I'm Sonja, the founder of Zuckerschmuck, and based on my 37 years of living with type 1 diabetes, I've been thinking about mental health and motivation in diabetes. True to my motto, "if someone gives you a lemon, ask for salt and tequila," alternatively, you can of course make lemonade from that lemon. Here are my 9 tips for a more relaxed approach to diabetes:
1. Diabetes is only a part of you
The most important point: diabetes requires attention, but don't let it completely dictate your life. My tip: take care of it, do what needs to be done, calculate your food and administer insulin – and then let it go. Don't focus on your appendage 24 hours a day.
Sure, there are always moments when attention IS NECESSARY, for example, during hypos. But afterwards: let your life go on and direct your attention to the things you would most like to do even without diabetes.
2. Technology like sensors and pumps can significantly simplify everyday life
At first, it's often difficult to get used to all the technical devices. Who wants plastic parts constantly stuck to their body or needles pricking them? I personally resisted an insulin pump for a long time and just didn't want the thing.
Now I can say: it makes everyday life so much easier, especially since hybrid closed-loop systems like Mylife CamAPS FX with Ypsopump and Dexcom. My tip: even if you're not keen on this technology at first, inform yourself about what's possible with it, and maybe give it a try. CGM sensors like Freestyle Libre, Dexcom or Medtronic Enlite Guardian can make everyday life much more relaxed because you don't have to constantly think about your blood sugar level, but are automatically warned if something isn't right. Also a blessing for peaceful nights.
3. Develop routines
Try out how a certain situation works best (sports, party, travel) and then repeat these patterns. It sounds boring, but it gives you a lot of freedom and makes your life easier if you're not disturbed by annoying hypos.
An example from my daily life: if I know I want to exercise, I either eat an hour beforehand and then take half the bolus to get through the exercise as undisturbed by hypos as possible. Or I try not to have administered any bolus for 2 to 3 hours, so that I start with a low basal rate. Then I only need a few extra carbohydrates for exercise and don't plummet into a hypo so quickly.
4. Make your diabetes beautiful
It sounds superficial, but experience shows that our human psyche can be tricked by some superficialities. Not only children suddenly find sensor changes even a little fun (well, or at least not so annoying) if they can choose a new sticker on the occasion.
With adults, it works surprisingly similarly. If I wear a certain outfit and the sensor is visible, I like to match the tape and sticker to the outfit. And suddenly I can show off my sensor with pride, which I used to prefer to hide. From this idea, to help myself and others, I founded the first diabetes sticker shop in Germany. At Zuckerschmuck you'll find everything I personally would have loved to have as a child to better cope with my diabetes :-)
5. Make your diabetes delicious
By that, I mean: always have delicious and quick hypo helpers with you that you really enjoy. As a child, I only had dextrose, always the same tasteless kind. I hated it.
That's why you can now find all delicious dextrose variations with us, from liquid dextrose for on the go and during sports, to solid tablets. The advantage of liquid dextrose: it's easy to dose, neither too little nor too much – with gummy bears, it's easy to overtreat due to hypo-induced cravings.
My personal favorite: Dextro Energy Gums. Each sample packet has exactly 10g of carbohydrates, a perfect single dose with no risk of not being able to stop snacking due to the delicious taste.
In addition to hypos, I can also recommend our low-carb sweets. Here you can snack a bit more without having to give a second bolus – low-carb gummy bears, chocolates, and cookies have so few countable carbohydrates that they hardly affect blood sugar. If you don't like sweets so much: with our GI Pasta, you can feast with a low bolus amount without the usual pasta roller coaster.
6. Find like-minded people and motivation
In recent years, the diabetes community has grown incredibly, and through social media, it's so brilliantly easy to reach that you can become a part of it like never before, even outside of large cities (where there are no self-help groups). Look for #diabetes on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and you'll find great people and motivation.
The realization that has supported me the most: I am not alone, and there are so many fantastic people with diabetes who have even found something good in diabetes. Yes, it's hard to believe, but many start blogging "thanks" to diabetes, going public, becoming courageous, exercising more, or living healthier. What does your diabetes inspire you to do? What do you perhaps even owe to it?
I admit, this step took me almost 20 years personally. However, in the 80s and 90s, there was no social media diabetes community. That's why I pass on this tip: don't miss out on the motivation from the diabetes community.
7. Avoid people who drag you down with inappropriate advice
Just recently, I discussed this topic on Instagram, and I was pleased that so many comments shared my opinion: there are people, preferably from the medical sector, who think they can interfere with your diabetes therapy. They give well-intentioned advice, even though they are not experts, and become so unpleasantly intrusive that you end up in a bad mood.
Example: I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 7. In the following years, my dentist asked me about my HbA1c level at EVERY check-up and lectured me during puberty if the target range wasn't met, with the "well-intentioned" hint that good diabetes management is so important for teeth and that otherwise I would get periodontitis. Every time I was annoyed, but as a teenager, I said nothing. My teeth, by the way, are still flawless after 37 years with type 1 diabetes, and I don't have periodontitis. Maybe I was just lucky, in any case, the comments were very disturbing to me.
My conclusion: I immediately change doctors if I seek them out for a completely different issue than diabetes and they attribute every physical symptom to diabetes or repeatedly refer to the topic of diabetes. If that's not possible: tune them out. There are indeed ailments that have nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with diabetes.
8. Be proud of yourself
Diabetes is a constant state; vacation and time off are not possible. Therefore: just be proud of yourself for managing this task. Even if there are phases that are not easy, where the target ranges are far from reality, and your HbA1c is not what you'd like it to be.
9. Make life with diabetes as comfortable as possible
Do you find it annoying to carry your CGM readers and insulin pump around? Find the most comfortable carrying option for you. At Zuckerschmuck, we have developed various options based on our own life experience:
The elastic belly band with three integrated pockets holds everything you need on the go, from pump to reader to dextrose. A belly band not your style? Perhaps it's more comfortable for you to put the pump in your pocket or in one of our small, very discreet pump pouches with a clip or strap.
You can put the reader or blood glucose meter in a pretty fanny pack, an accessory or shoulder bag, or, if you need to carry more for diabetes travel, in a travel bag specifically for diabetics. For children with diabetes, we have extra cheerful bags in our assortment to make it fun to always have their diabetes accessories with them – the Diabetes Kids World bundles everything.
I would be thrilled if one or two of these tips help you develop the most relaxed approach to diabetes possible.
Note: This article is my personal experience report and does not replace medical or psychotherapeutic advice. If you are experiencing psychological distress due to a diabetes diagnosis or its progression, please contact your diabetology practice or a psychotherapeutic counseling center.
Your Sonja from Zuckerschmuck
