Dealing with Diabetes in a Hectic Schedule

You maybe are a parent with diabetes, at the same time a spouse, an employee with a full-time job and some income earnings at the side. You have a hectic schedule indeed. Furthermore, you are active in community projects and church activities. Time management especially with a schedule as hectic as this is a real challenge to diabetes management.

Diabetes does not pose as a problem to patients who already have lived up with managing it well. However, diabetics can have hectic schedules too – night work shift, new projects, new jobs, new responsibilities, all these can challenge anyone’s diabetes management skills.

Erratic schedules at home, school or work and erratic eating and exercise schedules simply lead to erratic blood glucose levels.

Establish a baseline of blood sugar first

A variable schedule and lifestyle is a real challenge to keeping the blood glucose levels at a safe range. It is best to establish a baseline of consistent safe blood sugar levels first in a stable lifestyle before trying to add other activities and routine. Lifestyles can be flexible, if you are also flexible enough to manage your diabetes and hectic schedule such as the flexibility to record your blood sugars more often and make proper insulin dose adjustments.

Stick to your schedules

It is good to keep good records of necessary routines, review them often and stick to them. Take meals on a regular schedule, eating the same number of carbohydrates if possible at the same time of every single day. This should also be true with your exercise schedule. Sticking to a regular schedule will help you avoid confusion and procrastination.

If your work shift is irregular and you are on insulin, do not hesitate to ask help from your diabetes care team. You need their support and cooperation. To manage diabetes and hectic schedule, establish a regular number of hours sleep everyday. Check your blood sugar before steering the wheel and every 2 hours after that. If it is below 100mg/dl, get yourself some snack before driving.

Hectic schedules can stress you out. Make sure to give yourself some time every day. Relaxing and unwinding for a bit contribute much to glucose control rather than always on the go like crazy.

Remember that diabetes is about self-care. No one can take your body better than yourself. You are in control. Do not let hectic schedule and stress control you.