My Diabetes My Way: April 2022 Update
Stress Awareness
This month we are focusing on stress awareness. Some tips to help when you feel stressed.
- Try to get a goodnights sleep: https://mydiabetesmyway.scot.nhs.uk/media/2988/how-to-go-to-sleep.pdf
- Exercise – even light exercise can lift your mood and it can help you sleep better: https://mydiabetesmyway.scot.nhs.uk/know-more/my-lifestyle/activity-exercise
- Making healthy choices about your diet can make you feel better in general: https://mydiabetesmyway.scot.nhs.uk/know-more/my-lifestyle/diet-food/
- Limit alcohol – you may feel like drinking alcohol when times are tough but it doesn't help.
- Talk to a friend, family member or counsellor – communication helps.
Insulin Safety Week 2022
Insulin Safety Week 2022 will take place across the UK and Ireland from 2nd to 8th May. The campaign aims to raise awareness of insulin safety among healthcare professionals. The key focus is to reduce insulin errors, ensuring that each individual receives:
- The right Insulin
- With the right Dose
- At the right Time
- On the right Device
- In the right Way
My Diabetes My Way are taking this opportunity to signpost to our resources on insulin therapy from injection technique, types of insulin and insulin safety. Visit our resources here: https://mydiabetesmyway.scot.nhs.uk/know-more/my-treatments/medication-insulin/
Mental Health Awareness Week 2022
The week following insulin awareness week is mental health awareness week. This runs from 9th to 15th May. The week will explore the experience of loneliness, its effect on our mental health and how we can all play a part in reducing loneliness in our communities. For more information on the campaign, please visit the following website:
My Diabetes My Way contains several resources to help support mental wellbeing:
My Diabetes My Way also contains two questionnaires that allow you to assess your mental health and general wellbeing. The aim of these questionnaires is to allow you to self-assess areas where you may benefit from talking to your healthcare team. When you complete these assessments, we will provide you with a summary that explains your result, further guidance on what you can do next, and links to information that may help you.
When you log in to My Diabetes My Way and select "My Home Data", you will see the two assessments:
- Mental Health Test: Indicates if you are suffering from, or are at risk of depression
- Wellbeing Test: Assesses your general wellbeing and how you are feeling
Both of these questionnaires have been recommended internationally as the standard methods of assessment for wellbeing and mental health (https://www.ichom.org/portfolio/diabetes/).
My Diabetes My Way Admin
Due to the current situation with Coronavirus, it is taking us longer to collect mail, create new enrolment packs and send out registration paperwork for you to access your diabetes records. We are currently processing enrolment packs in batches every two weeks, but we are now happy for you to email us back a photo or scanned copy of your signed form to avoid any further delays.
Help and Support
If you have not yet managed to gain access to your diabetes records on My Diabetes My Way, or would like an update on the status of your registration, please let us know. You can contact us regarding any problems or request further help and support by emailing: mydiabetes.myway@nhs.scot
Thank you for your continued support.