Type 2 New Year’s Resolutions to Set in 2023
The year is about to end and you may be feeling that you could have done a little more. You may even be thinking you’ll “do better next year” and so starts a new cycle of setting next year’s goals. Yes, that’s right, I am talking about New Year’s resolutions.
Have you thought about your resolutions for this new year? Do any of these have anything to do with your life with type 2 diabetes?
New Year’s Resolutions to Prioritize in 2023
If you haven’t come up with ideas about your diabetes and health-related resolutions, we have some ideas for you. Use this as a guide to help you individualize your own goals. However you plan your 2023, your goals should challenge you to grow but allow yourself to make mistakes and be flexible as you learn new things throughout the year.
Practice mindfulness
This will help you be aware of some situations that happen in your day to day and that could be affecting your diabetes management. Being aware of moments of stress and work activity may help you realize the effect they have on you, and perhaps you could use some strategies in order to reduce the impact on your levels. This also includes mindful eating. Do you really know what you eat and when you eat it? Mindful eating helps people living with diabetes to be aware of those factors, both internal and external which affect the way you eat, interrupts the automatic nutrition and helps you eat in response to physiological cues like hunger and satiety leaving aside those meals triggered by stress or anxiety which often lead you to be unstable with your diabetes management.
Prioritize Relaxation and Meditation
In 2023, we’re going to learn how to identify our triggers and stressors and learn how to handle them in a healthy way. After all, increased cortisol, the stress hormone leads to higher blood glucose levels. This year, try meditation and train your mind by practicing breathing, mindfulness and remaining in the moment. It can reduce blood pressure, anxiety and depression. Also, meditation doesn’t have to be simply sitting in one spot, you can meditate by walking or jogging, too.
Use Your Voice During Doctor’s Visits
This year, we’re going to use our voice and better advocate for ourselves. Don’t just simply take instructions from your doctor. Go into your appointments ready to discuss what matters to you in your diabetes care. Inform your doctor what strategies you want to implement and how much communication you need from them. Be proactive. Your doctor will appreciate the dynamics of the consultation and your appointments will be more productive and improve your health outcomes.
Exercise and Diet
Yes, we know this is the most common New Year’s resolution, but it is necessary to mention it. Exercise helps with blood glucose management by improving insulin sensitivity and its other effects include releasing endorphins that put you in a good mood. With that said, that’s not really the issue, is it? It’s finding the time to workout and finding the activities that work for you. Going into the new year, we need to put ourselves in the right environment to be active.
Look for gaps in your day where you have time for exercise. You probably have the time, but you may need to give something up to include it in your schedule. If you’re used to watching TV after work, go to the gym and watch your favorite shows while on exercise machines. Have a little break in the afternoons at work? Go for a walk. Need to get up a little earlier in the morning? Use that time to fit in a jog. For more information, check out our Exercise and Diabetes resources.
Diet is also one of the most common New Year’s resolutions, and it’s usually accompanied by a weight loss goal. Focus on making the foods you like work for you. Consult a diabetes educator or a nutritionist to help you create a diet plan that works for you. If you can’t see one, try building your own diet. Whatever you decide, don’t feel pressured to make big sweeping changes right away. Small changes and consistent effort can lead to lasting results. Need more help in this area? Check out our Food and Diabetes page.
Continue to Educate Yourself about Diabetes
We’ll always continue to provide resources with reliable information backed by peer-reviewed studies to give you the best management tips and help you learn more about this disease. Knowledge is power and this is especially true with diabetes. By continuing to keep yourself updated on the latest standards of care and diabetes tech, you’ll be able to explore the possibilities of care and advocate for others.
Focus on the Positive
2022 is in the past and while we wish we could do some things differently, we can only focus on moving forward.
When you live with diabetes, it’s easy to dwell on the problems it can bring. But surely diabetes introduced some positive things in your life like:
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- Becoming aware of what is happening in your body and prioritizing your health. Some members of our community said they’re the healthiest they’ve ever been.
- Your family making changes in their lives to lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.
- Meeting and befriending people living with diabetes who gave you another perspective on life. A sense of community helps living with the disease easier. We’re not alone, we’re in this together.
Practice self-compassion and give yourself the grace to move forward to make the new year better than the last. By prioritizing the right New Year’s Resolutions, you’ll start 2023 on a high note.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5439358/
