Aracely Munguia, ASW, MSW

What is a definition of emotional wellbeing? According to the Mental Health Foundation: ‘A positive sense of wellbeing which enables an individual to be able to function in society and meet the demands of everyday life; people in good mental health have the ability to recover effectively from illness, change or misfortune.’

 Your emotional wellness or emotional health is like a deep well. When the water is clean, it gives life to everyone who drinks from it. When the water becomes toxic over time, it is not only hazardous to everyone’s health but also corrodes the well beyond repair over time.  Building emotional wellness is a commitment to listening and becoming fully aware of what is going on inside you in relation to your physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual well-being.  It involves observing your actions or reactions and tracing its causes or roots deep within you to finding your underlying unhappiness.  You follow the feelings of your reactions and feel deep within you as you ask intently why you behave and feel the way you do.  Such an approach to building emotional wellness is intense, demands alertness and a keen awareness of your thoughts and feelings.

 Reduce feeling stress  Reduce feeling burden  Reduce feeling defeated  Which can disrupt your life with diabetes. Managing and coping with these symptoms can include:

 Make time for Yourself - This can improve the quality of your life and your mental outlook  Getting enough rest - when you’re too tired it can be challenging to cope with stress (Listen to soothing music before you sleep, turn off electronics, read).  Eat right - eat healthy meals and snacks at home and at work. Try not to skip meals.  Nourish Your Spirit- embrace your values and what you want to achieve in your life.  Setting Limits - setting limits will help you feel more in control.

 Taking one step at a time  Try to not tackle all changes all at once (i.e., a new exercise routine, a meal plan, and checking your blood glucose level), you can make changes Slowly!!  Seek support (i.e., Health care team, family and other people that are important to you)  This will help reduce feelings of discouragement if you are not able to see results instantly.

 You can take control of your life  You can focus on important things that matter to you  Give you directions and helps you to stay focus on where you want to end up.  You can finish task efficiently and make progress, thus increase self-confidence and feel enthusiastic

 Goals may not have been written down  Rewards for achieving goals were not given  Goals may have been unrealistic or not specific enough

 Negative thinking- If you think you’re not going to succeed, then you’re probably not going to.  Fear of failure - Afraid of being disappointed “why if I can’t do it again?”  Fear of rejection - “If I don’t’ make it, what will other people say?”  Procrastination - “Someday, I will set my goals” “I will do it later”  Afraid of getting out of comfort zone - this could cause uncomfortable feelings and force you to take refuge on the side of safety, what you are familiarized with.

 What are some things you hope to achieve in the next few weeks or months?  What are some things you hope to achieve in the next few years?  There are many types of goals  Short term-accomplish within a few weeks  Long term-far reaching and take longer to achieve, i.e.; a year or more  Realistic vs. Unrealistic goals

SMART Goals  S=Specific  M=Measurable  A=Achievable  R=Relevent  T=Time bound

 Specific  Goals should have expected outcomes, simple and clearly as possible.  For example: “I will monitor my blood glucose level” or “I will walk”.  Measurable  Include how you will know if you have met your goal.  “I will monitor my blood glucose level 2x per day or 4x per day” or “I will walk for 10 minutes 3x per week”.

 Achievable  Goals should have outcomes that are realistic given your current situation, resources, and available time.  “I will walk for 10 minutes 3x per week, during my lunch break”  “I will monitor my blood glucose level 2x per day, when I wake up at 6 a.m. and after my lunch break”.  The goals you choose need to be broken down into small steps to be reachable.  Evaluate, “do you have a lunch break every day? Will you have time to check your BGL’s after your lunch break?”

 Relevant  Goals should help you on your journey toward meeting larger, ultimate life outcomes.  Are you confident that you can take a 10 minute walk every day or at least most days of the week? What might get in your way?  Time Bound  Goals should include realistic timeframes for achievement.  When will you start this plan? For how long will you keep it up?

 Keep in mind that it’s OK to revise a goal as you go along or to set a new one if your circumstances change.  Remember, Perfect self-care is impossible.  If you’re having trouble with one part of your diabetes self- care, don’t become discouraged and let it consume you.  Focus on what you are doing well and come back to the problem areas when you are ready.  Ask for help if you’re not sure what to do, how to get started, or how to maintain the healthy changes you have made.  Setting realistic goals and mapping out clear steps toward reaching them can significantly improve your health without leaving you overwhelmed and frustrated.  Take it one step at a time; you will be amazed by what you can accomplish.