We still are in Diabetes Awareness Month. The focus of the month is to help all of us be aware of the risks for diabetes and the need to stay aware of healthy living to either avoid developing the disorder or manage it better if you already are so diagnosed. This is particularly relevant as we experience Thanksgiving this week and the start of holiday eating. In our book on stress (I Can't Take It Anymore: How to Manage Stress so It Doesn't Manage You; Paul G. Longobardi, Ph.D., and Janice B. Longobardi, R.N., B.S.N., P.H.N.), available on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/1542458056, we discussed some stress management tips/strategies to help better manage your diabetic condition. For additional information about the book and authors, please visit our website at www.manageyourhealthandstress.com. These strategies also can help with the stress associated with pandemic related concerns. I include these strategies below directly from the book:
1. Change stress producing situations, when possible. For example, it is well known that people reduce stress to the extent that they manage their time well and don’t let themselves overcommit and become overwhelmed by events. If you improve your organization skills and learn problem-solving skills, you reduce your likelihood of allowing yourself to become excessively stressed and then worsening your diabetic condition.
2. Initiate relaxation procedures. You can try yoga, meditation, mindfulness, deep breathing, or progressive muscle relaxation (PMR). Our favorite is PMR, in which you practice tensing and relaxing major muscle groups in sequence while combining pleasant visual imagery and proper breathing. In fact, a study published in the journal Diabetes Care showed that just five weekly sessions of a relaxation therapy can reduce blood sugar levels significantly.
3. Learn about cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and its benefits. In addition to learning to relax, CBT assists you in evaluating your problematic, catastrophizing, and often overgeneralized thoughts leading you to feel tense, frustrated, and upset. You can learn to react differently to the challenging events in your life through re-evaluating your thoughts and thus your emotions. As we always say, "Change your thoughts and change your results".
4. Use your social support network. Talk to a trusted friend or confidante about your concerns. Talking about problems can help lessen the stress associated with them. Don't have a social support network? Maybe this is a good time to develop one. Also, you can speak with your spiritual leader or other members at your place of worship. If nothing is working, consider talking with a mental health professional.
5. Maintain healthy eating, sleep, and exercise routines. Exercise can help lower blood sugar, so a stressful phase is not the time to stop your program. Exercises in groups, e.g. aerobics, water aerobics, dance or yoga classes could be a lot of fun and help maintain accountability and comraderie. In these days of pandemic restrictions on group exercise and fitness centers, walking or jogging can be great ways to get exercise and fresh air at the same time while maintaining social distance from others.
6. Develop relaxing routines, such as starting a hobby, taking walks, or joining a class you like. There are online options to learn new skills and connect with others even during these times of pandemic. Such activities will contribute to a more pleasant outlook on life as well.
7. If the above still is not working, know that there are antianxiety medications available which may help. You may need the medication for the short term only as some of the medications are addicting. See your medical care provider.
It is very clear that diabetes is a condition possibly initiated by but at least worsened by the presence of stress. The areas of glycemic control and self-care management both are negatively impacted by stressors. It is important that individuals take control of their health and one way to do this is by managing effectively the stresses in your life.
Good luck on your journey.
Dr. Paul Longobardi
For additional information on these and other topics, please see my website at www.successandmindset.com