After hearing so much about the necessity of having a positive attitude I got thinking. Just “what is a positive attitude” and how does it affect Diabetes.
Does the patient require a positive attitude or the people around the patient?
Does it make any difference or non at all”?
So let’s explore “What Is A Positive Attitude – How Does It Affect Diabetes”.
Table of Contents
What Is A Positive Attitude
A positive attitude is one where you believe and expect things will work out. Life is not always going to go smoothly. There will be bumps in the road. 
Having a positive attitude simply means that you don’t dwell on the negative stuff. Instead, you get creative about finding ways to improve the situation. You believe and expect things to get better and eventually they will.
There are countless books available to offer guidance on how to develop and maintain a positive attitude.
When it comes to Diabetes management your team of caregivers will work with you to come up with the most effective treatment plan for you. Simply following that plan to the best of your ability and maintaining a positive attitude will go a long way to minimizing stress revolving around Diabetes itself.
Of course, having a supportive family and friends to encourage you goes a long way towards maintaining a positive attitude as well. They can really help when you have difficult days.
Why Is A Positive Attitude Important
A positive attitude can significantly affect not only a person with diabetes but anyone’s health.
For instance, having a positive attitude can actually decrease your stress hormone and lower blood sugar and blood pressure.
Lower Blood Pressure is important for anyone and of course, lower Blood Sugar Levels are significant to a Diabetic.
When it comes to children with Type 1 Diabetes the attitude of the adults around them can impact how they feel about their own Diabetes.
With our grandson, we don’t make a big deal out of anything diabetes-related. His medical care has just become part of daily life. We could be playing and just casually scan him to see where he is at. If we think he is too low and wants to verify with a finger poke we just tell him, “Time for a quick finger poke. Which finger this time?” Works well and fewer interruptions in his activities.
At school, he is scanned while getting ready to go out for recess, if too low a few sips of apple juice before he goes out to play is all he really needs.
By not making it a big deal he gets to feel as normal as possible and he still gets to do the things the other kids are doing.
How to Develop A Positive Attitude
First, determine how you actually look at things, do you focus on the fact that because you have Diabetes you have to live your life differently than others? Are you focused on what you can’t have or think you can’t do anymore?
Why not try looking at things differently.
Instead of looking at the good in your life as existing despite Diabetes, start to see it as a result of Diabetes.
Because of Diabetes, you are conscious of making healthy food choices, maintaining a regular exercise program, and having regular checkups with your health care team.
Can you honestly say you would be taking such good care of yourself without Diabetes?
You can discover a wealth of healthy delicious new foods to try and I have discovered a few great cookbooks to help with that.
Check out my product review on “The Ultimate Diabetic Cookbook” or “Company’s Coming diabetic cooking“.
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You can do anything you desire. If you want to travel you can travel. It just takes a little planning to ensure you have enough supplies with you that you can continue to manage your Diabetes.
If traveling is something that interests you, check out my post “Travelling With Type 1 Diabetes”.
It is the same with sports. You can still lead an active lifestyle.
Sometimes you may have to wait for that dessert until your blood sugar levels are a little lower but you can still have it.
Take a good look at all the positive things occurring in your life because of Diabetes rather than despite it.
You are taking better care of yourself than ever before, you are exploring new foods and recipes and if you have joined a local support group you are making new friends. How awesome is that?
If you are the caregiver of a Diabetic child it is important to remain positive because the child will develop their attitude towards their Diabetes from you.
If you are focused on what they can’t do or what they can’t have then the child will develop a negative attitude and will likely rebel against the very treatment that keeps them alive.
It is important to maintain a positive attitude because it truly does benefit our physical as well as our mental health.
Also, keep in mind that a positive attitude works for hand in hand with “The Law of Attraction”.
Develop a Support Team
When it comes to living with Diabetes there are many aspects to managing the condition such as monitoring blood sugar, taking insulin injections, a healthy diet, and proper exercise. But one aspect often overlooked is developing a support system for emotional support.
It can be emotionally draining to be constantly living with a life-threatening condition that has no cure.
You need to develop a support system with family, friends, and caregivers to help you stay motivated to follow your treatment plan.
Remember, even if you are not the one with Diabetes but are a primary caregiver of a diabetic you need a support system in place.
There will be times when you feel overwhelmed and need a break, having a support system allows for someone else to care for the child while you take that much-needed break. It is exhausting to care for a Diabetic child.
A well-established support system can go a long way to helping you stay motivated when things get tough, that injection is particularly painful at that time, or you just get tired of always having to calculate carbs every mealtime. You just want to feel normal for a little while.
A great support team will help you maintain a positive attitude and they become your biggest cheerleaders so you can effectively manage your Diabetes and accomplish any goal you set for yourself in life.
Prepare For Setbacks
There is any number of reasons why there may be setbacks in Diabetes management and this is common. It is important to focus on getting back on track rather than berating yourself for the setback.
Realize it happens and just focus on moving forward from here.
Living well with Diabetes is not always a smooth and straight road, but it can successfully be navigated with a positive attitude and the right support team in place.
We are a major part of our grandson’s support team and as such we don’t make any aspect of his Diabetes a big deal. It has all just become a normal part of everyday life. We give him as much control (which finger to poke, site of injection) as we can considering his young age.
He participates in the same activities as his sisters or his friends and has fun like any other kid.
I believe our grandson is positive and happy because the people in his life are positive and cheer his every accomplishment.
Conclusion
“Being optimistic” or “having a positive attitude” in life sure makes life with diabetes so much easier.
By focusing on our other goals in life and following our doctor’s advice living with Diabetes doesn’t have to be a negative experience.
Maintaining a positive attitude in life creates a certain positive energy that attracts more positive energy and causes us to make better decisions which tends to improve all areas of our lives.
I have found that sharing my experiences through blogging is fun, therapeutic and gives me a way to help others which is something I am passionate about.
If you are interested in learning about blogging check out my husband’s Wealthy Affiliate product review here.
You’d be surprised at how easy it really is to get started with your own blogging website.
I truly believe maintaining a positive attitude is the real key to successful diabetes management and happier life in general.
Stay positive and please leave your comments or questions below and I will respond.
Having a good attitude is something everyone should adopt. However, I find it interesting that being positive can improve health. Especially for people with Diabetes. I think you are on to something here. I believe you are correct by stating that a positive attitude can improve health. Great Read…
Thanks Sean for the comment.
What a wonderful world we would live in if everyone did adopt a positive attitude.
I truly believe a positive attitude can affect every area of our life in a great way.
We can each only try to keep ourselves as positive as possible.
It is important to remember our kids learn more from what do than from what we say.
It is my hope that we teach them how and why be positive.
Thanks again and best of luck to you.