Simple Measures to Help Patients Cope with Diabetes

For many individuals, a type 2 diabetes diagnosis can often bring abrupt changes to a patient's lifestyle that can completely alter how they live their lives. In all honesty, being diagnosed with diabetes is no metaphorical walk in the park, and while the condition will prompt the patient to make several adjustments to their daily coming and going, it’s really not as serious as most people make it out to be.

Granted, the first few weeks are the most complicated, since this is when the changes are first taking place. Afterwards, however, the new lifestyle becomes second nature as the patient learns to live with their disease. Nevertheless, these modifications don’t have to be as big as their built up to be.

The smallest changes in the lifestyle of a type 2 diabetes patient are often the ones that make the largest differences, and in this article, we’ll go over a few of these adjustments.

Before we do so, it’s important to note that millions of Americans every year struggle with type 2 diabetes. It is estimated that around 9.4 percent (or around 30 million individuals) of the American population at any given time are suffering from the disease, which means that each of them must learn to measure their blood sugar levels, eat healthily, exercise regularly, and keep all their levels in check. However, there is a strong belief that only the biggest, most radical measures are the ones that make the difference when it might actually be the opposite. 

For instance, according to a survey sponsored by LifeScan, Inc. involving a little over a thousand type 2 diabetes patients, around half of the participants felt that it was easier to adhere to their new lifestyles if they received recognition for their efforts. Something as simple as a ‘good job’, a loving hug from a family member, or a high five from a close friend could make all the difference in the world when it comes to following a healthy lifestyle. Of course, everyone operates in the same way and, in this sense, not everyone will react favorably to recognition. Luckily there are other small changes that can be adopted by anyone, of which could make an important difference in the way they deal with the burden of their disease.

Keep in mind, a small change is just that: something that is simple, but could help to set the foundation for future improvements somewhere down the line. If the person promises to themselves that he or she would start working out, it doesn’t mean that they would immediately need to go run a marathon the next day. A small change, in this case, would be to start walking or jogging for several minutes every day. Once he is able to comfortably jog for the whole duration of the session, the bar can be moved further into higher and more complicated goals, and so on.

With this, here are some other small changes that anybody can adopt and that could help improve their lifestyle, especially if they are suffering from type 2 diabetes or other metabolic disorders.