When I’m having a tough time with diabetes or just life generally, journaling is one of the first things I turn to. I started using journaling as a tool a few years ago when I was struggling with a lot of diabetes burnout. I felt like I was always reacting to my blood sugars and making impulsive decisions instead of ones based on knowledge of my patterns and tools I had available. I’ve realized I can get into this kind of pattern when other things in my life get busy, but letting my diabetes bear the brunt of the chaos only creates more problems, putting me into a vicious cycle that can be tough to get out of.  

My diabetes clinic is fortunate enough to have a social worker as part of their care team and I had a session with her when I was in one of those burnout cycles. She recommended journaling to get into some of the deeper patterns around my relationship with diabetes. It sounded a little fluffy at first, but after trying it for a while I found that it actually really helped me to pinpoint issues. 

Here are some of the journaling prompts I’ve used to help me get clarity when things are a little chaotic with my diabetes. Most of these are meant to encourage you to reflect on the diabetes angle, but you could also answer them without incorporating diabetes if you prefer. You can sit down and do a few at a time, or one a day for a few days. Both approaches work well! 

Journal Prompts

• Where am I feeling stuck with my diabetes? 

• What do I think I’m doing well? (There’s always something, even if it doesn’t seem obvious at first!)

• What would an ideal day look like, and how can I incorporate some of those aspects into my daily life now (e.g., regular workouts, going for a lunchtime walk, etc.)?

• If a friend shared these same struggles with me, what would I say to them?

• Are there any patterns I’ve noticed in my continuous glucose monitor or pump reports that I should take action on? 

• What support do I need right now (e.g., help from family or care providers) and how will I go about asking for it? 

• Am I holding myself to unrealistic standards? If so, what can I let go of today to be kinder to myself? 

• What’s one thing I can do to set myself up for success this week?   

You might be surprised by what you discover when you sit and ask yourself these questions. For me, I often realize there are small things I can do to bring more balance and reduce blood sugar swings, like accurately counting carbs or scheduling an appointment I’ve been meaning to. I’ve also noticed that I have a tendency to want everything to be “perfect” with my diabetes before I consider the day a success, which just doesn’t happen very often, leaving me frustrated. When I journaled about my ideal day recently I noticed that diabetes only played a background role and didn’t get much of a mention, so it helped me realize I need to refine my management so more of it can function on autopilot instead of playing the main character role (i.e., lots of highs and lows that required constant attention).

If you want to dig a little deeper into your relationship with diabetes, give these prompts a try and see what you discover!