Sometimes, I feel like I don’t ever get a break from diabetes.

Obviously, the nature of diabetes itself is 24/7/365 – it doesn’t have an on/off button and requires constant monitoring.

But there’s also the fact that my full-time job is working for a diabetes non-profit.

Also also the fact that I have two very near and dear family members (and many friends, to boot) who also live with diabetes; naturally, it comes up in conversation all the time.

Also also also! I have this little blog you may have heard of called Hugging the Cactus…where I write about my life with diabetes a couple days each week.

So not only am I living with diabetes, but I’ve also forged a career in the diabetes sector, a hobby writing about it, and countless relationships built from shared experiences with it.

And it’s a lot.

Since there is so much diabetes so much of the time, it’s incredibly important to find a balance…a way to shut my brain off from it all, even if it’s only for short periods of time. I’ve had mixed success accomplishing this in the last year. Making plans with family and friends, joining a volleyball team, immersing myself in RP games, playing with my dog, and doing small acts of self-care have helped, but it’s not always enough.

I’m recognizing this as I write this blog post, and taking a moment to appreciate the mental time and energy that goes into maintaining this balancing act. Just as it’s easier to do on some days, it’s also totally much harder on others – and that’s valid. And it’s a gentle reminder to anyone else who can relate to this that your feelings on it are legitimate, too, and that you aren’t alone.