Living with diabetes means a  LOT more stuff to do.  Period.  End of story.  Nothing to dispute.

More appointments, thoughts about food, measurement of carbs, checking of glucose levels, purchasing supplies, being mindful of your every choice, worry about other’s judgment and a billion other thoughts, tasks and emotions.  It can end up being quite the load to bear which can easily spiral downward to fatigue, give-up, and burnout.  We all reach that point sometime or another.  Unfortunately, when diabetes takes a back seat, we suffer the long and short-term consequences.

Better with Less

It seems counter-intuitive, but we can actually do MORE for our diabetes management, by doing less.  Here is a short list of things you can STOP doing that is guaranteed to improve your attitude, your outlook, your energy level, your ability to cope, and ultimately your ability to keep your BGs in check.  Want to know?  Here you go.  STOP doing these things:

• Striving for perfection – it’s impossible anyway.  Just do your best each day.
• Pleasing others – again impossible.  Keep some of that energy to do some nice things YOU enjoy!  The “others” will still be there and always want more.
• Hustling for approval – what are you saying Yes to, but you really mean No?  How much time could you get back?
• Wallowing in shame, regret, and guilt – have you messed up in the past?  Yep, me too.  We all have.  And there is absolutely nothing you can do to go back and fix it.  But you CAN make now, this day better than the day you feel so bad about.  Use that energy to say sorry, build a bridge, or forgive.  Each of these is very healing.
• Worrying about the future – being curious and mindful about how today’s actions may impact your tomorrow is a wise and good thing to do, but keep it in check and don’t let it mess up today.  If you worry and it comes true – you suffer twice.  If you worry and it doesn’t come true – you suffered unnecessarily.
• Blaming anyone or anything for how things are – even if it’s true, it doesn’t lighten your load or correct the problem.  All that angst towards the person or event hurts you much more than them anyway.  Let go.  Move on.  Be free!
• Wishing it were different – what is true right now, is true right now.  If you don’t like it, use that uncomfortableness to propel you to make some changes.  If it isn’t something you can change, then grieve the loss.  Dive into it.  Process what you have lost.  Get angry.  Scream. Cry.  Be sad.  And after some appropriate time, crawl back out into the world and find someone or something that calls to you.  Acceptance does not mean that you like it.  It means that you honor the truth of the situation.  Truth is a solid foundation for your next step.

Fine, but how?

Each one of those bullet points could be a college credit if we pursued each one deeply. There is a LOT of stuff most of us drag around unnecessarily.  So I have a quick coaching exercise to help you get started.  Grab a paper and pen.   Do each step before moving to the next (I added some scroll space, in case you were tempted to peek ahead!)

1 – Make a list of all the things you SHOULD do.

2 – Next to each item in your list, write down who benefits.  (you, a person, work, church, the world, neighbor, boss, etc.)

3. – Cross off any item where YOU are not the beneficiary.  (Don’t panic – it doesn’t mean you won’t ever do them”.)

4 – Add the things you WANT to do.  (What you should do and what you want to do are often very far apart).

5 – Rank from 1, 2, 3, 4 etc.   You can rank from easiest to hardest,  most fun to least fun, least expensive to most expensive, silliest to more serious – whatever seems to make sense).

6 – Cross off all but #1.  That is where you start. If it is too much to do in one step, then modify it to something fun and easy you are willing to do.

Seem crazy?  Consider what you need to let go of, so you can begin #1?  How do you get rid of unnecessary baggage, so you get MORE of what your life needs?   Get rid of some of the crap that consumes you and doesn’t bring you joy, and you will find more time to take better care of you!

And all that extra energy you get back?  That is where you find better diabetes with more energy to do what you love, more time to cook or shop, more focus on what really matters, and heaps more belief in yourself and your abilities.

Mic drop.

Mention this blog post when you purchase my online course for a FREE one-on-one session!

The post Better Diabetes With LESS! appeared first on Better Diabetes Life.

Diabetes is a hardship – no doubt about that.  But can your genes and your mind make it seem worse than it really is?  The answer is YES, and it has to do with something called the “Negativity Bias”.  The Negativity Bias is a hardwired phenomenon in your brain that makes you remember bad/dangerous/painful things more than your pleasant experiences.  And if you aren’t aware that this is happening, it will make your diabetes management much harder.    Let’s take a look and see why.

Negativity Bias Defined

Rick Hanson, Ph.D is a psychologist at UC Berkeley who specializes in how our brains work.  Personally, I follow him and enjoy his podcasts.  He states that the negative experiences we have stick to us like Velcro while positive experiences slide off like Teflon.   We hold on to the bad stuff.   A simple definition on Wikipedia states “even when of equal intensity, things of a more negative nature (e.g. unpleasant thoughts, emotions, or social interactions; harmful/traumatic events) have a greater effect on one’s psychological state and processes than neutral or positive things”.  There is ample research that we all have a negativity bias,  but what does it really mean?

Unpacking the Definition

If we investigate each piece of the definition it begins to make sense and we can see why negativity sticks to us like Velcro.  First, “even when of equal intensity, things of a more negative nature have a greater effect”.  Negative events tip the scales unfairly and seem worse than they are.  We are hard-wired from a survival standpoint, to remember and pay attention to the plants that will kill you, the beasts that can harm you, and other potential threats.

Potential predator?  You want to remember him next time and your brain “hangs on” to that information very tightly.  Meanwhile it pays very little attention to the majority of your day where you ate a nourishing meal, were protected from the weather, and felt connected to your community.  The random bad stuff takes front stage while the good and more prevalent stuff fades to the background.

As if inflating our bad experiences wasn’t enough, there is more!  The negativity bias creates a “greater effect on one’s psychological state and processes than neutral or positive things”.  So a small negative event will seem bigger and affect you more.  It can dampen your mood, create more worry, cause greater fear, and in general cloud your view of the world!  Literally the negativity bias means you are programmed by nature to see things are worse than they really are.  It’s like you are looking through a dirty window.

That’s a blessing and a curse.  It has kept us alive over the millenia, but also paints a pretty bleak picture of your reality.

Your view of YOUR Diabetes

As we have noted, the negativity bias is a real phenomenon and it ABSOLUTELY impacts your diabetes if you don’t know it is happening.  Consider these statements: “Nothing I do makes any difference”, “I will never be able to figure this out”, “My blood sugars are always bad”, “My doctor only points out my bad blood sugars”, “No one understands”, “I totally blew it this week”, “My sugars are always bad”.  Sound familiar?

The negativity bias makes our ability to manage our diabetes seem worse than it actually is. If unchecked these feelings of despair, frustration, and overwhelm can leave to “give up”. You know, where it seems like the effort isn’t paying off, so why bother.? (Doctor’s call this non-compliance, but it has nothing to do with complying.)

We all have these moments, but it is likely the negativity bias as work if you see words like “nothing”, “never”, “always”, “only”, No one”, “totally”, etc.  All these words express absolutes and there are very few absolutes in life.  Life tends to ebb and flow, peak and valley, and constantly change.  When you use absolutes, you are making one piece of the pie bigger than it is.  Heck, absolutes make it the whole pie!   You are also limiting possibility.   You may not have possibility in all things, but you can always (and I used that word on purpose), find possibility in our thoughts.

One of the few places you do have some absolutes is in our thought world.   You 100% can choose what you want to focus on – or not.  No one but you, chooses what goes on in your head and you can literally clean your “dirty window”!  And sure, it takes some effort, but the payoffs are pretty amazing!

Keep Negativity in Perspective

White it’s true you don’t have choice in many aspects of diabetes, you always have the opportunity to change your perspective.  Luckily, it’s free, comes in unlimited supply and you don’t have to tell a single sole about it – unless you want to.   Purposefully changing your perspective is the best way to combat your negativity bias and bring some balance and positivity into your life.  And who doesn’t want more free, good stuff????  Here are some practical things you can do to self-check the negativity.

1. Pay attention to your self-talk:  We all have a voice in our head commenting on our life.  Notice what yours is telling you.  Reflect on your day and listen to what YOU are saying to YOU!
2. Challenge the absolutes:  If your self-talk contains a lot of absolutes (never, always, only, etc.), challenge yourself to see if they are TRUE.   Perhaps the negativity bias is making you forget the good stuff?  Spend 10 minutes where you won’t be disturbed and just “notice” what you are thinking about.  Where does your brain want to take you?
3. Acknowledge the “voice in your head“: That voice in your head that is always talking and criticizing has a purpose.  Just like your negativity bias, it is there to keep you safe and point out all the pitfalls.  When the voice is making mountains out of molehills, try talking back to it.  “I know you are pointing out all the potential problems and thank you for your endless work, BUT you are making it worse, and it isn’t true.  I hear you and understand your concern, but I GOT THIS”.
4. Sprinkle positivity in frequently and often: if unchecked, negativity is going to push out the good stuff, you must be intentional about focusing on the good stuff.  Lots of ways to do this.  See if any of these feel right to you and then DO IT!
   1. Develop a mantra to drown out the negative:  “I am OK.  I have choices.  All is well”, or any other simple phrase.  Scriptures and quotes can be good sources.
   2. Surround yourself with Inspiration:  Sticky notes work – having visual reminders of the good stuff brings it to the forefront of your mind every time you see it.
   3. Create a list of the positives:   Reflect on what went well, what worked, or the times you made a choice you liked.  Putting it on paper gives it more weight and influence.  Just the act of moving it from a nebulous idea to a real, physical thing you can see tilts the scales back in your favor.

Diabetes is hard.  No doubt about it.  You need all the motivation, energy and support you can muster to face it each day.  Now that you know the negativity bias exists, you can’t help but notice when it happens.  Just by reading this article, you have a made a shift in your world.  You can never “unknow” this fact.  Use it to create your better diabetes life.

Have fun catching yourself in the act, slaying the Negativity Bias. and rocking your diabetes world.

Be well my diabuddies,

PS – I recently did a talk and meditation on Insight Timer on Negativity Bias – Listen and learn HERE.  Join me Monday evenings at 7pm CT each week for a LIVE session!

The post How BAD is Your Diabetes? appeared first on Better Diabetes Life.

Just do it?

If you have lived with diabetes for a day…. or a lifetime, you have been told all the things you need to “do”.  Eat this. Don’t eat that.  Exercise. Count carbs.  Take meds. Test your blood sugar.  See your doctor.  Correct anything that doesn’t produce glucose levels in range.  Do it better. Do it more.  Do it perfectly……or else all sorts of bad things will happen!!  Does that really motivate you?  Or just scare you silly?

If you answered “scared”, then you have flipped into rescue mode, known in medical speak as your “Sympathetic Nervous System“.  It’s the automatic part of your brain and nerves that sounds the alarm when there is danger.  It diverts your energy and resources away from “maintenance projects” (like healing, immunity, and growth) and unleashes your emergency centers.  These centers prepare to deal with this imminent danger by increasing your heart rate and blood pressure, unleashing glucose stores from your liver, and releasing  waves of stress hormones that shunt blood and energy to your extremities (away from your organs).

The price you pay

When your mind experiences fear – real or imagined – these systems kick into place.  When your body thinks it needs to fight, it shuts down the healing parts.  Since we live with diabetes, we have need for a lot of repair and restoration to combat the effects of our weird glucose levels.  It helps to prevent complications.  Our bodies know how to heal –  but they need time and resources to do it.

If you spend a lot of your day worrying, regretting, feeling judged (or judging), preparing for the worst, feeling ashamed, suffering, or pretty much any other negative emotion internally your body thinks there is a a constant crisis.  Living in a constant state of 911 drains your energy and makes it more difficult to sleep, digest, and maintain metabolic balances…..yep that means glucose control!

Getting better = feeling better

Luckily, all hope is not lost!  Your body has a built in system to counterbalance the effects of your 911 system (sympathetic nervous system).  It’s called your “Parasympathetic Nervous System” – and it is dreamy!  Literally!  It feels a bit like waking up, a meditation, a nap, a warm bath, watching a movie on a lazy afternoon, lying on a quilt looking at the clouds, floating on an air mattress in the water or an intentional deep breath where you relax and let go.   Simple – right?  It feels sooooo goood!!!  We crave it all the time.

So why don’t we do it more?  A few common reasons: we add it to our “to do” list so it becomes “one more thing”, we think down time is “lazy” (US culture is not helpful), we (wrongly) believe it doesn’t serve any purpose (um, healing and restoration – I’ll take more of that), or we don’t have “time”  (ha! – but you have HOURS for Facebook or if they were giving our freebies at 7-11 you would find some “extra” minutes).  It feels like it will be too hard.  What if we can make it feel easy!  Winner!!

The voice in your head

Your biggest obstacle to finding more parasympathetic goodness and feeling better is YOU!   It’s that voice in your head that spounts off all the words of judgement, punishment, guilt-trips and warnings that have your brain thinking there really is a bear chasing you and you can’t rest. By the way – when you are being chased by a bear – in real life or just in your mind, you will make snap judgements.   Fleeing from a bear? The comfort of apple pie is worth it!   Sky is falling?  Not the time to go for a stroll.  Judge bringing down a hammer?  Unlikely you will act in your best interest.

So it obviously requires some change on your part.  Let’s start with something easy and simple –  that is always the best way – right?  So the voice in your head has a VERY hard time competing with images.  When your brain is imagining a sandy beach, the voice in your head gets distracted “oooh, that sunset it beautiful”.  We can use this to our advantage!  In just two simple steps.

Step 1: Notice you are in 911

When you are feeling stressed, your shoulders are up around your ears and it seems like there is no way out.  Stop. Take a deep breath.  Look around and see if there are any bears, cliffs, oncoming cars or other physical threats.  If not, pay attention to your thoughts. What is the voice in your head telling you?  Stop a minute and listen.

Not too hard to do that – right?  Just pay a bit of attention.  If you notice a ball roll into the street and see a child you stop your car.  Not a lot of effort to prepare for that.  If you notice the weather change, you grab a sweater or switch to shorts.  Again – no PhD required.  If you notice your 911 system in full force, mentally pull over to the side of the road and let it pass. Do not, I repeat do not, hop on the ambulance!!!!

Step 2: Pick a picture

Since the voice in your head loves words, no sense in piling any more into the mix.  It will just stress you out more.  Instead use one of these 6 cues and take a little mental vacation.  Just picture it in your head and feel it with your senses.   Your mind won’t know the difference and it will believe you are in the best place to rebuild, relax, restore and rejuvenate.  Just take a few deep breaths, give yourself permission (because this is GOOD for you), and let your senses feel what’s in your mind’s eye.  It can be from a previous experience or something you imagine in your future.  See it, smell it, taste it, sense it, hear it, experience it.  Again – your brain doesn’t know the difference and your body gets the benefit.

1. Love – imagine being held by someone who is safe, enjoy the security, the warmth and the acceptance
2. Joy – imagine when you were ultimately surprised and excited, when it just happened out of the blue and you had no time to consider the why or how
3. Peace – imagine when you  were relaxed, secure and calm – perhaps holding a baby or a pet – perhaps a moment in nature
4. Happiness – imagine a time when life was effortless and everything was going your way – you were in the flow – allow a smile to grace your lips
5. Health – imagine and remember how your body felt when you were a child, or another time when you felt stable and able
6. Belief – imagine all the possibilities, the truest and wisest part of your self that is hidden under obligations, expectations and fears.  Be inspired by them on your mind’s movie screen

Enjoy and Allow

All that stands between you and feeling a WHOLE LOT BETTER is your permission to do this.  When you spend some time in a parasympathetic state you will gift yourself with calm, better decisions, better choices, more energy, more tolerance, more patience, more creativity, more possibility, and more freedom.  It’s free.  It feels good.  It’s totally within your control.  It gets easier the more you do it.

Actually just by reading this blog post, something inside you has shifted and you will be a just a bit more aware the next time you slip into 911 mode.  When you are just a bit more aware, you notice a bit more.  When you notice a bit more, you see things more clearly.  When you see things more clearly, you make new choices.  Choices made from clarity are always better than choices made in haste or out of fear.

What do you know?  You have already started!  Take a deep breath and imagine a big “High 5” from me!  Feel it?  Way to go!  ?

You got this!  Let me know how you enjoyed your mental vacation!

Aloha diabuddy!

Need more?  It’s all in my 5 Step Program – just watch the video and learn the lessons!  Mention this blog and I’ll throw in a free zoom coaching session when you purchase the 5 Step Program!

The post Want Better Diabetes? Try these 6 things! appeared first on Better Diabetes Life.

Happy New Year!

Great to connect with you as always! I hope you enjoyed your holidays.  If you are like me, they looked a bit different this year.  I assume 2021 might be a bit different as well, so I want to offer you some new some strategies that offer a New Way for the New Year!

Several years ago, I gave up on New Year’s Resolutions.  It seemed all the big changes I wanted to do never came to fruition and I “failed” within a few weeks.  Failed to be this perfect version of myself – thinner, better, happier, and more accomplished.  This method of vowing to change my behavior seemed self-defeating and wasn’t really helpful in making changes stick.

Luckily, I found a better alternative.  I started on focusing on how I wanted to “BE” instead of what I wanted to “DO”.  That mindset influenced many aspects of my day – not just the end result of a specific goal.  It was ever-present throughout my endeavors.  A new thing I was striving for, that didn’t have a set “end point’, so I could constantly change in the direction I wanted to go.

Through my coaches training, I have learned that lasting changes start within. When you change your inner dialog and beliefs, changes in the outer stuff (actions) are a natural consequence.  The way you are inside, shows up in your behaviors, choices, and actions – the things you “do”.  There is much more success to be found in moving towards how you want to be (can always improve) versus something you want to do (single point of failure).

Previous words

Looking back, I see the impact of these words on my life and what actually happened. And they stayed with me well beyond February of each year and to some extent still are playing out each day. (click the words to see my previous posts)

• Authentic – 2018 was the first full year of building my company, my platform, and my brand.  Focusing on being my most authentic self helped me to stay grounded and in line with my gifts and talents.  It also made doubt take a back seat – if you are really being an authentic version of you, you can’t be wrong – right?
• Intentional – in 2019 I was in studio recording my 5 Step Program and it was waaaaay out of my comfort zone.  Being intentional about each step in the process created a framework that allowed me to focus on the plan I had laid out.  Since I made the plan, I was in charge –  which spurred me onwards!  It reminds me of Dory in Finding Nemo “Just keep swimming!”
• Receptive – 2020 was a wheels off year to be sure!  My goal with being receptive was to unashamedly accept all that God had for me.   I hoped it would help me with a belief of lack I sometimes create for myself, but what it gave me was challenges I had to overcome.  Life is ironic that way.  It gives you lessons through hardship.  What I received was the gift of clarity about who was (and wasn’t) in my corner and illuminated some things I needed to resolve.

My Word for 2021

My word for 2021 is “diligent”  (adjective) “constant in effort to accomplish something; attentive and persistent in doing anything”.  A bit more searching shows its root is in the Old French word “diligens” from Latin which can mean to ” love, take delight in’.

To me, it represents not only being intentional (doing something on purpose) but ratchets it up a notch by adding constant effort – relentless pursuit. And if we add in its Latin root, we get a healthy dose of fun!

So, for 2021 – I want to add a layer of dedication, determination, and fun to my year.  I like how that sounds (and feels on the inside!)

How to Really Make Changes

I would be remiss to not speak a bit about change in this New Year’s Blog.  That’s what we all want – right?  Change.  Something new and better than what we have right now.   Fortunately, change is not as random as we think.  It’s a well-defined process, but we are often too anxious to get to the “doing” part which is how we mess it all up!

James Prochaska is an American Psychologist who has done extensive work in change theory.   He’s a smart guy and has great insights!  He defined 6 steps that a person experiences when considering a change. You may not even realize you are doing most of these steps so, but they all actually happen.

Without doing a dissertation on his concepts, let me point out a few key ideas:

• If you don’t even know you want to change or have no intention of changing, you won’t.  You are stuck in Stage 1.  Figure this out before you try anything.
• Thinking about it  – Stage 2 –  should consume most of your time/energy. This is the part where you consider your options.  Determine what you are and aren’t willing to do.  Figure out what else needs to change if you add/remove something from your life.  Don’t leave a void.  Don’t proceed until you have clarity
• When you are clear, then prepare for it –Stage 3.  Get everything ready without the fear of actually doing it.  Prep work is less scary!
• Doing the actual thing you want to change happens in the 4th Stage.  If you jump straight into action without thinking and preparing, your chances of success go way down.  But once you are clear in your head and all the “to dos” are out of the way, you only need to be willing to do the first thing.
• Stage 5 – Expect that you will have ups and downs and need to go back to other stages and rethink, reprepare and redo things.   This WILL happen.  When it does, congratulate yourself on being so smart and prepared.
• Don’t worry about the last step – when/if you get there the change part is over.  (Spoiler alert – this is hard to come by with diabetes.  It could be a cure, but it can also be acceptance that this process is engrained in your life and you see the benefit)

New Way for a New Year

The big take away?  Change doesn’t happen in the “doing”, it happens in the thinking and getting ready and that takes EFFORT!    Your mindset is crucial.  That is why focusing on how you want to “be” is so helpful.  Your state of “being” is an internal state, that you can choose.  Yup – it takes work, but the payoffs are much greater.

When it comes to diabetes goals, perhaps you can

• choose to be inquisitive -look for patterns and trends with your glucose levels
• or maybe you choose to be attentive – pay attention to what your body needs (activity, nourishment)
• or perhaps chose to be open to try something new (technology, food choice, coaching?!)
• or to bold and ask unashamedly for what you need or want.

If you get a bit quiet, you have a word trying to bubble up and be heard.  Listen for it.  Don’t ignore it.  Write it down when you hear it.

And choose to “BE” that in 2021.  The results will amaze you!

Here’s to health and more fun in 2021!

Are you ready to make some changes?  Let me show you how.  One on one or with my self-paced program – both pathways will provide you with incredible coaching strategies that make change less of a struggle so you can do the things you want to!

Sign up for a free phone session HERE or check out my online 5 Step Program HERE

The post A New Way for the New Year appeared first on Better Diabetes Life.

The answer to the question “Why can’t I change and do diabetes better?” is quite simple.  You are stuck in a rut and your approach is wrong.  (Don’t freak out!  It’s not that bad and I have some help! Take a deep breath and keep reading!)

Stuck in a Rut

“Well what does that even mean?”, you ask.  Simply, it means that you have forgotten your options.  You are doing the same things you have always done, sticking with what’s familiar, and telling yourself the same stories about why it’s impossible.  That doesn’t make you a bad person.  Quite the contrary, it makes you normal.  We all like comfortable and cozy.

But when what you have been doing is making you sick, sad or miserable, the truth is you really aren’t comfortable and cozy.  When you are sick, sad and miserable, you likely want anything that feels “better”.  Better mood, better luck, better circumstances, better blood sugars, better mojo…..better anything.

Finding Better

I have some good news and bad news.   Good news – something better is always possible.  Bad news it requires change and effort.   But it isn’t actually such bad news because being sick, sad and miserable also requires effort.  If you are going to put forth effort and struggle with something, I invite you to consider struggling with a change that lands you in the land of “Better”.

It’s likely you anticipate and expect enormous work to make a change.  It “feels” really big and difficult.  The truth is  you are changing every second of every day whether you mean to or not. Every social post you read changes you a bit.  Every success or failure changes you a bit.  Every relationship you have changes you a bit.  Every meal  you eat changes you a bit.  Every walk you take changes you a bit.  Every book you read changes you a bit.  Every conversation you have changes you a bit.

The Process of Change

Since you are already changing without thinking about it, consider what would happen if you think about it a little bit (not even a big bit).  You influence the change.  Think thoughts of how bad it is and you will find some bad news to live up to your expectations.  Conversely, some intentional thoughts about what you desire, also influence the direction of your change. Consider some new possibilities and churn up a bit of hope, and you might find some “better”.  Sounds stupidly easy.  Why can’t you “Just Do It!” like the Nike commercial says??

The reason it’s so hard is because you have been misguided.  Our medical modal is all about “action”.  Do this.  Change that.  Take this.  Lose that. Every doctor visit wraps up with a list of changes you “should” make – whether you agree, understand, know how or are ready.     Because your doctor “said so”, is the supposed reason to make the change.  Unfortunately this is THE WRONG way to make lasting changes.   People change when they are ready to change.

A Bit About Change

James Prochaska, a renowned American psychologist, introduced a model for change in the 70s.  It has been studied, refined and utilized very successfully to help people break addictions and adopt healthier behaviors.  It is a step-wise approach that allows people to make little, small adjustments in their thinking, warm up to the benefits of the change, begin to want the change, plan for a change they can agree to and then successfully make it happen – when they are ready.

The actual “action” or “doing” the thing, doesn’t happen until you have figured out A LOT. It’s not where you start!   The model helps individuals make small changes they agree with and find value in doing, so the effort doesn’t feel so daunting and the changes don’t feel so foreign.  It’s about getting your mind and your spirit ready, so your body becomes willing.

Stages of Change

So if you don’t start right away with “doing” something, where do you start? Glad you asked!  It starts with your beliefs, thoughts, ideas and perspectives  Here is how Prochaska’s model works (in my terms) with a diabetes spin.

• Precontemplation (“not ready”).  I am fine how I am.  It’s not worth my time or effort to take care of diabetes.  If I die sooner, then that is how it is.
• Contemplation (“getting ready”) – I know I should do better, but I don’t know where to start.  I feel like I am missing something, there has to be more than this.
• Preparation (“ready”) – I need to make a doctor appointment.  I am looking online to see what other people are doing.  I will stock up on supplies and check my blood sugar more often.
• Action – (“doing it”) – I am checking my blood sugar and keeping a journal.  I signed up for a class to learn how to count carbs.  I enrolled in an online coaching course.
• Maintenance – (“almost a habit”) – It doesn’t seem like such an effort now.  I am getting the hang of this.  I see the benefits of my actions.  Oops forgot to test, need to get back on track.
• Termination – (“why did I ever think this was hard?”)  I could never imagine not checking my blood sugar every day.  I count carbs without even thinking about it.  This behavior is now my normal.

If you are in Step 1 (Precontemplation) and your doctor tells you to change your diet (Step 4), it makes sense that you aren’t ready and it will be HARD!.  It’s likely it will take some time and a few tricks to get you moving through these stages.

A Tip to Get Started

I have found the fastest and easiest way to get out of a rut, is to tap into your curiosity.  Curiosity is wonderful because there is no commitment, no right or wrong, and no judgement.  You get to just “wonder” and see what comes to mind.  If you are not even thinking about change (stage1)  but wonder “what’s possible?” – you might pick up your phone and google something.  And in doing so get some new info that resonates with you.   If you are thinking about change (stage 2) and wonder “what are other people doing” – you might get on a FB group or ask a friend.  And so it goes.

If you are curious and not finding anything that peaks your interest, there are other strategies that can help.   But what I want you to take away from this post is that it’s a process you must work through to make changes.   And just being told to do something, isn’t enough.  It’s a recipe for failure.  There is work to do – mostly in your own mind – that will make your effort towards change pay off.  What stage are you in???  Let me know!   You can comment here or email me at patricia@betterdiabeteslife.com

Take care my diabuddies!  I am here for you.

Peace and blessings,

The post Question: Why Can’t I Change and Do Diabetes Better? appeared first on Better Diabetes Life.