Category: Psychological

Here are a variety of blogs that cover dealing with psychological factors of diabetes, including stress and ‘Diabetic Burnout’

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Education on Diabetes, Psychological, Top Tips

Exam stress and sugar levels

christinasmithdd

Everyone living with diabetes knows how much stress can impact glucose control. Exam season can be incredibly stressful and keeping sugar levels stable plays an integral role in exam success.

Keep reading for my top tips on handling exam stress to keep sugar levels in check.

1. Eat regular meals

balanced meals - exam stress

It is really easy to get into the routine of consistently eating more or less when we are stressed.

So make sure you are eating 3 balanced meals a day and have snacks in between if needed. Keeping your eating routine the same will also help to keep your sugars in check.

When I am taking exams I like to meal prep so my meals are ready to go. Try and set aside an hour or two to get your food organised, this will really help!

My favourite revision/exam snacks include dark chocolate, rice crackers, nuts or an apple with peanut butter.

2. Exercise outdoors

outdoors - exam stress

Prepping for exams means sitting down and being sedentary for a long time. So getting outdoors to get fresh air, sun and exercise is vital.

Walking outdoors is calming, which makes it productive. Listen to music or a funny podcast or Youtube video. This allows your brain some rest time.

Remember to rehydrate afterwards!

3. Epsom salt baths

At the end of a busy day, take a bath with Epsom salts. This helps to replenish magnesium, is a vital mineral for relaxation.

Magnesium can become depleted during periods of chronic stress, so it is important to replace the magnesium lost.

Ty and eat magnesium rich foods everyday too, such as dark leafy greens, raw cacao powder, lentils, peanuts and cashews.

4. Regular sleep pattern

Having a consistent sleep routine boosts both mood and memory. Getting enough sleep decreases adrenaline spikes which is important in maintaining balanced sugar levels.

Feeling well rested is vital for being productive and disciplined, so make this a priority in your life.

Encourage sleep by getting blackout blinds, removing blue light 1-2 hours before bedtime and keep your bedroom at a cool temperature.

5. Get organised

organised - exam stress

Make yourself a schedule that allows time for everything!

‘Winging it‘ during exam season will contribute towards stress, so we want to avoid this.

At the beginning of every week write yourself a schedule that includes study time, exercise, lunch and coffee breaks and time for an activity you enjoy to de-stress.

Most importantly, make sure you actually stick to it. Remember it takes around 30 days to form a new habit, so stay as consistent as you can.

Also remember exam season is not forever and plan something exciting afterwards to look forward to.

celebrate - exam stress

Thank you for reading Exam stress and sugar levels! Be sure to subscribe and follow me on Instagram!

If you liked this post, be sure to check out Is stress making your glucose levels impossible to control? and Peanut Butter Bites!

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Education on Diabetes, Psychological

Diabulimia 101!

christinasmithdd

This week I would like to turn your attention to a condition called Diabulimia which is unfortunately becoming more common. It is an eating disorder related to diabetes, which can be incredibly dangerous and damaging.

Keep reading for an overview of Diabulimia and how to recognise and support it.

What is Diabulimia?

what is diabulimia

Diabulimia is when an individual living with diabetes (Type 1) stops injecting insulin in order to achieve extreme weight loss.

When people living with diabetes stop injecting insulin, glucose cannot be absorbed and used for energy. Glucose levels will build up in the blood and will eventually be filtered out by the kidneys and removed in urine.

People living with diabetes are susceptible to developing eating disorders because of constantly being ultra-aware of calorie intake, carb counting, and fearing hypo’s. This can result in the individual developing an unhealthy relationship with food and changing insulin doses for weight loss.

A point to note is that women and girls living with diabetes are statistically more likely to develop Diabulimia.

Why is it dangerous?

Having long-term high sugar levels due to not injecting insulin is extremely damaging to the body and can cause irreversible damage to the eyes, kidneys and limbs.

eye damage - diabulimia

Excessive glucose in the blood causes damage to small blood vessels. This can potentially result in blindness, Chronic Kidney Disease and neuropathy (to name a few).

Diabulimia also poses the risk of developing DKA (Diabetic Keto-acidosis). This is a very serious complication of diabetes that can be fatal, and can occur very quickly if no insulin is being injected.

This is why it is absolutely vital to get help as soon as signs of Diabulimia show.

What to do if you think you have Diabulimia

Recovery from Diabulimia is absolutely possible, given the correct help and support.

Diabulimia is recognised by GP’s and consultants, so having a chat with them is a good place to start. The consultant or GP will refer you to a specialist to help your recovery.

Managing and living with diabetes can be both mentally and physically challenging. It is super important to address any problem and it is not shameful. Everybody living with diabetes will require support, it does not make you weak.

If you would like to talk to someone you don’t know, Diabetes UK have a helpline to get you started.

How to support someone living with Diabulimia

supporting Diabulimia

If you notice the signs of Diabulimia in a friend or family member living with diabetes, it is definitely worth talking to them about it. This can establish what you can do to help them.

They may become defensive, but the person will know you are there for them and it might help them to realise they have a problem.

The fantastic charity DWED (Diabetes with Eating Disorders) provide support to both the individual with an eating disorder, as well as support and guidance to family and friends. They have two Facebook groups so be sure to check them out!

Thank you for reading my Diabulimia 101, I really hope this was informative and can provide some guidance in these situations. Make sure you subscribe and follow me on Instagram!

If you liked this post, be sure to read Diabetes technology 101! and How to handle a hypo mid-workout!

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Education on Diabetes, Psychological, Top Tips

How to stop worrying about diabetic complications!

christinasmithdd

Firstly, I wanted to say that it is important to be aware of the long-term diabetic complications that can be caused by persistent hyperglycaemia. BUT, constantly worrying about this is only going to make you stressed, miserable and can even be majorly contributing to hyperglycaemia!

So, if you regularly worry about getting long-term complications, keep reading for my tips and advice on how to stop worrying about getting diabetic complications!

Reduce your stress load

You might just be stressed due to worrying about complications that diabetes can cause, however from my experience, I only start to worry about this when there are other big stress factors in my life.

When people are stressed, it starts with one large stress factor, followed by smaller factors that add up to create an overwhelming feeling.

Having a high stress load can have a massive impact on your health, from interrupting sleep, causing binge eating, or no eating at all, not to mention the impact stress can have on glucose levels.

stress management for diabetic complications

My point is – we must look at ways to decrease your stress load!

My advice is to get pen and paper, and create a list of all of the factors that are currently causing you stress, no matter how big or small the factor feels.

Next, go through this list and write next to it one little thing you can do to relieve this stress factor. For example, if you have a headache, drink a glass of fresh water.

Once you have ticked off the ‘smaller stressors’, I guarantee you will feel less daunted.

When it comes to complications that surrounds diabetes, I want you to think of what you can do right now. So if you have hyperglycaemia and it’s making you worried, firstly drink a glass of fresh water, secondly grab your diabetic kit and do a form of low -impact exercise, such as a walk if you can. Clear your head and your sugars will begin to come back down into range.

Another point I wanted to make is that if your hyperglycaemia is out of your control, i.e. you’re ill, do not be hard on yourself! Again, do what you can, and remember that a small phase where you have high glucose levels does not automatically mean you will get long-term complications.

Take a holistic look at your lifestyle

Here I don’t just mean looking at your diet and exercise, I mean looking at all of the individual parts that contribute to health and happiness.

For example:

  • Sleep
  • Water intake (fresh, filtered water)
  • How you feel about yourself
  • Toxin load
  • Fresh air and sunlight
  • Getting movement in
  • A diet rich in whole foods

All of these factors contribute towards your health and well-being.

So by focussing on factors such as making you sure you get adequate sleep and water, taking time to be outside, moving your body and fuelling with whole foods, I guarantee you will feel more positive about yourself and your life.

Furthermore, all of these factors decrease the likelihood of getting long-term diabetic complications! So prioritise self-care, it is not selfish! It is a necessity!

Get advanced technology!

I know it can be hard to get the latest tech due to financial circumstances or enormous waiting lists in healthcare systems, but I really encourage everyone living with diabetes to try a sensor, at least!

My advice is to start with a flash glucose monitor, because they are small and easy to use. I use the FreeStyle Libre sensor and I have never felt better about my sugar levels and living with diabetes! This piece of technology has helped me to achieve my lowest HbA1c and has allowed me to look at what factors influence my sugar levels the most.

FreeStyle Libre - diabetic complications

I also wanted to say to people who might be worried and embarrassed about wearing a sensor, that the benefits you could see mentally and physically will soon take more importance. At first I was terrified to get a sensor because people would know I have Type 1 diabetes just from looking at me. But I soon realised that my health is WAY more important than a couple of people who might make negative comments about my diabetes. People are actually really interested and often have very positive things to say!

Using the Freestyle Libre has truly changed my perspective about living with diabetes and has really helped me to stop worrying about short-term and long-term complications of diabetes. So please give more advanced technology a try if you get the opportunity, it could change your life the same way it changed mine!

It’s ok not to be ok!

No matter who you are or what your situation is, sometimes it is ok not to be ok!

If you’re super stressed and your mind keeps slipping back to worrying about the complications that surround diabetes, the first step is to accept that you are stressed and worried.

self care -diabetic complications

The next step is to vent. Vent to whoever you want, even write it down and then throw it away! A problem shared is a problem halved, it will make you feel so much lighter and less worried about complications!

Next, you need to help yourself. This can be by looking holistically at your lifestyle, talking to your diabetes team, or seeking extra help by consulting a nutritionist or well-being coach for example.

And if you think you have no one to talk to, always remember I am here, I understand what you are going through (or I will do my best to). My messages are open so please utilise this if you need or want to!

thank you - diabetic complications

Thank you so much for reading my tips on how to stop worrying about getting diabetic complications! Subscribe for more content and follow me on Instagram!

If you liked this blog be sure to read Is stress making your glucose levels impossible to control? and How to set sustainable goals for yourself!

Education on Diabetes, Psychological

How to ace your diabetic review!

christinasmithdd

Here are my top tips on how to ace your diabetic review and get the most out of it!

Keep a logbook

logbook to ace your diabetic review
  • Between your appointments note down any questions or concerns you have when they pop into your head. 
  • In the UK we get a check in every 6 months, so it is super important to keep a logbook in order to ace your meeting. 
  • If you have an on-going issue between appointments, for example if you notice your sugar levels rise slightly during your period, keep a record of your sugar levels, carb-counting ratio and insulin doses during this time. This way your team will be able to help you in the best way possible when you hand this information over to them. 
  • Of course if this issue is urgent, reach out to your team before your next appointment as they should ultimately be there to support you through any issues. Keep their contact information in your phone, or in a safe place so you can contact them immediately. 

Write a question summary just before 

  • Consultants are usually very busy, and can sometimes rush through appointments. 
  • So the day before your appointment, make a bullet point list of all the topics you would like to discuss. 
  • Don’t forget that these meetings are also for you to raise concerns, not just for your consultant to gather information. 
  • Furthermore, please don’t feel rushed and skip questions you might not think are important. This is your time to seek guidance, so utilise it, you only get 1 or 2 appointments a year sometimes!

Be open and honest 

  • Remember – if you don’t ask, you don’t get. 
Open and honest to ace your diabetic review
  • So be open and honest about how you are feeling, and any topic you might need a bit of guidance on, even if it feels like a personal subject. 
  • Again, your diabetic team are there to support your journey and help you in anyway you may need, not to just look at your HbA1c. It is really important to talk about how you are mentally feeling about living with diabetes. 
  • If your team cannot specifically help you with a concern, they absolutely should be referring or recommending someone who can help you. 

Source additional guidance if needed 

additional guidance to ace your diabetic review
  • If your team does recommend another professional, for example a nutritionist, it is your responsibility to contact them, in order to help yourself. 
  • I always recommend reaching out and seeing what someone has to offer. Sometimes people can surprise you and really help you unexpectedly. 
  • You owe it to yourself to find the guidance that you need to better your health. 

Thank you for reading my tips on how to ace your diabetic review! I really hope you can take something away and find my advise useful! Make sure you subscribe for more content and drop me a follow on Instagram!

If you liked this post, be sure to read How to set sustainable goals for yourself! and Myths vs truths about diabetes!

thank you -how to ace your diabetic review
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Psychological, Top Tips

How to set sustainable goals for yourself!

christinasmithdd

This post is a bit different, and more lifestyle based! But I think this is a really important topic because it is great to know how to set sustainable goals at anytime of the year. 

Knowing how to set sustainable goals for yourself is an amazing skill to have for development in all areas of your life. Learn how to set sustainable goals and keep yourself accountable by reading on!

1. Make a mind map 

  • First of all, I want you to get a blank piece of paper, write ‘goals’ in the middle, and write down what you would like to achieve in the different areas of your life. 
mind maps for setting sustainable goals
  • For example a category for fitness, lifestyle, business and other interests. 
  • The reason for this exercise is to identify what is most important to you, and sometimes we don’t realise until we have actually written it down!
  • Now that you have a visible map of potential goals, it’s time to make a sustainable plan to achieve these goals. I would recommend selecting your top 3 most important goals from different categories, such as achieving a new personal best in the gym, taking up an activity that helps you to relax and a business related goal. 

2. Be realistic and specific!

  • Setting realistic and specific goals is vital, and that is why breaking down a big goal into smaller, specific tasks makes it more likely you will reach your end goal.   
Deadlifts, set sustainable goals
  • Don’t get me wrong, being ambitious is an amazing quality to have, but to achieve you must break your goals into small sustainable tasks, as this is much more realistic!
  • I’ll give you an example, if your goal is to deadlift 100kg in the gym, you need to have a set plan which will lead you to achieve this goal. 
  • This can be a workout plan can be set by a personal trainer or found online. Now that you have a weekly task of lifting a specific amount of weight for a specific amount of reps, you have a plan! By focusing on these small weekly tasks, you will soon achieve your big goal of 100kg!

3. Keep track and find your motivation!

  • As you edge closer towards your goal, it is great to keep track of what you have accomplished so far. 
  • Acknowledging your little achievements is one of my biggest tips for motivation! Motivation comes and goes, so it is essential to find the reason why you want to reach a goal, and the reason to be resilient. 
  • A great method for keeping track is writing everything down in your diary or a separate note book. I also like to list my small tasks for each day and tick each item off once it has been completed. This is really satisfying and can help you to feel like you have accomplished a lot!
  • Furthermore, keeping track of the process of completing your goal is fantastic for personal growth. Once you have completed your first goal, you will know what methods work for you and this can be applied to all goals you have in the future!

4. Prioritise your mental and physical health

  • Sometimes the process of reaching a new goal can feel very daunting, so to take some pressure off I recommend finding an activity or two that help you to relax and de-stress. 
  • Block out some time in your day, which can be as little as 10-20 minutes to complete a task for your mental and physical health. 
colouring in- set sustainable goals
  • Try to find one activity for your mental health, I personally like to do colouring, or part of a jigsaw puzzle to clear my head. And then try to find a physical activity, for example walking, skipping or yoga to prioritise moving your body!
  • Make time to declutter your head a priority because people tend to work best with a fresh mindset! A lot of people actually become more creative when they are completing a relaxing task, so prioritise self-care time!

Thank you so much for reading my tips on how to set sustainable goals! I hope this helps your goal setting so you achieve and feel proud of yourself! Remember to always drop me an email or message if you would like further information on any topic! And I wish you all a very Happy New Year!

Be sure to subscribe and follow me on Instagram!

If you liked this blog be sure to read Top tips on alcohol consumption and diabetes control! and my Simple guide to fitness with diabetes!

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Education on Diabetes, Psychological

Supporting family and friends living with diabetes

christinasmithdd

If you have a friend or family member living with diabetes and you are wondering how you can support them, keep reading for some pointers!

1. Don’t be the ‘diabetes police’

The ‘diabetes police’ is the term we use for when it feels like a family member or friend is constantly nagging about diabetes, and making the person feel overwhelmed and even out of control.

Nagging makes everyone feel frustrated, and makes the friend or family member with diabetes feel like they are doing something wrong all the time. It may even cause them to shut off and not speak about any issues they are facing with their diabetes.

The hard truth is that people living with diabetes cannot ALWAYS have balanced sugar levels because so many factors can cause glucose levels to fluctuate.

An example is saying something like ‘should you be drinking that? There’s too much sugar in it for you’. A comment like this is going to make the person living with diabetes feel guilty and stressed about their choices. So maybe it is better to say something like ‘there is also a diet/sugar free option, take whatever you need’.

2. Ask them exactly how they need support

Everyone is different and people living with diabetes may struggle with different things at different times.

For example, one month high glucose may be an issue, whereas the next month it could be the opposite, and the person living with diabetes might be struggling with a lot of low glucose events.

By offering help, your friend or family member living with diabetes will acknowledge your support and they might bring up a topic they are really struggling with, that you had absolutely no idea about. For example they could be really nervous and stressed about a checkup appointment and could really use your advise and support.

The burden of living with diabetes can really impact wellbeing and can cause feelings of isolation and loneliness. Just checking up on your friend or family member living with diabetes will go a long way and can make such a positive impact to their health and mindset.

3. Encourage healthy eating

Encouraging healthy eating can actually be really simple and subtle.

If a friend or family member with diabetes is coming over for drinks or a meal, the easiest thing to do is to make sure there are food or drink options available for them. For example, choosing to make a meal that contains brown carbs rather than white carbs.

Again, just communicate and ask what you can do to make sure they feel comfortable. Ask the diabetic any preferences they have when it comes to cooking.

For more tips on foods to eat with diabetes, read my blog 5 foods diabetics should be eating!

4. Educate yourself on the signs and symptoms of hyper and hypoglycaemia

Learn how your friend or family member specifically acts when they have high or low sugar levels. The general symptoms of both hyperglycaemia and hypoglycaemia are pretty similar, and different people can experience different symptoms.

General signs and symptoms include thirstiness, feeling ‘hangry’, irritability, anxiety, dizziness and sweating. For more information look at the signs and symptoms on the NHS website.

The best way to be supportive is to ask your friend or family member how to recognise their hypo’s and hyper’s, and how they would like you to react when they are experiencing either.

Always carry snacks around and make sure you know how to check their sugar levels just incase.

5. Encourage them to get further support

If it’s clear that your friend or family member is struggling with diabetes in any way, gently encourage them to get some advice. It can be as simple as encouraging them to join a Facebook group that is aimed at supporting people living with diabetes.

Thank you so much for reading this weeks blog! Remember to email me any feedback or requests!

Psychological

Dealing with annoying questions about diabetes

christinasmithdd

The lack of understanding and awareness around diabetes can be INCREDIBLY frustrating for people living with diabetes.

I frequently get asked questions along the line of: ‘are you supposed to be eating that?’, ‘do have diabetes because you used to be fat?’. Or statements like; ‘if you stop eating carbs you’ll reverse your diabetes’ or ‘all you have to do is inject insulin!’.

If you get fed up of people’s arrogance about your diabetes, keep reading!

Why do people question you about your condition?

Unfortunately, a lot of people do not fully understand diabetes and will make assumptions based on what they have heard through other sources or the news.

Many people cannot comprehend how much work goes into looking after yourself when living with diabetes, the amount of decisions we have to make everyday, and the fact that there are no days off. We can’t just go on holiday for the day, this is not something to neglect, it’s always there in the background.

Keep reading for my tips on how to channel your frustration…

How to deal with your frustration

  1. Acknowledge that frustration can be a good thing!
  • Feeling annoyed can be a good thing because it shows that you are passionate,
    BUT you must channel your frustration in the correct way.
  • For example, rather than causing an argument, try to educate the person. They are MUCH more likely to listen to you if you speak to them with respect, rather than getting annoyed (I know from personal experience this is hard sometimes!)

2. One of my favourite quotes; ‘don’t listen to people you wouldn’t go to for advise’

  • If the person is not open to learning more about your condition and just wants to be judgemental – it is their problem, not yours.
  • You don’t have to constantly explain yourself. Here is one of my examples – An ex-coworker would ALWAYS make comments to me about how I shouldn’t be eating carbohydrates with my lunch, and if I stopped ‘my diabetes would go away’. At first I would get SO frustrated, but then I eventually released, why am I letting her comments get to me? Its my body, I know what is best for my body and I know for a fact that I am right, and she is wrong. I told her that she needed to read up on diabetes and stop making inappropriate comments.
  • So now every time people make comments to me, I laugh inside. This person has no idea what they are talking about and frankly sounds really stupid.
  • So next time someone makes a ridiculous remark to you about your diabetes, and is not open to educate themselves about diabetes, I want you to take a step back and think. Who is the person that sounds stupid right now? I can tell you for certain it is not you.
  1. Channel your anger into other things
  • Go to the gym, go for a walk, have a relaxing bath, do whatever makes you feel calm because this is beneficial to you. Look after yourself and do something positive for yourself, you deserve it!
  • If you’re feeling really overwhelmed (what we call ‘diabetic burnout’), go and talk to someone you can offload to – even feel free to email me and we can rant together 🙂
  1. Learn 3 phrases
  • This is one of the most useful tools I personally use in situations like these.
  • Learn a couple of phrases that you can use whenever people make comments about your condition.
  1. ‘I have an autoimmune disease which means I have to pay a little more attention to my lifestyle’.
  2. ‘Thank you for your concern, but I know how to carbohydrate count, so it is safe for me to eat this meal.’
  3. ‘There are different types of diabetes, and unfortunately mine cannot be cured/reversed.’
  • Remember that the purpose of these phrases is to help you if you’re feeling anxious and do not know what to say. Don’t feel the need to fully explain yourself all the time. If you are feeling uncomfortable about a topic, tell the person you feel uncomfortable and you would like to speak about something else.

5. Acceptance

  • Not everyone is educated about diabetes, people make assumptions about things they do not understand.
  • Use your time to educate rather than argue, the person might just want to learn what it is like to live with diabetes.
  • We can only make a difference by raising awareness!

6. Seek further help and advice

  • As I said above, if you are really struggling to deal with feeling questioned about your diabetes, please talk to someone. – anyone you are comfortable with.
  • You owe it to yourself, don’t let other people impact your life in such a detrimental way. I did when I was younger and when I eventually spoke up, I released I am not alone. There are SO many people out there who are going through the same problem, and want to help you. Do it for yourself, take that first step.

Thank you so much for reading this blog! Please email me any other useful tips you use when speaking to people about living with diabetes.

Please subscribe and email me any questions or blog requests!

Psychological

Is stress making your glucose levels impossible to control?

christinasmithdd

The link between stress and controlling glucose levels is a very interesting but sometimes tough topic for diabetics to discuss. Being stressed can make it incredibly hard for diabetics to control their glucose levels due to the physiological impact stress has on the body.

I’m sure pretty much every person reading this with diabetes has had a period where life has been unbelievably stressful, and it feels like nothing you do gets your sugars under control.

Believe me, I have been there… When I went through my exams at school, my sugar levels were the highest they have ever been, despite exercising a lot and making sure I carb counted vigorously. It honestly felt like my sugars were never going to come down again. It’s a vicious cycle, I would feel more and more stressed the longer my readings were out of range, and guess what!… My sugar levels increased even more.

So the question is, what can we do to prevent our glucose from sky rocketing during stressful periods?

First of all, lets start with the basic scientific background of how the body reacts to stress.

What physiologically happens to the body when we are feeling stressed?

When we are feeling stressed, our body prepares us for the ‘fight or flight response’. The hormones cortisol and adrenaline play a big role in this preparation.

Many physiological changes will occur to the body during ‘fight or flight’, for example an increased heart rate, increased blood flow to muscles, increased blood pressure, and increased blood glucose.

The hormone cortisol is essentially in charge of increasing energy levels when we are in a state of stress, in the form of glucose. This means that long-term stress can result and contribute to long-term hyperglycaemia.

How does this stress response impact a diabetics sugar levels?

For a diabetic, chronic stress can have a major impact on sugar levels. If cortisol levels are constantly running high, this means glucose levels will also be running high.

In simple terms, the hormone cortisol counteracts insulin. Cortisol is working to increase glucose levels, and insulin is working to reduce glucose levels. Chronic stress and high cortisol can also lead to insulin resistance, contributing to a large scale problem.

So, it could take A LOT of insulin to overcome the impacts of cortisol on the body, and there is not really a way of calculating how much insulin would be required to overcome this state, without the risk of a hypo hours later. Therefore, the easiest way to resolve this problem is to just reduce the levels of cortisol in your blood by decreasing your stress load.

Sounds a bit too easy put that way right? Keep reading for tips on how to reduce your stress load.

Tips on how to lower your stress load

  1. Identify EXACTLY what is causing you stress:
    Stop what you are doing for a minute, take a breath, and ask yourself, what exactly am I feeling stressed about?
  • Is it anxiety over hypos? Anxiety over the potential long term complications of diabetes? Is it your job? Is it just that you’re run down and need some down time? Is it a combination of many factors?
  • Whether you identify one factor, or many, remember there is absolutely no shame in how you are feeling. The most important thing you can do for yourself is to reduce your stress and you will quickly notice a difference in your overall mood and glucose!
  • Once you have identified each factor causing you stress, write all of them down. Come up with a method for each point to reduce your stress load over the next few weeks.
  • For example, if you are incredibly stressed due to exams, put together a revision programme and get yourself organised. Breaking everything down makes each task seem smaller, and more achievable.
  1. Get to know YOUR body:
    Your body will never react completely in the same way as someone else’s!
  • Having the ability to identify when you are starting to feel overwhelmed is incredibly useful, this way you can help to prevent yourself from entering a phase where you suffer from chronic stress.
  • Furthermore, being aware of certain foods that cause your levels to spike rapidly, making sure you are drinking enough water and getting adequate sleep are all vital components in handling stress.
  1. Find methods that calm you down:
    Sometimes it is just the little things that can really help to ease your stress and anxiety.
  • For instance, write yourself little notes around your house that remind you that you are doing a good job, or remind you to take five deep breaths.
  • Watch a wide variety of Youtube videos based on decreasing stress.
  • Some more examples could be stretching, colouring in, reading, writing, exercising, anything that you enjoy, find something that is unique to you.
  1. Focus on NOW, not the future:
    To put it bluntly, if you are constantly worrying about the potential long-term complications of hyperglycaemia and chronic stress, it is only going to make you more stressed.
  • So instead, try to bring your mind away from the future, focus on what you can do now to help your health.
  • Treat your current hyper and do something relaxing. My favourite thing to do is to go for a long, slow walk. This helps me to bring my glucose back in range, and also helps me to clear my head. Just remember to take a snack incase you rebound into a hypo.
  1. Finally, speak to someone:
    I know everyone says talking to someone can really help, and I know it can feel very daunting the first time you decide to speak up. But you’ll soon find out you are not alone.
  • Find someone you trust, a friend, a family member, a therapist, a diabetic specialist, someone from the diabetic community and tell them what you are struggling with and what that person can do to help you. People cannot help you if they don’t know you are struggling.
  • Once you get something off of your chest, you feel a little lighter and it helps to put things into perspective for you.
  • Ask yourself, are these thoughts really helping me to achieve my goals?
  • If the answer is a firm no, then that is a sign that you need to change your perspective on the topic.

Further Reading on this topic!

I hope this blog was useful! Let me know what you found interesting and other blogs you would like to see!