Enlisting: count on the right support… and data.

Share (details and the burden) to get the right care. It can be isolating when dealing with a health condition and all the restrictions or actions it may entail. Talk to your loved ones about how you are feeling and what kind of support you may need from them. Also speak candidly with your doctor about aspects affecting your physical and mental health, to get a more tailor-made management and treatment plan for your needs and lifestyle, including medication and support groups. While you are surrounded by the people you can count on, for day-to-day diabetes management, getting help from handy gadgets, is another aspect of care as well. Look into health tech, like continuous glucose monitors, that work as supportive aids that help make decision-making a little easier and empower you to take action. Tools like these take away some of the work for you –  by monitoring your glucose in real-time painlessly, and help your physician better manage your diabetes by providing detailed insights and data about glucose patterns – leaving you better placed to even out the highs and lows of the physical and emotional kind!

Pacing: tune in to the critical, tune out the optional.

Create a space and pace for better well-being. Pace your activities and health goals, for more sustainable and manageable diabetes and overall health care, by prioritizing your goals. Tech can also help you keep track of key health markers like your glucose levels in ways that are easier and more seamless for your life, without adding numerous steps to an already busy day. Most importantly… give yourself a break! It isn’t easy to juggle a chronic condition, and all that it demands from you, along with the everyday responsibilities and demands on your time. It can take a toll on your mental health and state of being… so be kinder to yourself. Set some time aside for recreational and other activities that give you joy, and remind you that you are so much more than your illness.

Managing physical health concerns like diabetes along with its effects on mental health matters, and vice versa, sometimes requires a helping hand (or a few) to bring back care, clarity and control to life. Apart from a strong support system of loved ones and doctors, tech can serve to simplify when you are feeling burdened in every way. Innovations like continuous glucose monitors help reduce some of the mental load by helping get/understand relevant information, as well as by providing a glimpse into your body’s inner workings with data, thereby empowering you to plan for better physical health outcomes… paving a path away from distress and towards a ‘de-stress’!