Mind Advantage in Diabetic Living
Mind Advantage offered advice in this article in a recent issue of Diabetic Living magazine. It reads in part:
MAKE IT A HABIT
Thinking positively is both a skill and a habit, and it’s well within your reach. Once you’ve learned the knack, life will start to look a whole lot brighter, says psychologist Jacqui Manning.
“Most of us are prone to thinking negatively occasionally but if you’re suffering from regular, automatic negative thinking patterns, it can lead to a depressive spiral,” she explains. “Recognise the power your thinking has over the way you feel and the action you’re likely to take as a result of it. It takes practice to recognise and change your thinking patterns, but the most important thing to know is they’rre just thoughts, not facts, and they can be altered by you.”
Step 1 Choose what you think
You’re free to decide how you think and how you perceive people and situations. Believing you’ll cope with diabetes is the first step to actually coping, says Jacqui. “Control your thoughts, and you’ll control your life.”
Step 2 Rewrite your scripts
“Think about where you’re putting your focus. Looking only at problems will prevent you from seeing solutions,” says Jacqui. So concentrate on where you’re going, how you’re proceeding, and celebrate your wins.
Step 3 Embrace a new headspace
You can do this by saying ‘STOP!’ out loud, every time you think negatively. Allow yourself only five minutes a day to think negative thoughts until you’re weaned off the habit. “Also, try keeping a gratitude diary to help train your focus in more positive directions,” suggests Jacqui. “At the end of each day, write down three things you’re pleased about, such as having a chat with a friend or a seat on the train. It gets you into the habit of noticing the positives in your day and in your life.”