Diabetes burnout is very real. Here are some strategies to prevent or reduce the duration of diabetes burnout.

Diabetes management can feel a bit like walking a tightrope 24/7 between highs and lows. The recommended blood glucose range to stay within is small – only 4 mmol across the standard range of 4 – 8 mmol/L (75 to 140mg/dl)* and it is well publicised that the more time you spend outside of that narrow target range, the greater risk you have of developing complications.

Having these blood glucose guidelines can be empowering and motivating, especially if you are seeing ‘safe’ blood glucose numbers. However, it can be even more disempowering and de-motivating when your blood sugar is ‘unsafe’ and falls outside the desired range.

In order to ‘stay safe’ and in control of diabetes an intense, stringent routine is needed on a daily basis. This may mean checking blood sugar upon waking in the morning, before and two hours after a meal, before going to bed, and through the night. As well as, weighing and measuring food and meals, reading nutritional labels, counting carbs and administering insulin accordingly. Not to mention recording all of these actions for a diabetes educator/nurse, GP or Endocrinologist to assess, and the time spent organising medical supplies.

So without question, an enormous amount of time EACH and EVERY day is dedicated to managing diabetes– just to ‘stay on the tightrope’ and survive. For someone without diabetes, it would be somewhat like telling the lungs to breathe or heart to beat– to remain healthy and alive.

Sounds exhausting? It is!

These periods of intense diabetes control may last weeks, months, or even years, but sometimes people ‘fall off’ the diabetes management tightrope because:

• Diabetes management is 24 hours every day – it’s exhausting as there is no timeout from it.
• Life is busy and has additional demands like study, work or family commitments, not just the demands of diabetes.
• Despite making an effort with diabetes management, frustratingly ‘unsafe’ blood glucose levels continue to happen.

This means there may be times in life when diabetes management is forgotten or avoided and as a result blood glucose control suffers. This can be the beginning of diabetes burnout.

Diabetes Burnout

Diabetes burnout is similar to being burnt out with study or work when no matter how hard you try, how many hours you put in, it seems like there is no point in trying anymore as nothing’s helping and you’re not succeeding. This sense of hopelessness is not a nice experience. It’s also common for burnout to be accompanied with feelings of stress, anxiety, depression, anger, shame or guilt. However, how someone experiences burnout is varied in regards to why and how it presents, it’s duration, and the extent to which someone functions whilst burnout.

Someone suffering from diabetes burnout may participate in behaviour that is harmful to their health, such as missing medications, not testing blood glucose, approximating/guessing insulin dosages, or eating foods that may dramatically impact their blood sugar.

What can I do to prevent diabetes burnout?

There are some key things you can do to prevent or reduce the duration of diabetes burnout:

Accept

Accept your burnout and that you are only human. The fact is diabetes is a difficult disease to live with, it has a mind of it’s own at times and it’s ok to have moments in which you dislike it. Don’t be too hard on yourself for being burnt out – see it as a signal that something needs to change.

Reevaluate

Life is busy, but because you need to put so much energy into managing diabetes can other areas of your life use less of your energy? Reevaluate your other behaviours, responsibilities, and commitments – Think about what you could change, get assistance with or stop doing to improve your quality of life. Remember to make some time-out for you!!

Minimise unhelpful thoughts

Stop any ‘catastrophising’ or ‘all or nothing’ thoughts, as well as saying the word “should”. Saying “should” make us feel like we’re doing the wrong thing – try to replace with the word could – then it gives you a choice. Also, diabetes is not perfect or black or white, so stop putting the pressure on YOU to be perfect – it’s not realistic. Remember a blood glucose test is an indication of what you need to do next – it’s not something you fail. Make sure you praise yourself for positive behaviours you do!

Puzzles have many pieces

We all know diabetes is a puzzle, even at the best of times. If it’s been a while since you had an ideal diabetes routine, break diabetes into smaller steps and smaller goals. Focus on ‘this meal’, tonight, or today – be mindful of the NOW, and don’t think too far ahead!

Recruit

Your diabetes team is there to help – so recruit your nurse/educator, GP, endocrinologist, dietitian, or psychologist. Make sure you honestly discuss with them your management frustrations or challenges. You won’t be the first person they’ve heard this from and together you can problem-solve and make changes to help vary your management so it suits YOU and YOUR life better. (Note: Variety is key!)

Connect

Connect with other people like your friends, family or those with diabetes. People who understand the demands of diabetes can help normalize how you’re feeling and provide you with understanding and support. Read more about the importance of Support in Diabetes Management.

Remember… burnout is nothing to feel ashamed or guilty about. It is an indication that something needs to change – so start somewhere and you’ll be back balancing on the tightrope again soon.

* Your target range may differ from the quoted values and please follow the recommended target range set by your doctor.

Please see the following articles for more information:

• Prioritising self when you have diabetes – Is it selfish?
• Yay… Did someone say “reward”?
• Perfectionism in diabetes management: Do opposites attract?
• Motivating someone you care about with diabetes
• Good stress, bad stress and distress… Is it all too much?
• Mindfulness: Simple, yet it improves overall health and diabetes management