Having one of those days (or weeks or months) when diabetes is getting you down? Here are some things that might help.
Some days, diabetes just feels like too much work. No matter what you do, no matter what you eat, your blood glucose results are… surprising. And not in a good way. You would throw in the towel if there was a towel to throw in. You’re in a funk. If you’re feeling signs of diabetes distress or burnout, you don’t have to do it alone! If you’re using the FreeStyle Libre, you can sign up for free diabetes coaching. Find out all about it here.
If you’re just feeling a bit meh, here are a couple of things to snap you out of a funk.

1. Sleep
It’s not often talked about, but sleep has a profound influence on your blood glucose. If you’ve been staying up late or sleeping badly, it can set you up for a day of haywire blood glucose the next day. It’s also more likely that you’ll be extra hungry, and craving carbs. And who has good self-control when they’re tired? It’s a tough space to be in.
No doubt you know the sleep rules, but in case you don’t, here goes: go to bed at the same time every night, earlier than you might think. No screens of any kind for an hour before bedtime. Make your bedroom as quiet and dark as possible. Don’t drink caffeine in the late afternoon or evening. That’s it! The idea is to unplug your mind so that you can have a restful night. Once you’ve caught up on sleep, you might be surprised how much better you feel.
2. Consistency
This is a tricky one. You’re not suddenly a robot just because your pancreas doesn’t work. But if you can establish some consistency in your meals by eating the same thing every day – even if it’s just for a week – you might be able to get your blood glucose control back on track… If that feels too restrictive, aim for at least the same breakfast every day, or the same lunch. At the same time. The fewer variables there are, the better.
3. Back to basics
What works for you? When you look back at your easiest periods of diabetes control, what were you doing? This will be different for everyone but may include carb counting, measuring out food rather than eyeballing portions, injecting 20 minutes before you eat, or any of a number of other ‘basic’ habits that can have a big impact. Checking your graphs on LibreView is also a really helpful tool to get you back to basics.
4. A change of scenery
If this all sounds too much like hard work, maybe it’s time for a change of scenery. Go away for the weekend or take a day trip, far away from the daily grind. Go for a walk on the beach, hike in the mountains, or even just visit a friend. Sometimes getting out of everyday life can be really helpful.
5. A bitch session
And if all else fails, complain! Call up a friend or family member, use the page opposite or write it all out for everyone (or no-one) to see. Detail all the ways diabetes sucks, and what you wish you didn’t have to deal with. Outline how unfair it all is in excruciating detail. Get it all out – you deserve it.
What helps you snap out of a funk?
Your turn! It’s helpful to think about this when you’re not in the middle of a funk because you’re probably not thinking clearly when you’re feeling down. Do you have any ideas to snap you out of a funk?
Photo by Matthew Henry on Unsplash
What to read next?
10 ways to offer diabetes support: Being a supportive partner can be both a gratifying and a challenging role – especially when living with a person with diabetes. Diabetes affects the whole family, not just the one taking medicine.
What to do during diabetes burnout: diabetes coaching: We’ve been talking about diabetes burnout a lot lately – what it is, what to do about it and how to help during diabetes burnout. The other option we want to discuss is how diabetes coaching can help.
4 ways to stay positive if you’ve just been diagnosed with diabetes: If you have been newly diagnosed with diabetes, you may be struggling to cope with the news of your diagnosis. This is absolutely understandable, as diabetes is a life-altering condition
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