Often, the person we are the hardest on is ourselves. Getting caught up in the daily grind of living with diabetes makes it easy to pause, appreciate, and celebrate how well you are doing.
Taking time to celebrate your achievements can help make you stronger and more able to tackle the hard days.
It is very easy to get caught up in the daily demands of living with diabetes and forget about how well you have done. But it is important to take a bit of ‘me time’ to focus on what you have achieved and celebrate your wins.
It can help make you stronger and better able to cope, both emotionally and physically. Celebrating the wins is a good way to motivate you to keep up the good work.
Celebrating your wins gives you the chance to think about how far you have come and how much you have achieved.
It reminds you that what you are doing is working well and getting results. It helps you to stay motivated.
Even when things are not going well, celebrating the things you have achieved before or wins in other areas of your life can change your outlook and make it easier.
Think about how much you fit into a day. You may regularly check your blood glucose levels, monitor what you eat, make sure you get enough exercise, take your medication as directed, deal with the ups and downs of managing diabetes and somehow fit the rest of your life around it all. This is incredible!
Receiving a compliment from friends, family or health professionals on how well we are doing can feel uncomfortable. We might brush aside their praise instead of believing them.
But letting ourselves feel grateful and proud of our hard work is important.
So when people tell you how well you are dealing with your diabetes – listen, take it in, and thank them.
This section gives an overview of why encouraging yourself and talking to yourself in a supportive way helps you manage your mental health.
Some of these will be familiar, but do not feel discouraged if they do not apply to you. The techniques and tips covered in When to get support are still likely to be helpful.
What our inner voice tells us has a real effect on our mood and thought patterns. It can encourage and motivate us, or make us feel down and like nothing will change for the better. While there are many things in life out of our control, we can train that voice to talk to us more kindly.
Training your brain to say kind and encouraging things to yourself might feel awkward to begin with. But with practice, supportive self-talk can help you cope better with the challenges of living with diabetes.
Imagine if your friend kept blaming themselves for everything that went wrong in their life. Maybe they forgot to return a library book and have to pay an overdue fine, or they got someone’s name wrong when introducing them.
You would probably do what all good friends do – listen, be understanding, and help them see things from another point of view. You might tell them they are being too hard on themselves and point out that they are human. Remind them that sometimes things just happen that they cannot control and that they need to be kinder to themselves.
You can talk to your brain in the same way as you would this friend, and be understanding and kind to yourself.
It is easy to think that others are managing their diabetes better than you are, and that you are the odd person out. The reality is that everyone finds diabetes challenging. Everyone has felt frustrated, down or worried about their diabetes at one point or another. The way you feel is perfectly normal.
Sometimes even just knowing this is comforting, but support from other people who understand can be especially helpful.
Understanding how to manage your diabetes does not happen overnight. Like any skill, it takes practice and time to get good at it, and you might make some mistakes while you are learning. Give yourself time and encouragement to grow, and keep an eye out for things to celebrate as you go.
If you are struggling and are finding it difficult to effectively take care of your diabetes, or you would just like some extra help, there are a range of support services available to you.
As a starting point you might like to explore free resources like Lifeline or any of the other organisations listed in the support services page. Head to Health (1800 595 212) is a free service which can also help you navigate your options and find which local services and supports might be right for you.
Counsellors, psychologists or other mental health professionals may also be a good option. You do not need to be at a ‘breaking point’ or very unwell to see them – they can help you develop skills and tools proactively to address things before they become a problem. And, if you are eligible, your GP can help you access 10 Medicare-subsidised sessions per year through a mental health plan.
Find more resources, programs and peer support from across NDSS. For young people, our Diabetes Youth Zone is a go-to guide with useful resources, tips and advice for managing diabetes with confidence.
Connecting with other people who have diabetes is an effective means of accessing peer support. Sharing your experiences with others can help you feel less alone.
Most people with diabetes manage well most of the time. But it is okay to acknowledge if you are struggling. Many people benefit from specialist emotional support from a psychologist.