Dealing with the Diabetes Morning Blues
I’m naturally a morning person. I love waking up around at dawn and listening to the sounds of life emerging from the night. This is the time of the day when I am the most energized. Before I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, I could always count on the morning to be the highlight of my day. However, since my diagnosis, it’s not guarantee that my mornings will be the brightest part of my day anymore.
The dark side of diabetes management
Before diabetes came into my life, my morning ritual consisted of praying, drinking hot tea, and reading or writing. Now, my routine includes checking my blood sugar and based upon the result, I can experience the diabetes morning blues. This is the phrase I use to describe my downward mood swing after checking my fasting blood sugar when the results aren’t below 130.
When my blood sugar is 130 or below my natural morning joy blossoms. However, if it’s higher than 130, my mind races with questions about how I ended up there. Did I eat too much for dinner? Did I skip my nighttime medications? What happened? Am I stressed? Did I sleep well? I often work my way into a downward spiral that can mature into feelings of failure. This is a dark side of diabetes management that no one told me about.
Tips to prevent the morning blues
To help maintain a pleasant mood in the morning, especially when I’m sensitive, I will skip taking my fasting blood sugar or delay until I eat breakfast. By doing this, I still get morning data while being able to enjoy my morning joy longer. Secondly, I make sure to read or say at least one positive affirmation in the morning because this helps me combat any negative thoughts of that may arise. Lastly, when realize that I’m heading down an unpleasant emotional path, I stop myself. I pause to remember that I am more than my fasting blood sugar results and that diabetes management is an imperfect science. Remembering blood sugar levels fluctuate throughout the day also helps to keep the diabetes morning blues away.
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