When you or a loved one are diagnosed with diabetes, it can feel like a whirlwind. New numbers to think about, medical terms to become familiar with, changes to make, checks to take - but in time, staying on top of new routines will become easier

You’ll be on a journey discovering how blood glucose levels change in response to different kinds of food, and perhaps learning what kind of exercise you and your loved ones enjoy most. You may even find that a diabetes diagnosis can actually help you and your entire family get healthier than ever before.

Living well with diabetes is possible, but it only gets easier once you take one key step: Accepting the diagnosis, and then realising you are not alone!

You have diabetes but you are not alone

Around the world, 8.5% of the population lives every day with diabetes. There are almost 3.7 million people in the UK who have been diagnosed with diabetes.2 If you or a loved one have recently been diagnosed, it can at first seem like a lot to take in and process. If you think about diabetes, how do you feel? Whatever feelings come to the surface, acknowledge those emotions. There is nothing wrong with your natural response to a diabetes diagnosis.

Take a deep breath. Now tell yourself: It is going to be okay. Not to diminish the responsibility of managing diabetes, it can be tough at times. But reaching out to others in the diabetes community can really provide great support. Look out for local group meet-ups arranged by organisations like Diabetes UK, or online forums where you can connect with others who would be willing to share their experiences with you.

Find your local Diabetes UK support group

Diabetes can be an opportunity

Living with diabetes does not have to be all doom and gloom. In fact, you may find as you meet others living with the condition that there are some who have turned their diagnosis into an opportunity. Living well with diabetes for the most part looks very similar to living well without diabetes. It all starts with paying more attention to the everyday habits that affect our health like the food we choose to eat, getting exercise, and listening to what our bodies are telling us.

Today, you have an opportunity to find new ways to build that kind of routine into your daily life as a natural part of managing diabetes. Start taking small steps to make healthier food choices and find opportunities to work short bursts of physical activity into your routine. No matter what your lifestyle looked like before diabetes came in to focus, there’s now a reason to learn how you can live well every day and be healthier than you ever have before.

To gain access to a wide range of support, including free online diabetes resources create an online account https://www.accu-chek.co.uk/user