Pick your battles.

Everyone living with type 1 diabetes, or indeed another other chronic condition, has coping techniques. I've spoken about this a couple of times (here and here). I think we'd all go mad if we didn't, even if we don't realise it!

One of the best ones I have, for me, is one I've been thinking about a lot recently. I'm kind of at a stage with my diabetes where I am...well, burning out. The desire to take excellent care of myself is there, but the motivation is not. That's not to say I am sitting here letting my body do whatever the hell it likes - I am still taking *good* care of myself - but I know I could be doing a lot better. This has caused a lot of negative feelings towards myself, I am berating myself for something I need to be doing. Which in turn makes me feel even worse.

I am really trying to take active steps in regaining my motivation. I think, with the switch to pumping, everything has become a bit 'much' - I need to readjust the focus of all of this. The huge battle I have faced with getting access to an insulin pump, and gaining funding for my very own pump, has used up huge amounts of my mental energy, and has dug into my reserves. I think this has a lot to do with how I am feeling now. I need to recharge my batteries.

As a child, I apparently went to battle armed with a fork
& a Christmas cracker hat

So! The thing I have been reminding myself of: pick your battles.

This is to remind myself that as long as I have done what I can to keep my BG levels in range, I do not need to beat myself up if they go back out again. If I hypo, it is not the end of the world. If I cannot get my BG levels below 10, there is something I need to look at - I don't need to give myself a hard time for it. I need to deal with the problem, and move on. If it could have been avoided, I'll usually sigh at myself, tell myself to do better, then carry on. I cannot battle everything I encounter in D-land. I just do not have the energy to go to battle all the time. I need all that precious energy for motivation!

It's a frame of mind that I have had to force myself into. I find it helps. Some people might find it too cheerful or jolly or the like, I appreciate that. I am a person with a chronic illness and I have the same amount of mental energy as someone without - so if I can find a way to conserve that mental energy, to stop it going on the diabetes, I'll do it.

As I say, I have found this technique has helped me, a lot actually. I'd encourage everyone to give it a try. Instead of burning precious energy on this stupid condition, pick yourself up and move on. Don't fight every battle - it just isn't worth it. Pick the ones that need fighting, and leave the rest for another day.