Did you know that 1.2 million people are diagnosed with diabetes every year in America? A new diagnosis may seem overwhelming due to the pressure of navigating the chronic disease.

When you have diabetes, your body is unable to make enough insulin or can’t use it the way it needs to. Living with diabetes requires taking extra care to avoid complications like heart and kidney disease. If you or a loved one has recently been diagnosed with diabetes and is struggling to cope, consider finding a support team, learning more about your diagnosis, maintaining your usual daily activities and discovering new healthy habits.

Find your support team

As you adjust to living with a disease that requires insulin treatments, tracking your blood sugar level, healthy eating and exercising, it’s crucial to find a team that supports and encourages you along your journey. There are three groups of people you should prioritize connecting with to build a strong team:

1. The first is a health care team that is devoted to making sure your health is on an upward trajectory. They can help you create a plan that is customized to your lifestyle to help you manage your diabetes.
2. The next team of supporters you should rely on is a good group of friends or family members who lift your spirits when you’re feeling unsure.
3. Lastly, it is important to connect with someone who has been through the same diagnosis. They may have tips on how they dealt with or managed their diagnosis. Guidance through the process can be beneficial to your overall emotional well-being.

Learn more about your diagnosis

Fear often comes from the unknown. Education is the key to a firm foundation for managing your diabetes with confidence. As mentioned before, a health care team can be a great source to go to if you have any questions. Additionally, you can receive valuable information and insight from specialized outlets like the following:

• The American Diabetes Association.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• The Diabetes Daily.

The more you understand your new diagnosis, the more you’ll feel empowered. With the new information you will learn through asking questions and reading, you’ll gain clarity on how to properly manage your diabetes.

Maintain regular activities

Often, when someone is diagnosed with a chronic disease, they are consumed with stress and worry. As your life is changing rapidly due to the additional tasks that come along with diabetes, it’s important to have some sense of normalcy to support your mental and emotional well-being. As you may be changing some parts of your regular lifestyle to help manage your diabetes better, it is beneficial to keep up certain hobbies you enjoyed doing before being diagnosed.

Explore new habits

Incorporating new healthy habits in your life can make all the difference in how you feel. Finding joy in these habits will motivate you to be consistent. For example, consider adopting hobbies like the following:

• Joining an aerobics class.
• Going on a morning walk.
• Doing yoga with a friend.

Not only are all of these hobbies a great source of physical activity, but they can also help manage stress levels. Additionally, it is important to regularly eat a healthy diet. Swap out processed sugar for fruit and vegetables. A well-balanced lifestyle should include both physical activity and healthy eating.

Being diagnosed with diabetes can initially be overwhelming. Don’t underestimate how much a good support team, researching your diagnosis, participating in activities you find joy in and taking up new hobbies can contribute to your overall health.

Lindsey Certonio is a project manager at Fullcast, a Silicon Slopes-based end-to-end RevOps platform that allows companies to design, manage and track the performance of their revenue-generating teams.

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