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Life as a diabetes patient can be rather challenging because it’s tough to adhere strictly to all of those guidelines for diabetes management. You understand what you’ve got to do, whether it’s dieting, exercising, or monitoring your blood sugar levels – actually staying on top of those goals can be a lot more complicated. This is why it helps to not just focus on end results, but to find strategies that make it easier to achieve your type-2 diabetes goals for optimum management of the condition.
Here are some simple tips to help you follow your guidelines for diabetes management.
Tips To Achieve Diabetes Management Goals
Re-assess Your Goals
Diabetes goals are not very different from New Year Resolutions. Most of us set unrealistic targets that are either not attainable, measurable, or sustainable. That just sets you up for failure, which can be incredibly demotivating. Instead, work with your doctor, dietitian, physical therapist, and other specialists to set realistic goals. Remember that goals don’t have to be challenging – you can make small changes over a period of time, taking small steps that get you closer to an ultimate target.
Talk To A Psychologist Or Behavioural Therapist
Struggling to meet all of your type-2 diabetes goals for optimum management can be extremely stressful because the pressure is constant. Chronic stress and depression are therefore pervasive among diabetes patients and this hinders the management of diabetes goals. Aside from making blood sugar management tougher, it leaves you demotivated and less likely to succeed. The best way to deal with this is by getting professional help, although you can also use stress-reduction techniques like meditation, yoga, and mindfulness to stay on top.
Consult Different Specialists
If you’re not comfortable talking to your diabetes doctor or endocrinologist about any health issues or challenges that you’re facing, speak to other specialists who may be better equipped to deal with your problem. For example, a urologist or sex counsellor will be able to give you the best advice regarding any sexual dysfunction, while a dietitian will be able to give you the best advice on nutrition and eating habits.
Include Your Family & Friends
Open up to any of your loved ones who are more likely to understand your concerns. It doesn’t matter if it’s family or friends, but such individuals can form a strong support system, making it easier to adhere to your guidelines for diabetes management. Loved ones can help directly by helping you with meal plans, reminding you about medications, and so on. Even if they’re not there to help directly with managing your goals, they are a source of emotional support.
Time Management
When setting goals, make sure that you also take into account the amount of time needed to work towards that goal and set a realistic timeline for achieving any goal. Following a disciplined daily schedule will help to create a structure that makes it easier to adopt specific activities or habits that are critical for the successful management of diabetes.
Don’t Make All Goals Chores
It’s harder to meet type 2 diabetes goals for optimum management when you see every activity or change as a tedious chore. Try to find activities or modifications that make some of your necessary changes easier and more fun so that they are sustainable. For example, if you hate gyms or yoga, you don’t have to go to a fitness studio to exercise. You can take up walking, swimming or other activities.
Diabetes Management Apps
You can also try using different diabetes management apps to make it easier to monitor and track your progress, as well as to receive reminders and notifications about activities that you need to engage in or medications that you need to take.
Setbacks are inevitable for all of us, but if you learn from them, they are just temporary. In the end, diabetes management is all about staying the course. With a healthy approach and adequate support, it’s not impossible to live a fulfilling and wholesome life with diabetes.
