Play to your strengths

“If you’re organised and like to make lists, use that skill to make the daily demands of diabetes care more manageable,” suggests Hilliard. Or if humour is your secret superpower, look for light-hearted posts and cartoons on your favourite diabetes blog. Laughter is a sure way to make life look less daunting. If you’re spiritual, take time every day to write down what you’re thankful for. Gratitude can bolster happiness and selfesteem, and also reduce stress. Meanwhile, family-first types can prioritise dinners and activities with loved ones

(social connections can protect you from depression), and people who love their jobs can volunteer for engaging new projects, which heightens your sense of competence and mastery.

“Using your existing skill set to tackle diabetes challenges will naturally make you feel more empowered – a mindset that makes you better equipped to handle challenges,” says Hilliard.

“It’s healthier and more realistic to talk about blood glucose ‘management,’” says de Groot.

Other resilience-bolstering language: Instead of telling yourself that exercising and eating right are things you have to do, which feels like you’re following someone else’s rules, embrace them as things you choose to do. Rather than calling yourself a patient, which can convey a sense of helplessness, think of yourself as part of your health care team, partnering with your doctors to achieve better health. And try not to think of HbA1c results as a report card that you either pass or fail, but rather as an indication of how well your management plan is working for you. “It’s medical data, not a judgment about you as a human being,” says de Groot.

Using your existing skill set to tackle diabetes challenges will naturally make

you feel more empowered

appointments and daily errands. “Everyone is more resilient when they take a moment for self-care,” says de Groot.