"I had no idea something as simple as holding my breath could help me manage my stress so much better. I started doing it before big meetings and when I felt overwhelmed, and within minutes, I noticed I wasn’t reacting to stress the same way. I felt more in control of my diabetes especially when I began experiencing fewer blood sugar swings that became less severe.  I finally felt like I had a tool to calm myself down anytime."

— Michelle T., Group Coaching Client

What’s Next? Let’s Build Your Personalized Self-Care Strategy

Your nervous system is the control center for both your mental health and your blood sugar. Most active, busy people living with diabetes don’t realize the impact of how small, simple best self-care practices like breath holding and the meaningful benefits can make a real difference.

That’s why I offer a complimentary Diabetes Wellness Connection Call designed specifically for busy professionals with diabetes. In this private session, we’ll:

• Identify the hidden stressors affecting your blood sugar
• Clarify your health goals and lifestyle needs
• Map out your next steps to reduce overwhelm and regain control

This is your first step toward understanding what’s keeping you stuck.

📅 Schedule your free Connection Call here: Click to book now link

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.