I got a massage last night: my first in roughly two and a half years (thanks, global pandemic).

As I drifted away into a state of deep relaxation, one thought occurred to me about how something “special” and “extra” like a massage is actually one of the extremely rare times in which I stop thinking about my diabetes for awhile. Do I need a massage like I need insulin? No, definitely not. But do I need an opportunity to unwind every so often? Does my body and mind benefit from massage therapy? Yes, and heck yes.

This is why I think self-care is a critical aspect of diabetes management, and unfortunately, one that I do not make enough time for – and I know there are plenty of other folks out there who can relate.

In recognizing this, I’m going to start making time for little self-care activities for myself throughout the week. Sure, I can’t afford to get a massage all the time (though I certainly wish I could), but I can absolutely provide myself with a spa-like atmosphere right at home with some calming music, essential oils, and a couple of store-bought facials. And I can take 2 minutes out of my day to use the nifty meditation feature on my Fitbit, which guides me through a breathing practice designed to settle the body and mind. Last but not least, I can continue to do better to make sleep priority number one. I’ve had far too many nights this summer in which I got fewer than 6 hours of sleep, and that just isn’t sustainable for me or my diabetes.

I’m hoping that my Omnipod 5 will be conducive to me taking some more time for self-care, you know, with it taking some of the heavy lifting out of the way by being an automated system. I figure that if my Dexcom can integrate so nicely with the system, then maybe personal relaxation time can also work its way in there – so every component of my diabetes care toolkit can work in harmony, allowing me to enjoy some peace, too.