Frustrated with day-to-day management
Managing diabetes requires careful attention to detail. But you’re likely to feel better and have fewer diabetes-related problems if you can master the details.
It’s normal to feel frustrated sometimes by the details of dealing with diabetes every day. You’re not alone in feeling this way. But it’s important to learn to recognize these feelings of frustration and find healthy ways to cope with them.
Here are some tips that will help you cope with some of the most challenging aspects of managing diabetes on a daily basis.
Coping with changes in your way of eating
Your meal plan is an important part of your diabetes care plan. But sticking to a healthy meal plan can be very hard sometimes. These tips can help you to start to eat for good health:
- Learn more about how to create a healthy meal plan. You can use the Changing Life With Diabetes online Menu Planner to help you create a seven-day menu, complete with recipes and a shopping list. You may also want to get help from a registered dietitian. Ask your diabetes care team for a referral. Or contact the American Dietetic Association at 1-800-877-1600 or at eatright.org to find a registered dietitian near you.
- Adopt a healthy meal plan that’s realistic. No one can eat right all of the time. So don’t expect to be perfect. You may give in to temptation now and then. When you do, get back on track as quickly as you can.
- Many people eat as a way of dealing with stress or as a reward for reaching a goal. But there are healthier ways of dealing with stress. You might want to try:
- Healthier rewards might include:
- Yoga
- Mediation
- Listening to music
- Talking on the phone
- Buying yourself a non-food treat
- Seeing a movie
- Doing something fun with a friend
Coping with a lack of motivation to stay active
Being physically active helps keep your blood sugar levels in your target range. Many people find it hard to stick with an activity plan, even when they know the benefits. But if you do stick with it, both your mental and physical health will benefit. So your hard work will be well worth it.
Sometimes the barriers to being physically active seem to outweigh the benefits. If this is true for you, these tips may help you stay active:
- Find fun ways to stay active. One of the most common reasons people give for avoiding exercise is that it is boring. But you won’t be bored if you choose an activity you enjoy. Some people enjoy walking. Others like dancing or working in the garden.
- Make being active a natural part of your life. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park in the furthest parking spaces. Walk your dog around the block instead of letting him out into the backyard. Your “active” minutes will soon add up.
- Track the effects of physical activity on your blood sugar levels. Regular activity can have a positive effect on your blood sugar. Keeping a written record of your blood sugar before and after activity will help you to see the benefits. And when you see that being active is worth the effort, you’ll start to look forward to it.
- Be safe. Before beginning or changing your physical activity plan, be sure to check with your diabetes care team. Before you start physical activity, it’s a good idea to check your blood sugar. Don’t exercise if your blood sugar level is too low. Also, be sure to keep a sugary snack or sugar tablets nearby when you exercise in case your blood sugar level drops quickly. Be on the watch for symptoms of low blood sugar, and respond quickly.
Coping with the demands of checking your blood sugar
Keeping track of blood sugar today is fairly quick and easy. But many people who have diabetes fail to check as often as they should or stop checking at some point. If you do stick with it, though, you’ll be able to manage your diabetes much more effectively. You’ll be able to see how your meal and physical activity plans and the medicines you take all affect your body.
You may struggle with checking your blood sugar because the “hassles” seem to outweigh the benefits. Or maybe you don’t know what to do with the information you get from checking your blood sugar. Talking with your diabetes care team is the best way to overcome this barrier.
Here are a few more tips to help you stay on track:
- Recognize that your blood sugar readings are just information, not a pass/fail grade on a test. Your blood sugar meter is not your enemy. It does not judge you. It is only a tool to help you see patterns that will help you better manage your diabetes.
- Make it as easy as possible to remember and do your blood sugar checks. If you find that you tend to forget, try setting alarms or writing yourself notes to remind you when it is time to check.
- If you have trouble remembering to take your meter with you, get more than one. That way, you’ll have a meter with you wherever you need it during the day.
In summary
Your diabetes care plan is the key to managing your diabetes. Mastering the challenges will greatly benefit your health. There is a lot you have to do when you have diabetes, but you can do it. If you stick with it, you’ll find that you can live a full, active life with diabetes.
