Diabetes When You're Short on Time

At one time or another in every person’s life, he or she goes through periods so busy and stressful there is little time to think. How do we balance time spent managing diabetes and time spent on school, work, and life, in general?

This has been the busiest fall of my life. Between applying to college, school, and running, I barely have time to breathe. Even though I have continued running and swimming after school, I no longer have time to go for leisurely walks or to linger in the weight room. This means that my insulin needs have increased, as well. In the midst of homework and other new school activities, it took me longer than usual to notice a relatively obvious shift in my blood sugar. By the time I sat down with a blood sugar log, my fluctuating blood sugar had been adding to my already-present stress for days. This could have been prevented if I had logged my blood sugar. I know what you're thinking: "If I'm already busy, why would I add one more thing for myself to do!?" However, I have found that logging my blood sugar provides stability. If I can see my blood sugar readings, (and therefore keep on top of my numbers and catch problems quickly,) I encounter less stress in the long run because my logs decrease ambiguity related to diabetes management. Keeping organized and accountable about my blood sugars leaves me with more time to think about other, non-diabetes related things. Starting a log is the hardest part, but once writing down blood sugars becomes routine, logs can be extremely helpful.

At the dinner table last week, instead of automatically thinking about the number of carbs on my plate, my mind drifted to a homework assignment and I forgot to bolus. When life is busy, there are so many things running through my head that diabetes can get pushed out of the way. But making a routine out of diabetes, instead of saying, "I'll check my blood sugar when I have a second," ensures that blood sugar control stays in check. For example, when I wake up in the morning, I don't get out of bed until I reach over to my bedside table for my meter and test my blood sugar. Further, I won't wash my face before going down to breakfast without bolusing my meal. Pretend that you have "appointments" with your diabetes; if you create a self-tailored routine for your diabetes management, you'll spend less time worrying, "when will I be able to check my blood sugar," and more time focusing on other commitments.

Lastly, it is much easier, not to mention healthier, to study for a test with a blood sugar of 100 than 300. Even though it can be tempting to forgo diabetes management for homework or other obligations, remember that you will both feel better and perform better when you are taking care of your diabetes. In addition to logging blood sugars and creating diabetes habits, do not be afraid to ask for help with diabetes management--nobody expects you to be perfect! When you are spread thin, it is hard to imagine stepping up diabetes management, but try to remind yourself how good (and stress-relieving) it feels to work on controlling your blood sugar.