Happy New Year | Ngā mihi o te tau hou

Or is it….?

Alongside the excitement for the start of the new school year, the end of the summer holidays and resuming your 'routine' can make you feel really overwhelmed.

Many of us take the summer break as a chance to rest, relax and reset before the new year begins, and that can mean the first few weeks of this month might feel quite stressful.

Diabetes decisions

If you're also living with diabetes, you'll be all too familiar with what being overwhelmed can feel like - you're making an average of 180 diabetes-related decisions EVERY DAY on top of managing everything else - so it's even more important that you find ways to protect and support your mental and emotional health, as well as your physical health.

One tip that came from a recent diabetes support group is that if you are a CGM user, simply take time to breathe before you respond to a non-urgent alarm. That moment of calm reminds your brain and nervous system that you're in control, and that will hopefully minimise any potential feelings of stress.

Wellbeing toolkit

Our Diabetes Wellbeing Toolkit has lots of resources that are designed to help you through any period of stress and feeling overwhelmed.

And remember, we're here to help | kei konei mātou ki te āwhina. Contact us for support on our free helpline Monday-Friday: 0800 342 238 or you can email at: info@diabetes.org.nz.

Diabetes distress

Diabetes distress - or burnout - can happen at any time, to anyone living with the condition. It's the emotional burden of living with diabetes taking its toll.

Some of the things you might be feeling include being:

• overwhelmed by the demands of living with diabetes and feeling like it’s ‘too much’

• concerned or afraid that you are ‘failing’ with your diabetes management

• sad about living with diabetes

• worried about your risk of long-term complications

• frustrated and angry that you can’t predict or ‘control’ diabetes from one day to the next

• guilty and ashamed when your diabetes management gets ‘off track’

If any of these things ring true to you, there are lots of things you can do to help yourself and to also recognise when it might be time to ask others for help.

Diabetes distress and CGMs

Since the funding for CGMs was introduced for people in New Zealand living with type 1 diabetes, there might be lots of adjustments you've had to make to daily life. Some good and some more challenging.

One thing we know people have needed to get used to is CGM alarms.

Alarms are a life-saving function of this amazing technology, but they can also bring worry and anxiety - even when there is no emergency.

Here are some tips our community have suggested if your CGM alarms are causing you distress:

• Turn off any non-essential alarms

• Choose an alarm sound that feels the most 'positive' to you, so the noise itself isn't causing anxiety

• Make sure you've adjusted your alarms to sensible and realistic settings for your own individual diabetes requirements, and ask for help from your health care provider to do this if needed

• Set aside some 'CGM-free' moments when it is safe to do so

What are your tips for managing CGM alarms so they don't cause anxiety?

Tools to help

If managing your diabetes | mate huka is part of what’s making you feel overwhelmed early in the year, try to remember that 'perfection' is impossible. Focus on what you can control and what you can do about things, rather than striving for something that may be unachievable.

Don't let perfection be the enemy of effort. Perhaps it’s time to call out your busy routine and look at 'stopping the cycle'? That might just mean finding the type of activities help you feel calm and support your mental and emotional health.

Maybe this is the time to try:

• going for regular walks | hikoi

• talking to a trusted friend about how you've been feeling

• prioritising small moments for yourself, like a cup of tea or warm bath

For more tips, take a look at our 'Staying motivated and in control' resource from our Take Control Toolkit.