Key Takeaways
- 1 in 9 adults have diabetes. You’re not alone, and there’s a good chance you won’t be the only one at the party who has diabetes.
- If you’re hosting a party at home, store your diabetes supplies in a secure yet accessible location, such as a bedroom drawer or closet.
- If you’re attending a party, bring a portable kit with your testing and dosing supplies, as well as an on-the-go glucose product, such as tablets, gels, or shots.
- Consider using an insulin pump and CGM for automated insulin delivery.
- Form a hypoglycemia action plan with a trusted family member or friend so you have peace of mind.
- Serve or enjoy diabetes-friendly fare like air-fried foods, fresh fruits and veggies, cheese, hummus, popcorn, guacamole, and deviled eggs.
From casual get-togethers to work events and holiday gatherings, social situations can be overwhelming for anyone. Health conditions like diabetes can compound that stress, putting a damper on what should be an enjoyable experience.
While we acknowledge that eliminating stress entirely is often impossible, we hope to help you feel less isolated and more excited about hosting or attending social functions. Read on with an open mind and heart. You might be surprised by how much better you feel by the end.
Before we start talking about specific ways to mitigate those negative feelings, it’s impossible to overstate that diabetes is mentally and emotionally exhausting. Diabetes burnout is very real, very normal, and very common. Your feelings are valid.
You’re Far From Alone
Did you know that 77% of people who have diabetes experience anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions? Around 589 million adults have diabetes, so that means over 450 million other people are going through similar mental health struggles.
Furthermore, when you break down that massive 589 million figure, you realize that 1 out of every 9 adults is currently living with diabetes. There’s a good chance that you won’t be the only one at the party feeling diabetes-related stress!
It’s easy to forget that the diabetes community is all around you. Many of them suffer silently, putting on a brave face as they navigate daily difficulties. And, although diabetes is very common, there are countless other health conditions that people quietly cope with, too.
Find Comfort in the Feeling of Sonder
“Sonder” is a word that refers to the profound realization that each and every random person you see in passing has their own life that’s just as complex and vivid as yours.
Without diminishing your own struggles, it can be comforting to know that everyone at the party has their own personal reasons to feel stress. While everyone’s journey is unique, we’re all human. Even those who seem to have stress-free lives go through hard times.
It’s so important to remember that acknowledging that we all struggle doesn’t mean your struggles don’t matter. Quite the opposite, actually.
Viewing the world through the lens of sonder means normalizing the existence of stress as a prevalent force among us, assigning real value to each individual’s stress, and empathizing accordingly. With this mindset, you give and attract the understanding you deserve to receive.
In other words, the goal isn’t to dilute your stress in the collective stress pool. Rather, it’s to find comfort in the fact that stress is all around us during every moment of our lives. It’s normal, but we don’t always see it.
As you manage your mental health during the party (and in your day-to-day life), remember that you’re not a burden, and you don’t need to put on a performance or justify the way you feel. You’re participating in the human experience, just like every other guest in the room.
Keep Your Diabetes Supplies Accessible
Taking steps to reframe stress can help you feel more comfortable and confident, but diabetes is a physical disease, too. Taking preliminary steps to be prepared is crucial. Bringing along the right diabetic supplies will provide peace of mind, even if you don’t end up needing them.
If you’re hosting a party at home, you can simply use your usual supplies for testing levels and taking medication. Store them in a location that’s out of the way but still easily accessible, like a bedroom closet or drawer.
If you’re attending a party, you could bring a diabetic wallet with essential insulin supplies and a diabetes testing kit. Even if you usually use insulin syringes at home, you may find that a diabetic pen is a more discreet and portable option for get-togethers.
In addition to your testing and dosing supplies, bring along portable glucose products so you can rapidly balance your levels if needed. Glucose tablets, gels, and shots are all perfect for parties.
This guide has a lot of helpful information for managing diabetes away from home: Traveling With Insulin: Tips for Packing Essentials and Managing Diabetes on the Go.
Reduce Stress With Modern Technologies
Keeping up with the latest technologies in diabetes empowers you to manage the condition more conveniently. For example, an upcoming party could be the perfect excuse to start shopping for an insulin pump for sale.
Insulin pumps are wearable devices that provide insulin doses through an insulin pump infusion set. They can be paired with CGM supplies to create an automated insulin delivery (AID) system that lets you focus less on your levels and more on enjoying yourself.
Another way to leverage technology is to use a smartphone app to make informed decisions on what to eat at the party. For example, you could track your food and exercise throughout the day and then use that data to determine which finger foods won’t cause a significant spike.
Learn more here: The Role of Technology in Diabetes Management: Checking Blood Sugar With Your Phone, Apps and Online Support Groups.
Open the Lines of Communication
You can be as public or private about your condition as you prefer. Some people are comfortable being an open book, while others keep their diabetes a closely guarded secret.
While we’re not going to tell you who should know about your diabetes, we recommend telling at least one close friend or family member who will be at the party. That way, if an emergency occurs, you have someone to rely on.
Talking about diabetes can be difficult, but having a shared hypoglycemia action plan will provide peace of mind throughout the event.
Plan Your Dining Strategy in Advance
Whether you’re planning or enjoying the menu, it’s important that you carefully track the ingredients throughout the party.
There are plenty of diabetes-friendly snacks and dishes that are universally loved. You might be surprised by how many popular party dishes align with a diabetes diet!
If you’re hosting, consider offering diabetes-friendly snacks like fresh fruits and veggies, nuts, cheese, hummus, popcorn, guacamole, and deviled eggs. And, you can’t go wrong with fresh low-glycemic fruits and veggies.
If you’re attending, you can ask the host about ingredients, or you may want to simply avoid any questionable fare. Consider bringing a diabetes-friendly dish or two so you can be sure you’ll have something to munch on!
Quick Tip: Make air-fried food! It tastes like deep-fried food, but without the oil.
Find more ideas here: Food Tips and Tricks with Diabetes.
Shop Party-Ready Diabetes Supplies
We hope these tips are helpful as you gear up for a great experience. Preparing in advance is the key to enjoying yourself and feeling confident when the big day comes.
Whether you need the least expensive glucose test strips for your travel kit or state-of-the-art insulin pump supplies for an automated insulin system, ADW Diabetes is your one-stop shop for discount diabetic supplies from the medical brands you know and trust. Shop now.
Leave A Comment