Diabetes Burnout (Part 2 of 2)
ADDRESSING DIABETES BURNOUT:
A FEW STARTING POINTS
So you’ve read the first part of this post and you realize you have diabetes burnout. Now what? Like I mentioned before, a key part in overcoming burnout is targeting an underlying aspect of burnout – and this is where undoing some of that learned helplessness becomes essential. Sometimes no matter how hard you try, how hard you work, you can’t seem to “get ahead” of diabetes. Working hard with very little reward or control over outcomes is the definition of learned helplessness. So here are some small ways to gain a bit of efficacy.
1.) Focus on the small things that diabetes has not taken away from you. This can be your ability to love your family, your ability to enjoy nature, for some people we have to get back to the basics and have gratitude for really basic things like: the ability to walk, to breathe, to feel.
2.) Bring your focus to the present. Sometimes getting caught up in worries about the future or regrets about the past can compound negative feelings and cause us to start catastrophizing. Be grateful for this moment. Even just by reading the text on this page, you are taking a positive step.
3.) Communicate how you are feeling with your endo/MD/diabetes educators. If you don’t feel comfortable enough talking about how you're feeling with your physician, perhaps it’s time to re-evaluate that relationship. Finding the right- fit physician is key to your long-term health. You should feel like they have time to truly listen to you and are providing you with compassionate and understanding care.
4.) Reach out for social support. Sometimes this can be found with family, friends. Sometimes reaching out for support anonymously online can be helpful. The diabetes community, particularly the type 1 diabetes online community is full of supportive forums like this one and this one.
5.) Start caring for yourself in ways that are not necessarily diabetes specific. Get that massage, go on that walk, take the afternoon off to watch that new release movie you’ve been wanting to see. If you love baseball, go see our 'Stros.
6.) No one is perfect, nor do you need to take care of diabetes “perfectly” to have good health. Persistence and consistency is more important in the long term than perfection. Keep on keeping on!! #nevergiveup
7.) Remember that there are no “good” or “bad” numbers – they are just data. Yes, easier said than done, but this is really a saner way to view your sugars. And this way of thinking takes a lot of practice. And practice. And practice.
8.) Examine whether you are beating yourself up for past mistakes in terms of your diabetes care. Some people carry feelings of guilt and are burdened by their previous mistakes and tend to hold on to these a little more tightly than needed. If you feel regret or guilt about how you have taken care of (or not taken care of) your diabetes in the past, write a letter to yourself as if you were a friend forgiving another friend for a mistake. (e.g. “Dear Past Me, I forgive you for not being there for your diabetes like you could have been, you were young, you had a lot going on, and didn’t know what you know now.)
9.) If you haven’t told seemingly important people about your diabetes, examine the reasons behind not telling others. It’s definitely your prerogative about who to tell about your diabetes and when, but some people might find keeping their diabetes hidden from others as very tiresome and burdensome. This can be a major energy suck, and it takes away useful energy you could be using in other areas of your life.
10.) And remember don’t beat yourself up for having burnout!! Like I mentioned everyone experiences burnout at some point or another, especially if you have diabetes. Burnout out guilt won’t help the situation.
So, what are you waiting for? Reach out to someone like a psychologist that can help walk you through these burnout interventions. You can get through burnout more efficiently if you don’t go it alone. Remember, there is a better way, not necessarily an easier way, but another way of being that doesn’t have diabetes running the show 100% of the time.
-Andrea
Hi! I’m Andrea Pihlaskari, Ph.D., and I’m a licensed psychologist who specializes in treating young people with anxiety and health issues. Because I have worked with people with diabetes for over ten years, I know more than your average psychologist about diabetes. That being said, I recognize that everyone's diabetes is unique and one person's experience doesn't necessarily generalize to everyone. If you or someone you know is ready to start living life as a person who happens to have diabetes as opposed to diabetes being front and center, email or give me a call to schedule a free phone consultation. Together we can find a way to get you moving beyond your burnout!