Welcome to 2023! The holiday season can be exciting and fun, but also stressful and challenging for managing diabetes.
Many people find this time of year a lot more stressful than the rest of the year. Stress can be caused by timelines at work, coordinating visits with family and friends, family dynamics, health concerns, finances or just being out of your regular, daily routine. Feeling stressed can cause blood sugars to rise and can make managing your diabetes challenging.
Here are some helpful tips to help you get back on track and kick off a happy, healthy New Year when it comes to dealing with stress, feeling down, out of a routine or feeling tired. Learning and trying out different ways to cope with and reduce stress is important to overall health and wellness. If you feel overwhelmed, here are some ideas you may want to explore and try:
- Breathing slowly and deeply. Breathe in for a count of four seconds, hold your breath for 4 seconds, breathe out for a count of four seconds, wait four seconds before your next breath and repeat until you start feeling better. Focus on your breath!
- Try distracting yourself or changing your environment by going for a walk, listening to some music, or watching a funny TV show.
- If you’re feeling pressure to catch up on your to-do list or get started with your new year’s resolutions, remind yourself that it’s perfectly OK to let some things go. Working slow and steady to make new habits for the long-term is always better than setting goals that aren’t realistic and harder to achieve. Try making a schedule of when you can work on your to-do list and resolutions!
- Try planning ahead and writing things down. Plan your meals for the week in advance, make your grocery list based on your meal plan, map out your schedule, ask for help to get things done, and remember that it’s OK to say ‘no’ every now and then!
Holidays aren’t always holly and jolly for everyone. For some people, holidays seem to worsen feelings of depression. Maybe you’ve lost a loved one, are struggling financially, or feel lonely. When diabetes management gets harder and blood sugars go higher, it may cause you to feel depressed. It’s okay to not always feel okay, but it’s important to know what to do when you feel down. Here are some ideas that may help:
- Try talking to a trusted family member, friend, or healthcare provider
- Do something nice for yourself each day — go for a walk, read a book, get together with a friend, take a yoga class.
- Create a routine for yourself, which includes getting up at the same time each day, eating regular meals, checking your blood sugars, exercising, and getting to bed at a decent hour.
- Volunteering is a great way to help others and help you feel good about yourself at the same time.
- Take advantage of online support forums.
- If you’re really struggling, seek help through a crisis support line (Immediate Crisis Support: Text WELLNESS to 741741). There are also more resources for you or those you care about at wellnesstogether.ca
Enjoying (too many) holiday treats, experiencing unusual eating and sleeping schedules, having a few more alcoholic drinks than usual, and being less active can quickly throw off your diabetes management. During these times, the blood sugar roller-coaster can make you feel tired, grumpy and less likely to take care of yourself. It’s important to get yourself back on track with no guilt! Some tips to get you started again:
- Make it a priority to start eating healthy – fill up on vegetables and pass on (or along) some of the holiday treats leftover in your house!
- Find time to get up and stay active.
- Check your blood sugars more often or back to the routine you had pre-holiday.
- Take your diabetes medicine(s) as prescribed.
Celebrations at any time of year can be exhausting. Feeling tired is your body’s way of telling you to slow down and pay attention to taking care of yourself. It is easier said than done… and constant fatigue can lower your immune defenses and make you more susceptible to becoming ill. Here are tips to get back on track:
- Don’t skip meals and do limit the amount of foods that are higher in sugars, fats or those that are processed.
- Build up your activity level. Guidelines for adults suggest at least 150 minutes of activity per week.
- Make a point to go to bed at a certain time each night, or plan for a short nap during the day to catch up on lost sleep.
- Find a relaxing activity. Consider an online or in-person yoga class, treat yourself to a massage, or just set aside some quiet time for yourself.
Give the last gift of the season to yourself! Whether you are best motivated to improve your diabetes management habits by setting New Year resolutions, or setting a one or two SMART goals (Specific-Measurable-Achievable-Relevant-Timely), or approaching things as they arise – please proceed in a way to set yourself up for success and a healthier future!
Do something today that your future self will thank you for!
The Diabetes Depot and LMC Teams wish you a happy and healthy 2023!
