4 tips to help avoid diabetes burnout

Living with diabetes is a constant battle of ups and downs, and we're not just talking about your blood glucose levels! The emotional part of diabetes can be even more tiresome and stressful than the physical aspect of diabetes. This is when diabetes burnout happens.
 

What is diabetes burnout?
 

Everyone may all have their own specific definition, but basically it’s when you’ve had enough of diabetes and need a break. For example, it's when you just don’t feel like testing, taking a shot, inserting a new infusion set, counting carbs or getting blood work done. 

Diabetes burnout itself can lead to more stress and unhealthy thinking. If your diabetes burnout has caused you to stop taking insulin the way your healthcare team has prescribed, it could lead to higher blood glucose levels, ketones, and potentially a trip to the hospital. 

Here are some tips for combating diabetes burnout:
 

Remember the big picture
 

With everything in life, it’s always important to remember the big picture. You’re working toward living a long, healthy life. In order to do this, you must spend time managing your diabetes and everything that requires. It may be overwhelming at times, but keeping the bigger picture in mind at all times can help with the feeling of being overwhelmed.
 

Take a break / Disconnect
 

When we say disconnect, we don’t mean disconnecting from your insulin pump — we mean disconnecting from diabetes-related thinking. If you’re constantly reading blogs, commenting on diabetes group pages on Facebook or interacting with people on X, then take a break from it. Go do something that you’ve wanted to do or read a book that has nothing to do with diabetes.
 

Write / talk about it
 

Talking to another person with diabetes about what you’re going through can be very helpful. You may be able to relate with that person more than a family member and might even be able to get a bit of motivation from them in order to help lift you out of your current diabetes burnout.
 

Slow Down and Take a Deep Breath
 

This is a great tip not only for diabetes, but for everything in life. As soon as your diabetes starts to feel overwhelming, step back from the situation and take a deep breath. 

Diabetes to-do lists can seem endless. It’s time to refill your reservoir, you need to change your sensor, etc. And on top of this, life doesn’t stop. When this happens, just slow down, take a deep breath, and move forward with what you need to do - one task at a time. 

Keep these things in mind when you feel like you're going through a period of diabetes burnout. You got this!