LiveFree with T1D

Raise your hand if you've even been self-critical about T1D. People with T1D tend to be hard on themselves. We beat ourselves up when our blood sugars are out of range, when we don't make the healthiest choices, or when the emotional burden of T1D weighs us down. Self-compassion with T1D is possible, and I want to tell you how. In this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist Podcast, I talk about sel...

You are probably focusing your time and energy with T1D in the wrong place! You most likely focus your attention on things you don't have complete control over. You focus on your blood sugars and how you feel physically and emotionally. You try to control these variables, sometimes with limited success. And when you can't control them, you double down and try even harder. What if I told you there...

I don't know about you, but I fail with T1D all the time. Things don't always go as planned. It's just part of life. We need to change the way we think about failure with T1D. I want to encourage you to lean in and be open to the possibility of failure in your life with T1D. When you try to avoid failing, you stay stuck and deny yourself the opportunity to grow. In this episode of The Diabetes Psy...

I have some exciting news! My book, Diabetes Sucks and You Can Handle It is coming soon.  Last year, I came to a realization. T1D gets a lot more challenging when you start believing you can’t handle this stress. When you accept that T1D sucks AND believe you can handle it, life with T1D gets a lot easier. And from there, this book was born. In this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist Podcas...

Have you ever felt embarrassed by your diabetes supplies? If so, you're not alone! The good news is, it doesn't have to be this way! My guest on this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist Podcast is Kyrra Richards, founder of Myabetic . A professional dancer, Kyrra was diagnosed with T1D when she was 24 years old, and like many people, felt embarrassed by her diabetes supplies. An artist at heart,...

You know that living with T1D is stressful, and you may be struggling with the emotional burden of diabetes. How do you know whether you can deal with this stress on your own or if you should see a mental health professional? In this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist Podcast, I talk about what a diabetes psychologist does. Then I give you some guidelines you can use to help you decide if you ne...

My listeners reach out and ask all kinds of great questions about T1D & mental health. I want to make sure my answers can reach as many folks as possible! I am going to answer some of your questions on the latest episode of The Diabetes Psychologist Podcast. In this episode of my podcast, I answer YOUR questions about: ✔️ Diabetes and sleep ✔️ How to deal with perfectionistic tendencies with T...

It's time to look ahead and set some big goals for your life with T1D in the new year. Why is it helpful to set diabetes goals? Where do you even start? In this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist Podcast, I dive into how you can set T1D goals in the new year. You'll get to dream big, push yourself, and see what's possible for you in your life, even with T1D along for the ride. We'll talk about t...

2021 has taught me a whole new set of lesson and I want to share my biggest learnings with you! In this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist Podcast , I tell you the FIVE most important things I learned in 2021 about T1D and mental health. Learning #1: T1D doesn't live in a silo. Yes, diabetes makes life stressful, but T1D is not the only thing causing you stress in your life. You can't forget tha...

The holiday season can feel like a landmine for people with T1D. You want to enjoy all your favorite foods, but you also want to keep your blood sugar in range. Doing both at the same time feels like an impossible task. That's when things start to get stressful. You start feeling out of control, and you may even want to give up on even trying to manage T1D until after the new year. Living with T1D...

Both golf and type 1 diabetes can be frustrating and unpredictable. The similarities don’t stop there. There is a lot you can learn from playing golf that can help you deal with the emotional burden of diabetes. In this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist, I talk about what T1D and golf have in common. You'll hear how the four key lessons I've learned by playing golf can help you manage diabetes...

All of us with T1D experience burnout at times. Diabetes burnout is a normal part of living with T1D. But sometimes, you may start to expect to feel burned out. And this expectation can be what actually makes you feel burned out. You get so used to diabetes burnout, and it becomes a habit. In this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist Podcast, I talk about what causes diabetes burnout and how somet...

Everybody has an opinion about the best way for you to manage T1D. Your doctor may think a pump is the only way to go. Your friends with T1D might swear by using multiple daily injections (MDI). Your insurance company wants to know what is going to be the most cost-effective option. Which option is best for you? And most importantly, which diabetes management option is best for your mental health?...

Nothing makes people with T1D more anxious than the thought of having a low blood sugar during exercise. Exercise with T1D can feel like a big black hole. You never know what to expect. Anxiety about exercise makes some people stop before they even get started, and other people tread very lightly with physical activity when they would rather go all out. What if you were able to exercise with confi...

People reach out and ask all kinds of questions about T1D & mental health. I want to make sure my answers can reach as many folks as possible! So I decided to answer some of your questions on the latest episode of The Diabetes Psychologist Podcast. In this episode of my podcast, I answer YOUR questions about: ✔️ The relationship between T1D and anger ✔️ Why T1D burnout doesn't go away ✔️ How t...

Does T1D make you feel stuck? Does the stress of T1D hold you back and make it difficult for you to do what you want? It doesn't have to be this way! In this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist Podcast, I give you the five secrets to getting unstuck with T1D. This framework will help you move from feeling stuck to feeling free and flexible in your life with T1D. After listening to this episode, y...

If you are like many people, the stress of T1D holds you back. What would you do if the stress of T1D didn't get in your way? You can get unstuck with T1D - I promise! Before you can get unstuck, you have to believe you can do it. If you buy the common myths about what it takes to get unstuck with T1D, you'll never even try! In this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist Podcast, I help you dispel t...

When I ask someone why they are willing to work hard to manage diabetes, the answer is almost always 'I want to be healthy.' Wanting to be healthy is NOT a good enough reason! Managing T1D is a lot of work. If you are going to put in the effort, you need more than a vague reason. You need something that will keep you motivated right now. In this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist Podcast, I give...

This week marks ONE year of The Diabetes Psychologist Podcast. And what a year it's been! When I launched the podcast on October 15, 2020, I had no idea what to expect. I knew this podcast was something the T1D community needed, but I had no idea how big of an impact it would have. I have been reflecting on my biggest takeaways from putting out a new episode every week for the past year. My bigges...

You are the captain of your diabetes care team, and you get to set the agenda with what you talk about at your appointments. With T1D, your emotional health matters just as much as your blood sugars, and you need to be able to talk to your endocrinologist about both! In this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist Podcast, I tell you how you can talk to your diabetes care team about your mental healt...

Do you have a vision for your life? What do you want to be able to do in your life that you think you cannot do?  How does T1D get in your way of achieving this vision?  With T1D, we often talk about what we don't want rather than what we do want. You don't want to feel anxious. You don't want to feel burnt out. You don't want to have diabetes anymore. But where does getting rid of these...

Type 1 diabetes should never be a do-it-yourself condition. We all need support to help us navigate the stress of living with T1D. Unless you live at a diabetes camp full time, you are around people who don't have T1D every day. Many of these people try hard to support you when T1D gets stressful. But what do you do to support them? And how can supporting your support system benefit you? This epis...

People with type 1 diabetes tend to be perfectionists. We don't like it when things do not go as planned. But if you live with T1D, you know that perfection is not always possible. When you set expectations for yourself around T1D that you can't meet, you set yourself up for failure. You not only get frustrated with yourself, but you also don't let yourself see how well you are actually doing. You...

It's time to answer more of your questions on T1D & Mental health. Consider this your T1D & mental health audio advice column! I hope you find it helpful! On this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist podcast, I answer your questions about: Why T1D does not have to be your top priority How to deal with a fear of food with T1D Ways to take a 'break' from the stress of T1D Tips for overcoming...

If you are like most people, you have a vague, stock answer that you always use to describe your emotional state with T1D. Fine. Tired. Burnout. But that does not tell the whole story about how you are doing. And it certainly doesn't do anything to help you improve your situation. In this episode of The Diabetes Psychologist Podcast, I talk about how to do an inventory of your mental health with T...