Even in normal times, though, living with this chronic disease is no easy feat: There’s blood sugar monitoring to think about, a diet plan to stick with, and often a medication regimen to stay on top of. Keeping stress in check is also a key aspect of care, and these days, you may be feeling more frazzled than usual. If stress is high, you’re not alone. When we polled our diabetes audience on social media about their top concern right now, a majority ranked fears of getting sick and suffering complications from COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, as No. 1. People with diabetes are among the individuals at a higher risk for severe COVID-19 illness, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) points out. And so are certain racial and ethnic minority groups, including Black Americans, whom type 2 diabetes disproportionately affects. So these feelings are completely warranted. That said, stress can elevate your blood sugar, making it tougher to hit your A1C and weight loss goals. Luckily, there are ways to cope. We decided to ask two diabetes experts — both are living with diabetes themselves — for their tips for getting through this challenging time. Among the topics we discussed were the stress management strategies they turn to most, how they are finding ways to connect with others when they need support, and why prioritizing wellness habits during stressful situations is so critical. The ultimate goals: to keep your blood sugar in a healthy range, tend to your mental health, and feel your best. Below, you’ll find the conversation, as well as a handful of our favorite diabetes resources for managing stress and practicing self-care during the pandemic and beyond. Original air time and date: at 1 p.m. EST on Friday, November 13 on Facebook Hosted by: Melinda Carstensen, Senior Editor at Everyday Health With: Nicole M. Bereolos, PhD, MPH, clinical psychologist, certified diabetes care and education specialist, and woman living with type 1 diabetes; and Cherise Shockley, founder of the Diabetes Social Media Advocacy (DSMA) Twitter chat, community manager at diaTribe, and Black woman living with latent autoimmune diabetes in adult (LADA)
