PUT YOURSELF FIRST - IT'S OK!

Taking time for yourself can help diabetes care feel less stressful. But actually making yourself a priority? That’s easier said than done. Here’s how to pinpoint your needs and find the time for self-care

- SUNNY SEA GOLD

When most people think of ‘self-care’, they picture a soothing bubble bath or pampering pedicure. But taking good care of yourself takes many forms, especially when you’re managing a chronic illness such as diabetes. For people with diabetes, self-care might include checking BGLs and making yourself a healthy snack, but it also means doing things for your mental and emotional health – and even having a little fun.

“It can be a deeply healing thing to do something enjoyable and restorative,” says Brooke Baker, diabetes educator and diabetes nurse specialist. “A massage, some yoga, reading a book, listening to a favourite song. I have watched blood glucose levels drop in one patient after just a few minutes of piano playing.” Not only can nurturing yourself in all these ways result in lower heart-disease risk and better glucose management, it can also boost energy, help you sleep better, lead to more fulfilling relationships and lessen feelings of diabetes-related depression or anxiety.

Still, no matter how good it is for us, or how good it feels, self-care can be hard. Just ask anyone who has set a New Year’s resolution … and given it up after a few weeks or months.

“Expectations are a big barrier for people to make self-care changes,” says Megrette Fletcher, dietitian, diabetes educator and co-author of