Is It Stress or Is It Sugar? How to Tell the Difference in Your Body

You’re snapping at your partner, craving a cinnamon roll, and feeling like the world is just… too much. You pause and wonder: Is my blood sugar low, or am I just stressed out of my mind?

Spoiler: the symptoms look eerily similar. But knowing the difference can help you break the loop of anxiety, exhaustion, and sugar spirals. Let’s decode the signs so you can respond with clarity—not cookies.

Why They Feel the Same
Low blood sugar (aka hypoglycemia) and emotional stress activate the same fight-or-flight response in your body.
When your glucose drops too low, your body sends out a cortisol + adrenaline flare. When you’re emotionally stressed, it sends the same hormones.

The result? Your heart races. You get foggy. You feel irritable. And you want something sweet to “fix” it.

Common Symptoms Shared by Both:
Cravings for sugar or carbs
Anxiety or irritability
Brain fog or forgetfulness
Sweating or shakiness
Mood swings
Sudden fatigue or yawning
This is your body waving a red flag. The trick is learning which flag it’s waving.

Is It Stress? Here’s How You Know:
You’re mentally overwhelmed (to-do list, deadlines, kid meltdowns)
You’re breathing shallowly or clenching your jaw
Your shoulders are up around your ears.
You haven’t eaten recently, but you also haven’t moved recently
You crave quick control more than actual food
A short walk, deep breath, or hug helps more than a snack

Is It Sugar? These Are Clues:
You’ve gone 3–5 hours without eating
You feel shaky, lightheaded, or weak
You feel nauseous or dizzy
You perk up quickly after eating protein or carbs
Your body says “feed me” more than your brain says “fix me”
The Body’s See-Saw: What Happens Internally

Emotional stress → cortisol release → liver dumps sugar into blood → insulin surge → crash
Blood sugar crash → stress response → cortisol + adrenaline → anxiety → more cravings
See the loop? It’s not about willpower—it’s about regulation.

What to Do Either Way

The magic happens when you Recognize the signal, Ease the reaction, and Elevate your response. Whether it’s stress or sugar, both are just data. When you Allow your body to communicate, Activate calm instead of chaos, and Honor what it needs, you step out of the loop entirely.

Step 1: Pause and Assess
Ask yourself: “When did I last eat?”
“Am I actually hungry, or just frazzled?”
“Would a snack or a stretch help more right now?”

Step 2: Choose Wisely
If it’s likely blood sugar: eat protein + slow carbs (ex: apple + nut butter, egg + berries)
If it’s stress: do 2 minutes of breathwork or 10 bodyweight squats

Step 3: Hydrate
Water helps metabolize glucose and supports adrenal health.

Step 4: Log It
Track your symptoms in a journal for a week. Patterns will reveal themselves.

The Empowered Reframe
This isn’t about picking the “right” answer. It’s about learning how your body communicates. Every stressor and sugar swing is data. And your job is to decode it—not shame yourself for it.

You are not a mess—you are a mystery to be honored.

Bottom Line:

Every time you RE²A²CH—Recognize, Ease, Elevate, Allow, Activate, Click and Honor—you teach your body that healing is safe and possible.

Stress and blood sugar speak the same language—but you’re fluent now.
Instead of spiraling, you can pause. Instead of panicking, you can pivot.

And with that, you’ve just taken your power back—without even needing the cinnamon roll.

Sources:
NIH: “Hypoglycemia-Induced Cortisol Response” (2019)
ADA: “Emotional Symptoms of Low Blood Sugar”
Journal of Psychosomatic Research: Cortisol, Mood, and Blood Glucose (2020)