7 practical tips to look after your mental health and diabetes.
Living with diabetes can sometimes feel like an emotional rollercoaster, and it can be hard to know which way is up. But taking time to look after your mental wellbeing is one of the best things you can do for your diabetes. Remember, small changes done often add up to big changes overall.
1. Set realistic goals to look after your diabetes and celebrate when you achieve them
Work with your diabetes health professionals to set realistic goals to look after your diabetes. Write down your goals and when you want to achieve them. It can also be helpful to break big goals into a series of smaller goals. This will help keep you motivated as you reach each goal. For example, your big goal may be to reduce the amount of alcohol you drink each month to half your usual intake. You could break this into four smaller goals and reduce your alcohol intake each week by half your usual intake. Make sure you celebrate when you reach your goals, no matter how small they may seem.
2. Have a strong support system around you
Talking to someone about how you feel can reduce the emotional burden of looking after your diabetes on a day-to-day basis. Your support system can be anyone you want. It can be friends and family or even your health professional. Or you may find connecting with other people who have diabetes helpful. This is called peer support. Sharing lived experiences with others that have diabetes can help you feel understood and less alone. If you are interested in learning more about peer support, take a look at our Peer support fact sheet. If you would like to find a peer support group, visit our Peer support website, which has a directory of in-person and online peer support groups.
3. Make time to do physical activity that you enjoy
Making time to do physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your mental health (as well as your physical health). Physical activity can help reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. It can also increase your mood and help you sleep better. Choose activities that you enjoy — this will make it easier to keep doing it and make it part of your everyday routine. This can be walking, yoga, swimming, bike riding or playing golf. You can learn more about exercise and physical activity in our Physical activity fact sheet or by doing one of our Ready, set, go let’s move programs (available in both in-person and online group settings, or self-directed online).
Before you begin any new physical activity, always talk with your doctor first.
4. Eat well most of the time
Eating well most of the time means choosing a wide range of foods from each of the five food groups recommended by the Australian dietary guidelines1. It also means limiting sugar, salt, saturated fat and alcohol intake.
Eating foods from the five recommended food groups gives you key nutrients such as fibre, vitamins and minerals. It also feeds the trillions of bacteria that live in your gut. Recent research shows a link between your gut bacteria and how you feel and mood disorders such as anxiety and depression.2 In fact, clinical guidelines for mood disorders such as anxiety and depression highlight eating well as a key component for prevention and management.3 For more information on eating well, have a look at these resources:
For more individualized advice, we recommend you speak to a dietitian. You can find a dietitian at dietitiansaustralia.org.au.
5. Practice mindfulness often
Taking time out to practice mindfulness, such as breathing exercises, can help reduce stress, anxiety and feeling overwhelmed. Mindfulness is a state of being completely aware of yourself, your feelings and your surroundings. You can practice mindfulness in as little as 5 to 10 minutes. It can be done anywhere, at any time of the day. Practising mindfulness helps slow your heart rate and reduce stress hormone levels, which is also good for your blood glucose levels.
Try this breathing exercise:
- Close your eyes and take a slow, deep breath through your nose. Hold, then slowly breathe out through your mouth.
- As you breathe out, try to relax all the muscles in your body. ​
- Repeat for 10 breaths.
Try practicing mindfulness as part of your everyday routine.
6. Make sure you get enough sleep
The amount of sleep you get each night directly affects your mood and ability to function during the day. Night-time sleep can often be interrupted when you have diabetes. If you wake often or struggle to fall asleep at night, try these tips:
- Try to get some sunshine each day. Natural light helps regulate your circadian rhythm (responsible for your sleep-wake cycle).
- Have a regular bedtime each night. The general recommendation for adults 18 to 64 years is between 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night.4
- Make sure your room is dark and not too hot (experts suggest the ideal bedroom temperature for sleep is about 18 degrees Celsius).5
- Avoid caffeine after midday. This is because caffeine takes a long time for your body to get rid of. Caffeine stops certain chemicals from working in the brain that support sleep.
7. Be kind to yourself and prioritize self-care
Diabetes can be hard to manage, and there is never a perfect relationship between your effort and the outcome. Be kind to yourself, especially during difficult times. Treat yourself as you would treat a good friend — with patience and understanding. To help you be kind to yourself, prioritize self-care. Take time out to do the things that bring you joy. It could be reading a book, taking a bath, going fishing or spending time with friends.
@Cricket , @Dimity , @tyme , @SmilingGecko
