I'm Sonja, the founder of Zuckerschmuck, and based on my more than 30 years of living with type 1 diabetes, I've given some thought to mental health and motivation with diabetes. True to my motto, “if someone gives you a lemon, ask for salt and tequila”—although you can of course also make lemonade from the lemon. Here are my 9 tips for a more relaxed approach to diabetes:
1. Diabetes is just one part of you
The most important point: diabetes requires attention, but don't let it completely control your life. My tip: take care of it, do what needs to be done, calculate your food and give yourself insulin, and then let it be. Don't focus on your condition 24 hours a day.
Of course, there are always moments when you MUST pay attention, for example during hypos. But afterward, let your life go on and focus your attention on the things you'd most like to do even without diabetes.
2. Technology such as sensors and pumps can make everyday life much easier
At first, it's often difficult to get used to all the technical devices. Who wants to have plastic parts stuck to their body all the time or needles poking into them? Personally, I resisted getting an insulin pump for a long time and simply didn't want the thing.
Now I can say that 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 initially interested in this technology, find out what it can do and maybe give it a try after all. 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 glucose level - you'll automatically be warned when something isn't right. A blessing for peaceful nights, too.
3. Develop routines
Try out what works best in a particular situation (sports, a party, travel), and then repeat those patterns. It may sound boring, but it gives you a lot of freedom and makes your life easier when annoying hypos don't get in the way.
Here's 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, so I can get through the exercise with as few interruptions from hypos as possible. Or I try not to take any more bolus insulin 2 to 3 hours beforehand, so that there is hardly any bolus insulin working when I start. Then I only need a few additional carbohydrates for exercise and don't drop into a hypo as quickly. You decide what works for you together with your diabetes team.
4. Make your diabetes beautiful
It sounds superficial, but experience shows that our human psyche can be tricked by certain superficial things. Not only kids suddenly find changing the sensor a little fun (well, or at least not as annoying) when they can choose a new Sticker at the same time.
It works surprisingly similarly for adults. When I'm wearing a particular outfit and the sensor is visible, I like to match the tape and Sticker to the outfit. And suddenly I can proudly show off my sensor, which I would previously have preferred to hide. Inspired by this idea, I founded the first diabetes Sticker shop in Germany to help myself and others. At Zuckerschmuck, you'll find everything I personally would have loved to have as a child to cope better with my diabetes :-)
5. Make your diabetes delicious
What I mean is: carry tasty, fast-acting hypo helpers that you genuinely enjoy. As a child, I only had dextrose - always the same flavorless kind, over and over again. I hated it.
That's why you'll now find all the 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, so you don't end up taking too little or too much. With gummy bears, hypo-induced cravings can easily lead to overcorrecting.
My personal favorite: Dextro Energy Gums. Each gum contains around 5 g of carbohydrates, so I can count them easily and don't have to worry about continuing to snack simply because they taste so good.
Alongside hypos, I can also recommend our low-carb sweets. For low-carb gummy bears, chocolates, and cookies, we calculate the carbohydrates that count toward your intake for each item, so you know in advance what to expect. If you don't really enjoy sweets: It's also worth taking a look at the Nutrition facts for our GI Pasta.
6. Find like-minded people and motivation
In recent years, the diabetes community has grown enormously and has become so wonderfully easy to reach through social media that you can become part of it more easily than ever, even outside major cities (where there are no support groups). Look for #diabetes on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok and you'll find wonderful people and motivation.
The realization that has supported me the most is this: I'm not alone, and there are so many fantastic people with diabetes who have even managed to find something positive in diabetes. Yes, it's hard to believe, but many people start blogging, going public, becoming braver, exercising more, or living healthier “thanks to” diabetes. What does your diabetes inspire you to do? What might you even have to thank it for?
I admit that this step took me almost 20 years personally. However, there was no social media diabetes community in the 1980s and 1990s. That's why I'm passing this tip on to you: don't miss out on the motivation provided by the diabetes community.
7. Avoid people who bring you down with inappropriate advice
I only recently came across this topic on Instagram, and it made me happy to see 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 aren't experts, and become so unpleasantly intrusive that you're left in a bad mood afterward.
Example: I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 7. In the years that followed, my dentist asked me about my HbA1c level at EVERY check-up and reprimanded me during puberty when I was outside the target range, with the “well-intentioned” advice that good diabetes management was so important for my teeth and that otherwise I would develop periodontitis. I was annoyed every time, but as a teenager I never said anything. By the way, even after more than 30 years with type 1 diabetes, my teeth are still impeccable and I don't have periodontitis. Maybe I was simply lucky; in any case, the comments were very upsetting for me.
My conclusion: I immediately switch doctors if I visit them for an entirely different issue than diabetes and they attribute every physical symptom to diabetes or keep bringing up the subject of diabetes. If that isn’t possible, I switch off and tune it out. There really are aches and pains that have nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with diabetes.
8. Be proud of yourself
Diabetes is a permanent condition; holidays and time off aren’t possible. So simply be proud of yourself for managing this challenge. Even when there are phases that aren’t easy, when your target ranges seem far from reality and your HbA1c isn’t where you’d like it to be.
9. Make life with diabetes as comfortable as possible
Are you finding it a hassle to carry your CGM readers and insulin pump around? Find the most comfortable way for you to carry them. At Zuckerschmuck, we’ve developed various options based on our own experiences:
The elastic belt with three integrated pockets holds everything you need while you’re out and about, from your pump and reader to dextrose. An elastic belt not your style? Maybe you’d feel more comfortable putting your pump in your trouser pocket or in one of our small, very discreet pump cases with a clip or belt.
You can put your reader or blood glucose meter in a pretty waist pouch, an accessory or shoulder bag or, if you need to take more with you when travelling with diabetes, in a travel case specifically for people with diabetes. We also offer extra cheerful bags for kids with diabetes, so it’s fun to always have their diabetes supplies with them: the Diabetes Kids World brings everything together.
Frequently asked questions about diabetes and mental health
How does diabetes affect mental health?
According to diabinfo.de, people with diabetes report anxiety more often and are around twice as likely to show signs of depression as their peers without diabetes. It is estimated that almost 10 in 100 people with diabetes have diagnosed depression, while around 25 in 100 experience a depressive mood [1].
What is diabetes distress?
This is what the negative feelings surrounding the everyday worries, concerns, and fears that come with having diabetes are called [2]. In an international study, nearly half of all people with type 1 diabetes said they felt severely distressed because of diabetes, and estimates suggest that nearly half of all people with diabetes experience a motivational crisis at some point in their lives [2]. So you’re not alone.
Does diabetes make you aggressive?
Not diabetes itself. According to diabinfo.de, however, hypoglycemia can cause people with type 1 diabetes to become aggressive and refuse help due to a lack of energy in the brain; family members should not take this personally [2]. Severe hypoglycemia can also cause concentration, speech, or vision problems [3].
Where can I find help if diabetes is affecting my mental health?
Your diabetes team is the first place to turn. The German Diabetes Association provides specialized further training for psychologists in diabetes and mental health (DDG specialist psychologist) [4]. If things become acutely difficult: TelefonSeelsorge is available free of charge and anonymously, day and night, at 0800 111 0 111, 0800 111 0 222, or 116 123 [5].
I’d be absolutely delighted if one or more of these tips helps you develop a more relaxed approach to living with diabetes.
Note: This article is my personal account and is not a substitute for medical or psychotherapeutic advice. If the diabetes diagnosis or its course is causing you psychological distress, talk to your diabetes team or contact a psychotherapeutic support service.
Your Sonja from Zuckerschmuck
📚 Sources
- diabinfo.de. Diabetes, the brain, and mental health. Available at: diabinfo.de [Zugriff: 14.09.2026].
- diabinfo.de. Motivation and mental health in type 1 diabetes. Available at: diabinfo.de [Zugriff: 14.09.2026].
- diabetesDE – German Diabetes Support. Hypoglycemia. Available at: diabetesde.org [Zugriff: 14.09.2026].
- German Diabetes Association. DDG specialist psychologist. Available at: ddg.info [Zugriff: 14.09.2026].
- TelefonSeelsorge Deutschland. Available at: telefonseelsorge.de [Zugriff: 14.09.2026].
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