If you have a full-time job, a side hustle, and diabetes, it might feel like “hustle” sums up your lifestyle pretty well. Making the quick, easy choice is often the unhealthy choice, though, in our age of salty, greasy takeaway food and streaming shows on the couch. What you need is to manage your lifestyle with hacks that keep you juggling your responsibilities easily — without sacrificing your health.

Why is self-care important for people with diabetes?

A proper self-care routine has been clinically proven to improve the status of patients’ diabetes. The importance of a self-care routine is doubly important if you have a side hustle. Many people get so busy with their side hustles that it affects their health. This can lead to burnout and long-term illnesses. You can alleviate some side hustle-related stress by making sure you have all of your i’s dotted and t’s crossed. If you’re getting ready to form a California business or even if you already have, review these steps to make sure you handle the legal side of starting a side hustle correctly from the get-go. Doing so will save you a lot of time and headaches in the future.

Also, as part of your self-care routine, schedule time in your calendar each week to press pause. Attending your child’s Total Impact Martial Arts session each week is a great opportunity for that. Another option is to make time after their session to have them demonstrate what they learned once you’re back at home. Intentionally setting aside this time for your child will give you an excellent opportunity to bond with them and you’ll know that you have this break coming on days when you’re overstressed.

Seven is the magic number

As explained by the Journal of Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders, seven self-care behaviors are critical for those with diabetes. They are healthy eating, monitoring your blood sugar, medication compliance, healthy coping skills, exercise, problem-solving skills, and risk-reduction behaviors. 

That sounds easy…but how do you implement all of it in your daily life? Here are seven self-care hacks for people with diabetes that you can work into your day, side hustle or no. 

1. Take all medications as prescribed, at the proper times – It’s important to remember that taking your medications can make a significant difference in how you feel, affecting how you perform. If you plan to maintain a full-time job and a side hustle, you will want to treat yourself like a rockstar so you can achieve like one. Take your full medication regimen, and do so on time; try asking Siri or Alexa to remind you at the right times, or add an app to your smartphone that nudges you when you need to take something.

2. Monitor your blood sugar – Monitoring your blood sugar, as suggested by your physician, is another vital component of your self-care routine. Many people dealing with diabetes forget to care for themselves as prescribed. But you aren’t a regular person. You’re a hustler! Make sure you put your glucose meter to work and monitor your blood sugar levels in accordance with your regimen.

3. Create a meal plan – Plan your week’s meals ahead of time, and pre-cook as much as possible in bulk. This will save you time, which is incredibly important for side-hustlers.

4. Power-up with a mid-day power walk – Walking can often boost your energy more than drinking coffee and is an effective way to get your daily workout in. Plus, power walking is more effective than running for weight loss and burning calories. It doesn’t have to be a long walk — even 20 minutes is enough to burn calories and boost your energy.

5. Meditate – Meditation is a proven way to improve your problem-solving skills, reduce stress, improve focus and lower your blood pressure. Even a few minutes can rebuild structures within the brain, make you feel better physically and mentally, and increase productivity. If you haven’t meditated before, Headspace suggests simply sitting quietly and following guided meditation to get started. If noise or privacy is a concern, you can always pop in some wireless earbuds to better savor the experience.

6. Grow your support network – You need to maintain a social life if you want to avoid burnout. Spend time with both mates and family regularly so you don’t feel like your life is engulfed by work. Also, find and spend time with people with similar interests. Find a group in your town for others with similar ambitions. That way, you can find mutual support from colleagues who understand.

7. Monitor your mental health – Mental health is vital for your success in your personal and professional life. It affects your physical health and vice versa. Additionally, untreated mental health issues can intensify your diabetic symptoms. Thankfully, treating your depression can improve your mental health and your diabetic symptoms.
   Seek help from a mental health professional if you need some extra support. You can connect with reliable mental health professionals like psychologists or therapists through online search tools, and can even schedule telephone consultations with most professional support services these days.

Your whole life shouldn’t feel like one tremendous hustle. Take care of yourself properly while still juggling your other responsibilities. You deserve it!

Are you ready to introduce your children to the benefits of martial arts? Total Impact Martial Arts can help! Get in touch with us today by calling (951) 816-7878.