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Suffering from a chronic disease is a very stressful experience. The diabetes education specialists at Mille Lacs Health System in Onamia, MN, understand your struggle.

Diabetes patients can benefit from the use of a mindfulness practice. While mindfulness alone doesn’t have the immediate effects of proper medical treatment, it can help patients live with this condition more easily.

The following are just some of the ways this practice can help:

  • DiabetesReducing Cravings: One of the essential principles of any diabetes education department is simple: Patients must learn to adjust their eating habits to avoid health complications. However, staying away from certain foods can be difficult. That’s simply one way in which mindfulness can be useful. By bringing attention to the present moment without judgment, diabetes patients can reduce the stress that exacerbates cravings.
  • Combatting General Stress: Mindfulness, when practiced regularly, also helps reduce stress in general. It’s no secret that having diabetes is a struggle. Frequent trips to the hospital, monitoring your blood sugar, reacting to medical emergencies—all can have a negative impact on your mood and mental health.
  • Boosting Mental Clarity: When you need frequent medical treatment for a condition like diabetes, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Mindfulness promotes mental clarity, helping patients more easily understand what steps they must take to maintain their health. For anyone who must regularly monitor their well-being, it’s a useful practice.

Patients who are familiar with mindfulness techniques are less affected by these challenges. To begin practicing mindfulness, perform a basic meditation: Simply sit in a comfortable, erect position, ideally with your eyes closed, and try to focus your awareness on your breathing. Your mind will naturally wander. When it does, bring your awareness back to your breathing. Eventually, the practice will become easier.

For more information, get in touch with the diabetes education specialists at Mille Lacs Health System, in Onamia, MN. They’ll be glad to answer your questions. Contact them online, or call (320) 532-3154.

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