|
|
Oh, the Guilt!
By Janis Roszler, RD, CDE, LD/N
When Susan glanced at herself in the mirror, she saw her shoulder-length
brunette hair, clear skin and tailored jacket, but ignored it all. She felt too
guilty about all that happened that day – she ate too many carbohydrates and had
missed her morning walk. In her eyes, she was a failure.
Most of us have days when we make decisions that are not good for us. When that
happens, don’t let your feelings of guilt keep you from moving forward. Here are
a few things you can try to help get back on track:
- Put things into perspective
A single high blood glucose result or skipped workout will not cause you to
develop diabetes-related complications. Problems such as neuropathy and
kidney damage usually appear after a person has had months or even years of
poor diabetes control. Go easy on yourself - a single moment of “bad
behavior” will not cause permanent damage.
- Use the guilt
A little guilt can be a good thing – it shows that you are aware of your
behavior. Use your feelings to help you move in a more positive direction.
People who don’t pay attention to what they do can’t learn from their
mistakes.
- Rework problem areas
If you forget to check your blood at certain times, set the alarm on your
cell phone as a reminder. If you struggle to attend an aerobics class in the
evening, opt for a daytime activity, such as a walk on your treadmill or a
bike ride. Or wear a pedometer. Pedometers count the number of steps you
take. Set a reasonable starting goal and increase the number of steps you
take during the day. 10,000 steps is equal to approximately 5 miles.
- Make an “Affirmative Inquiry”
To help really turn things around, focus on the behaviors you are proud of,
not the mistakes you make. Stop analyzing what you do wrong. Instead, find
more positive actions you can do throughout the day. This approach is called
Affirmative Inquiry and is used by many successful organizations. Here is an
example:
Susan successfully checks her blood several times each day, but often misses
her pre-dinner glucose tests. Instead of focusing on why she keeps missing
that one test, she should examine what she is doing right – how does she
always remember to test at the other times? How can she apply that behavior
to all of the blood tests she does each day? Use Affirmative Inquiry to
achieve the goals you want to accomplish.
- Strengthen your support team
It helps to have others around you who support your successes. Seek out
those who celebrate the improvements you have made in your life and steer
clear, if possible, of those who criticize your actions.
- Look forward
At the end of the epic film, Gone With the Wind, Scarlett O’Hara says the
famous phrase, “Tomorrow is another day.” It is. Start each day with a clean
slate and don’t berate yourself because of past mistakes. You can do it.
|
 |
|
|
