7 Ways to Deal with Diabetic Distress

Yes, it's real thing. It's also known as burnout. And this happens when you've been diligent about checking your blood sugar, making sure you eat the right foods, making sure you get sleep, doing all the things that you're supposed to do, and you're still not seeing good blood sugar control.

This is when you feel discouraged, you feel frustrated, you feel worried and you might feel angry. And you just feel like throwing in the towel. Like 'I give up.' And when you're feeling that way, what do you do?

Often, you start eating comfort food, and sugar, and fast food, and things like that. And you're like, well, you know, heck with it. I mean, I've done all this work. It doesn't do any good. I might as well enjoy myself. You start skipping doctor's appointments. That kind of thing.

You're not alone. This happens to many, many people with diabetes. You feel like diabetes is really controlling your life. And honestly, it may feel that way, but that's not true. You are in control. So what are some things that you can do to start to dig out of this burnout?

First of all, recognize what it is. Everybody goes through it and it's okay. So the first thing you need to do is just pay attention to your feelings. What is coming up for you? Why are you feeling so overwhelmed? And this might mean journaling. It might mean talking to a trusted friend or  family member. Somebody who will listen and not necessarily scold or tell you what to do or or judge you, right? You just need somebody to listen.

The second thing is to talk to your healthcare team. They see a lot of people with diabetes go through this.  Ask them how others handle this?  I'm sure they can give you a lot of really great advice.

Next, create a routine for yourself. Some kind of routine that you have during the day, and it doesn't have to be your day all laid out, but maybe when you wake up in the morning, you do one thing. Maybe that's brush your teeth. Maybe it's go for a walk. Maybe it's brush the dog or the cat or something that you can do every day. And start slow. Because when you feel overwhelmed, it feels like there's no structure, but of course we can create some structure.

Next, stop eating the obviously bad food! The sugar, the fast food, all that stuff, just start to dial it down, dial it down, dial it down.

Next, make sure you are getting a good night's sleep and that you have a regular bedtime routine. The great part about this is that you can create a little routine before you go to bed that can be very comforting. It might be a warm bath or a cool shower with a little bit of lavender. Maybe you read for some period of time. Maybe you meditate or breathe. Think of something you enjoy doing.

Next, ask for help. That could be help with your supplies. It could be help with resources. It could be anything, but definitely reach out. Don't feel that you should be ashamed or that something is wrong with you because you need help. It's one of those things that happens when you have a chronic illness.

And finally set aside some time for yourself that you can enjoy. And what does that look like? It could look like anything, anything that you love doing. I strongly encourage you to remember and appreciate everything that you have done up until this point, because you've worked hard to take care of yourself. And right now it doesn't feel like any of it's working.

To a certain extent that doesn't matter. Just appreciate that you've put that hard work in.  When you can do that, you can say, okay, let me now look with fresh eyes at my routine. Maybe I just need to make a few tweaks and I can do it because this is in my control.

I hope those help. If you recently been diagnosed with type two diabetes, please download my free 30 day guide to managing or reversing your type two diabetes. I think that you'll enjoy it and hopefully you'll learn a lot. Just click the link below and thank you so much for listening.

Dr. Elaine

Click here to download my Free 30 Day Guide to Managing or Reversing Your Type 2 Diabetes.
https://www.drelainestewart.com/30-day-guide

This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or healthcare provider. Please consult your healthcare provider for advice about a specific medical condition.

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