Living with type 2 diabetes is a work in progress, but it can be done. Stress can be a contributing factor that causes your numbers to become high!
You can live a healthy and fruitful life as a diabetic if you manage stress, exercise, and take your medicine as prescribed by your doctor.
In life, everything is about balance. Managing work, stress, and family isn’t always an easy task.
I’ve found that family support is necessary because as a diabetic, you often feel alone, but you aren’t. You must be willing to share your thoughts – highs and lows – so your family and friends know what you are going through and can help you out as much as possible.
Working is a part of life and helps to maintain your and your family’s well-being. The average person works anywhere from 40 to 50 hours per week. There are 168 hours in a week. As a result, most people spend 30% of their time at work.
This can be extremely stressful, depending on the demands of your job. It’s recommended that you take breaks regularly and plan time off by using your leave. Exercise also helps to relieve stress.
If you’re at work and a project you’re working on seems to be overwhelming, you should go seek help or take a step back from the project for 20 minutes to give your mind a break and a chance to regroup.
During the pandemic, we’ve learned that mental health breakdowns can happen to anyone. By taking some time for yourself, you’re reducing the amount of stress that you have to endure. As a result, when you do this, you’ll feel better, and you’re more productive at work.
Adding a family to a stressful job is bound to cause even more stress from time to time. It has often been said, “It’s not how you start but how you finish.” Managing your family time separate from work is key so your family feels valued, and you both can provide support to one another.
It’s not always easy to leave your work at home, especially since many of us have been working remotely for over 2 years.
Here are some little things I do to balance family time outside of work.
- Schedule a mini-vacation. (Sometimes you are not able to get away for a long period of time.)
- Schedule a family game night at least twice per month and have a family dinner together.
- Watch or go to the movies together.
- Most importantly, always tell your family how much you love them.
While these little things seem obvious, actually making time to do them will be worth it in the end.
Managing stress in every facet of your life is key to managing diabetes and keeping other health elements such as heart attacks and strokes to a minimum.
Find time for yourself today. Don’t put it off, because your mental health requires it.
Photo Credit: golero / E+ via Getty Images
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