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We all get stressed from time to time, but when you have diabetes it’s important that you try to manage it to stop those stress hormones from wreaking havoc with your blood sugar levels. 

We spend most of our days at work and while we can’t eliminate stress altogether we can take a few simple steps to try and minimise it – here are a few top tips. 

1. Make workplace wellness a priority 

Just because you’re at work it doesn’t mean your wellness should take a back seat, in fact, there are plenty of little things you can do to make your workspace feel a bit more like home. 

• Add green to your scene 

Plants not only improve air quality, but adding a plant or two to your desk can also have a soothing effect and make your space feel calmer. 

• Hydrate 

It’s not only your plants that need water! Keep a water bottle on your desk and ensure that you drink throughout the day. Staying hydrated helps you to stay alert and aid concentration. 

• Natural light 

Make sure you get as much natural light as possible. This will give your energy levels and productivity a boost.  

2. Organise and prioritise 

When you feel overwhelmed you’re bound to feel stressed, so breaking tasks up into small chunks and writing them down can help things feel more manageable. 

• List it out 

It sounds so simple and obvious, but even just the act of writing out your tasks can help reduce that panic feeling. Whether you have a to-do list app on your phone or prefer a pen and paper, get those tasks noted down and feel the sense of achievement when you tick them off. 

• Set deadlines 

Often tasks without a deadline get pushed to the side, so even if you’re just setting a deadline for yourself make a note of that, but most importantly make sure it’s realistic. 

• Focus on two to three tasks 

Don’t try to do everything at once, take a look at that to-do list and select two or three tasks that are your priorities for that day and tackle them first. 

3. Get moving  

Exercise is a great mood booster thanks to its endorphin-releasing properties. 

• Stand up 

Sitting for long periods of time isn’t good for your health, so if you’re fortunate enough to have access to a standing desk make use of it. Even if it’s just for 15 minutes at a time, standing up can stabilise your leg and core muscles while improving circulation. 

• Walk it out 

Rather than sit at your desk or in the break room for lunch, head out, get some fresh air and go for a walk. Of course, be sure to check your levels before doing so, only you know how long and far to go. 

The above steps may seem simple, but even just acting on a couple of them can really help you to reduce that stress in the workplace now that we’re all back in the office. 

Remember you know your body and your sugar levels, and while that’s your responsibility be sure to reach out to a trusted colleague who might be able to assist you if needed, even if it’s just as a sounding board. 

When it comes to diabetes, we don’t let it define us, but there is no denying that it does affect several aspects of our lives and the lives of those closest to us.  

So, we spoke to Dean, Sally’s husband who has shared some of his insights into Sally’s diabetes and advice that you’ll hopefully find useful. 

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and Sally? What sort of lifestyle do you have/ what sort of things do you enjoy doing? 

Sally and I have been together for 12 years. We met through work and got married in 2017.  

Before I met Sally, I didn’t know anything about diabetes, and just thought it was a condition where someone couldn’t eat sugar and that they had to have injections.  

Sally and I have a very social calendar and love nothing more than to meet with friends and family at the weekend for dinners and socials. We also have two little dogs which we adore, and we spend our days out walking them.  

Prior to Covid-19 we were also keen travellers and looked forward to some fantastic holiday experiences every year!  

What worries you most about Sally’s diabetes?  

Sally manages her diabetes very well, however, there was a period last year where she struggled with her control and experienced some very serious hypos.  

At that time, I came home to find Sally passed out in the kitchen and one night I had to call an ambulance as I could not bring her round. This was really scary.  

Like I say, with the help of our excellent diabetes team Sally is back under control, but it is always in the back of my mind and I wonder throughout the day (and night) if she is ok.  

When she was having the bad patch, she would hypo in her sleep and profusely sweat. So, I would assist and bring her round, and when she was well enough, strip and make the bed in the middle of the night and try to get back to sleep, therefore I would be tired for work the next day.  

I often struggle still with my sleep because of Sally’s diabetes. Even now, I often wake up and touch her arm whilst she is asleep to see if she is sweating! Fortunately, now that she has the Libre device, I can scan her whilst she is asleep which is brilliant although I always need to make a note which arm, she has the sensor on!  

How do you support Sally with her diabetes?  

That is a really hard question to answer! Sally would probably say I give her loads of support around her diabetes. Obviously, I am here if she needs me, and I often reach for a hypo stop if needed.  

I try to support her emotionally. Sally will often say to me ‘I wish I could just have a day off from diabetes’, but diabetes is a part of Sally’s life and she is part of my life so the two go together.  

In the early days, I took time out to learn about the condition and when Sally was going through the bad patch, I would attend her medical appointments with her to give her support that she needed.  

Do you receive any support yourself? 

If I need it. Our friends, family and work are always there to support us. Sally’s diabetes is so well controlled it’s not as often, anymore, that it seriously affects us. 

What advice can you give to other people who are supporting loved ones with diabetes? 

Treat them the same as you would any other person, as diabetes doesn’t define them, sometimes you need to remind them of that as well.   

And, listen when they are having a bad day, don’t judge, you will never know what it’s like to have diabetes, so don’t pretend you do. Don’t question what they eat! Make diabetes a part of your life and embrace it don’t fight against it.  

Support them to in finding the tools to best manage the condition, whether it be financial, researching or helping them find the right mindset, get involved.  

Over the years Sally has taken part in fitness challenges and I always encourage her, and her enthusiasm.  

Finally, always tell them you love them, that’s the most important thing!! 

Remember, the charity is here to support those with diabetes and their friends and family! It’s important to speak to others and seek support when you need it.  

We have a growing community that is happy to help or lend a listening ear, so head to our Facebook page – we’re all in this together. 

Lockdown is tough for everyone right now, but for people with diabetes, it can be a particularly stressful time. Don’t worry though, we’re here to help.

We caught up with Diabetes Nurse Specialist Alison Place who shared some tips for staying on top of both our physical and emotional wellbeing during these challenging times.

1. How can lockdown/change in daily routine affect a person with diabetes?

Living with diabetes is a lot to do with managing blood sugar levels and keeping them within a target range. Achieving this hinges on several factors such as diet, exercise and activity levels, stress and anxiety and the right dose of medication or insulin. 

People with diabetes work very hard every day at balancing these factors in order to achieve good control. A stable daily routine focusing on regular healthy meals, regular exercise and movement and good control of emotional and mental health are all fundamental to achieving good diabetic control.

Anything which interferes with a person’s ability to control these factors could significantly impact on their blood sugar management.

• Which factors are most affected by lockdown?

The effects of lockdown disrupt a number, if not all, of these foundation factors. People become more sedentary, and they may not have the same access to their usual foods, especially if isolating. There may be stress caused by reduced income or changed working practices and anxiety resulting from being alone or not being able to see friends and family.

All these things contribute to the erosion of a normal routine, and an absence of structure can also cause us to forget to do important things like taking medicine or insulin on time.

My experience from the last lockdown was that lots of people with diabetes were experiencing sugars being too high most of the time. The most common reason was because they were less active than usual and eating more food. The Diabetes Nurses spent a lot of time on the phone helping people to adjust their insulin doses in order to put things right.

• How can you best support a person with diabetes during lockdown?

This will very much depend on the individual. People living with diabetes are unfortunately used to receiving unsolicited advice from well-meaning people, whose comments can be quite judgemental.

If you know the person well you could ask some direct questions like, “how are you managing with your meals, blood tests and remembering your insulin?”. If you do not know the person well, you could ask things like, “how’s it going?”, or “can I get you anything?”.  If you are in the same household, encourage your friend or relative to take up their two hours exercise a day and maybe go for a walk with them. Ask if your friend, family member or neighbour has had the opportunity to go shopping. If a person is isolating or otherwise restricted in their activity you could offer to get some shopping or pick up a prescription for them.

Please NEVER tell a person with diabetes “you should be doing X, Y or Z”, or ask “should you be eating that?”

Please DO say, “how can I help you?”, or “is there anything I can do for you?”.

Other general tips on supporting someone in lockdown are not exclusive to people living with diabetes:

• Keep in touch whether that’s through messaging, FaceTime or video chats.
• Cheer each other up.
• Keep each other going and check in regularly.
• Make each other laugh. 
• Take a socially-distanced walk if that is appropriate for your circumstances.   
• Encourage on-line social activities and hobbies.

All these things can help us to stay positive when times are tough.

• What are your top tips for managing diabetes during lockdown?

Try as much as possible to create a routine and structure to your day and stick to it. It’s also a good idea to punctuate the day with different activities to avoid boredom and becoming demotivated.

Scheduling is also important; make sure you schedule in your blood tests and medication or insulin. Also, don’t forget to plan your meals and ensure that you’re taking your two hours of exercise each day.

Try ticking off all the things you have achieved that day; this can have a profound feel-good psychological effect and can really help to boost your motivation.

Reward yourself with a treat; maybe a favourite film or box set, a video chat with a friend, some internet shopping or a food treat with the right dose of insulin to go with it.

Always remember, we’re here to help so call the Diabetes Nurses, Alison or Becky if the wheels are falling off!

We are very excited to update you with the latest information from Insulet about their fantastic Omnipod Disposal Programme.

Please download the document below explaining the full details on how to safely dispose of your used Omnipods. The scheme is much more environmentally friendly than other disposal methods.

You will need to register your details with Insulet by calling them on 0800 011 6132. Once registered, you can order the disposal boxes via email in the future.

We have had comments and messages about people having issues traveling with devices so we have some useful tips for you:

• Always carry a doctor’s letter stating that you have Diabetes and what medication/devices you are wearing or carrying.
• Keep your Diabetes equipment separate and inform the security staff that you have medical supplies.
• The Podder Resource Guide below has specific information about travel with Omnipods (pages 31-32)
• The guide below also has quick and easy to understand information about what the Pod and PDM are. It might be useful to print this out to have when traveling to help security staff understand the devices (pages 4-5)
• It is recommended that you carry your Freestyle Libre User guide (in the original box) to give staff more information about the device.
• Omnipods and Freestyle Libres CAN be worn through body scanners. You should always carry spare replacement devices when traveling just in case anything goes wrong but Insulet (Omnipod) and Abbott (Freestyle Libre) have informed us there is no evidence that body scanners cause issues.
• Your PDM and Libre Reader should go through the baggage scanner, not the body scanner.
• Ensure you carry extra supplies of everything, including all medication, replacement devices, batteries and hypo treatment. You should always travel with injections/pens even if you use a pump.
• The Freestyle Libre Reader should be deactivated during flight, and your phone should be put into Flight Safe mode. The Libre should not be scanned for the duration of the flight. There is no need to remove the device from your body.
• The built-in strip port on the Freestyle Libre Reader can be used to take blood glucose or ketone readings during flight. Turn on the reader by inserting a test strip. Turning on the reader with the Home Button will activate the radio.

Hi everyone, I’m Steph. I am the chairperson of Diabetes Guernsey, a mum of one and a paediatric speech and language therapist. I was diagnosed with T1D at the age of 8, so will soon be celebrating my 22-year diaversary (yes, there will be cake). Here is a snapshot of my life at the moment!

I have an early wake up from my 17-month-old daughter. I quickly have time to scan my Libre before I get her up! I remember to take my tablets (for insulin resistance and my thyroid condition) and make a coffee to wake up. As usual, I’m doing too many things at once and forget to do my insulin until I’m halfway through breakfast, cue the mid-morning sugar spike!

It gets to dinner time and I realise I haven’t checked my blood enough today, or had enough water (a big factor for me in sugar control), but luckily, I remembered to do my insulin at lunch so things aren’t looking too bad!

I finish the day doing a bit of work, eating a few handfuls of chocolate buttons (I’m only human) and hoping to get to bed early enough to get my 8 hours (haha).

I find my diabetes hugely frustrating some days and other days it goes smoothly. I get annoyed for forgetting, not testing enough and eating the wrong things, but I always try to remind myself that I can’t do it all, and for now, while life is hectic, I just need to do my best!