Diabetes can be a huge money drain. The meds, the prepared meals, the doctor appointments, and other things that you need to manage it do not come cheap. That’s why, as a diabetic, it would still be very much practical for you to continue working and have the necessary resources to manage your high blood sugar.
Thing is, though, managing diabetes in your workplace can be quite tricky if you don’t handle it well. That’s why to help you, we’ve listed five things that you can do to properly manage your high blood sugar in your workplace.
1. Tell your workmates, or management at least
Your health is your personal business, let’s get this straight first. You shouldn’t be compelled to share details about your health to anyone that you’re not comfortable sharing it with, most especially workmates that you don’t really interact with a lot. That being said, it is important that someone at work knows about your condition.
If you’re not comfortable disclosing this with your workmates, you can opt to inform management or your human resources department (HRD) about your health condition. This is to ensure that you’ll have someone that will help you at work when you’re experiencing a health crisis or a diabetes-related emergency.
2. Plan your usual health routine
Once you went through the first way, it would be easier to do this. Depending on the severity of your diabetes or the comfort level you have at work, you can opt for a closed room where you can do quick blood sugar checks. Some of your officemates might be a bit leery of seeing blood and you also need to properly dispose of your lancets for the Glucometer.
For your meds, take them during times that you easily remember. Like during break times or daily morning meetings. Include them in your reminders so that you won’t forget. If your work doesn’t have a fixed lunch schedule, you can ask your doctor to adjust your meds, there are some diabetes meds that are shorter-acting – meaning they can only be taken if you eat.
3. Stay active even while sitting all day
As always, physical activity is very important for diabetics. However, if you have a desk job, this becomes harder to follow through. It can be done though. You can opt to take the stairs instead of the elevator as much as possible, walk outside the office during breaks, and go to your officemate’s desk instead of using chat apps to send them a message.
You can also ask your HRD if there are available health and wellness programs for employees. This way, you can be properly motivated to follow through them since your officemates are doing them as well. If there’s none, there’s no harm in suggesting programs for the whole team.
4. Always eat healthy or follow your meal plan
We know, dieting and corporate work don’t really go well together. There will be plenty of opportunities for eating out with the rest of the team, working lunches that usually involve pizzas, and having snacks that are generally unhealthy. However, you should stand your ground when it comes to food that your doctor recommended that you don’t eat or eat in very small quantities. Your workmates can also help you with your dieting regiment and who knows, you might even influence the whole team to eat healthy.
5. Your feet should be comfortable
Last but not the least, be sure that you’re always taking care of your feet. Check your feet for cuts every day and wash it often. Your shoes should be comfortable and you can also try some foot exercises while sitting down. Put your feet up while you’re sitting and move your toes and ankle up and down.
Not an Uphill Task
Managing your diabetes while you’re at work is not a simple matter, yes. But it is not complicated either. All you have to do is basically keep in mind the things we listed above. Working while you have high blood sugar is very much possible and if done right, you’ll definitely manage to keep your diabetes at bay.
