Type 2 Diabetes: Emotional wellness

Emotional wellness is a balancing act between self-care, productivity and leisure. It is normal for people living with diabetes to experience feelings of anxiety and depression. 

It is challenging to live and cope with a condition that requires on-going attention and energy. People with diabetes often report that they experience peaks and valleys when it comes to the motivation required to continue to do the things that result in good diabetes management.

View wellness as a balance between self-care, productivity and leisure. The time and effort you spend on your self-care is a positive “side-effect” of having to manage your diabetes. By eating well, incorporating regular physical activity into your routine and making your health a priority, you can be healthy with diabetes!

It helps to understand what leads to lapses in doing the things that are required to be a good manager of your diabetes. Since it is normal to relapse, it is important to understand what triggers your relapses. Having a plan for managing relapse allows you to get back on track faster and without the negative consequences of blaming yourself.

It is important to see the value of the time you spend managing your diabetes and social work offers you opportunities to explore wellness from this perspective. Social work recognizes the impact that diabetes can have on your family, financial and social situations. You can be helped to recognize and find solutions to issues you may be facing. Social work can link you to programs and services that can assist. Ask your diabetes team for more information.

Social work and Spiritual Care assistance

If you feel you would benefit from Social Work or Spiritual Care assistance, please do not hesitate to tell your diabetes educator.

Visit the Spiritual Care web page for more information regarding the services provided by this program.

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