Note: Hope Warshaw, MMSc, RD, CDE is a paid consultant
for Novo Nordisk and wrote this story on behalf of Novo Nordisk
Daily diabetes self-care, from monitoring to healthy
eating, means you’re on the job 24/7. Do you go through emotional ups and
downs? Are there times you are gung-ho and implement your diabetes plan no
sweat and other times when the daily demands of self-care drain your fortitude?
Don’t wait for diabetes burnout to happen! Instead, try to beat diabetes
burnout with a few preventive actions.
Be on the lookout for these 4 common factors that promote
diabetes burnout. Next, think of actions you can take if you find yourself
drifting towards burnout...
Burnout Factor #1: It’s a hassle and frustration to
complete the daily diabetes self-care tasks.
Preventive Actions: Simplify one
or more daily self-care tasks. Consider these ideas: 1) once a week put the
pills you take each day into a 7-day plastic pill box; 2) if you take insulin,
talk to your healthcare providers about delivery options;
Burnout Factor #2: You don’t feel your friends, family,
and other pillars of strength supporting you.
Preventive Actions: Confide in a
supporter: Let someone you are close with know that you are struggling and need
their support. Before you contact your supporter, think about what you need
from them, such as: Do you want to get together to talk about how you can cope
better with having diabetes? Do you want to see a movie or play a game together
to relax your mind? Do you want to set a date to cook and eat a healthy meal?
Burnout Factor #3: You hear yourself thinking and
verbalizing negative thoughts
Preventive Actions: Rehearse
positive self-talk messages: When you hear yourself reciting negative
self-talk, catch yourself. Turn this around with your well rehearsed positive
messages. For example, you might conclude: “I’m no good at managing diabetes
because I don’t record all my blood glucose (sugar) results.” Instead observe
what you are doing well and pat yourself on the back with a positive message, such
as: “I recorded my blood glucose results 5 days this week. That’s great
progress.”
Burnout Factor #4: The environments in which you live
your life aren’t encouraging you to take care of diabetes.
Preventive Actions: Seek
supportive settings: Identify environments that assist and support you in
taking care of your diabetes. Spend more time in these settings and eschew
those that lead you astray.
When you find yourself creeping towards diabetes burnout,
pull out your preventive actions and set them in motion. You may be able to
beat diabetes burnout.
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