6 Simple Self Care Ideas for people with diabetes

In a hectic world which doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon, it is more important than ever to take time to look after ourselves. Here are 6 simple self-care ideas to help you to look after your physical, mental and diabetes-related health.

Prioritise your own health

This may sound obvious, but often people will prioritise other people or priorities before their own health. It is impossible to look after others, achieve goals in life and be fully happy without first prioritising yourself and your own health.

Tech-free times

Try to limit the amount of screen time that you have. We understand the usefulness of technology and the importance it has on our daily lives, but we can assure you that if you reduce screen time it will increase overall wellbeing. TOP TIP :- most phones will have the capability for a ‘shut down’ time, where you can allocate certain times that you cannot use your phone.

Being physically active

Leading a physically active lifestyle not only improves physical health but also mental health and can boost diabetes management. Being active has also been found to be positively correlated with good glycemic control, reduction of complications and improvement in quality of life. Best of all it doesn’t need to be a chore, there are easy ways to increase your activity e.g. walking to the shops or going on a bike ride with friends. Find out more about why exercise is encouraged for people with Type 1 Diabetes here.

Diabetes Calendar

There is a lot to think about with diabetes self-care. Keeping control of your management through a calendar can make the whole process a lot more manageable and can ease the stress of day-to-day life. Examples of what to include in your calendar are; prescription pick-ups, treatment reminders, appointment reminders.

No alarm Sundays

Allow one day per week where you do not set an alarm. Having a good sleep is very important to your health, so treating yourself to a lie-in one day per week can actually be beneficial to you. It will also help to put you in a better mood and will help your concentration for when you have important decisions to make.

Learn about foods

Educating yourself on nutrition can be life changing. If you understand what is in your food and how your body is using the nutrients (in particular carbohydrates), then you can make better choices when fuelling your body whatever scenario you are in. A great way to do this is to attend an education course, e.g. the DAFNE (Dose Adjustment For Normal Eating) in the UK.