5 Mindfulness Activities to Practice Self-Love

Living with diabetes can put you under a lot of mental pressure that can lead to high stress levels.  

In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) state that people with diabetes are 20% more likely to have anxiety than those without diabetes at some point in their lives. Stress in itself is considered a potential contributor to chronic hyperglycemia, giving you even higher glucose levels in your bloodstream and likely worsening diabetes-related symptoms. 

One way to counter stress –and depression- is to practice mindfulness on a regular basis. Mindfulness is the act of accomplishing self-awareness as a means to achieve calmness, gratitude, and compassion. By engaging in this practice, you can stop stress from overwhelming you and you can also learn to love and value yourself. 

Here are five mindfulness activities to help you destress and boost your emotional health: 

1. Journaling 

In a 2021 study on the effects of long-term writing, 85% of participants agreed that it was helpful. Likewise, a 2018 study found that journaling for just 15 to 20 minutes a day three to five days a week has positive effects on your physical and mental health.  

What can you write down on your journal? Pretty much anything. Try to be as expressive as you can about your current state of mind – positive or noteworthy events that transpired throughout the day, something you may be looking forward to, what’s presently troubling you, etc. This can help you identify the cause of your stress and anxiety and help you work towards finding a solution. 

You can even let out your creativity and draw on your journal or decorate your entries with stickers and stamps to complement your words with your favorite visual aesthetic. Look up journaling inspo on your favorite social app for fun design ideas and let your artistic side shine! 

2. Breath Awareness Meditation 

Sometimes the simplest of things can give you amazing results. Breath awareness meditation encourages mindful breathing and it’s pretty simple to do. All you need to do is find a comfortable position in a place with minimal interruptions – you can do it standing or lying down, but sitting tends to be the best position. Then, you have to: 

• Breathe slowly and deeply, counting your breaths 

• Focus only on your breathing 

As you practice this meditation, it is normal to get random thoughts, especially if you are dealing with stress. The key for it to work is for you to allow these thoughts to come and go, without diverting your primary focus from your breathing. Try doing this 10 minutes a day or whenever you need a breather to unwind.  

“[Meditation] is intended to help us come to a healthy relationship with the inevitabilities of the difficulties of life, which is much more profound than relaxation training,” said Dr. Ronald D. Siegel of Harvard Medical School. “These practices are designed to train the brain and the mind to embrace life as it actually is. When we can do that, we wind up being much less stressed. Ultimately, most of our stress comes from fighting reality.” 

3. Gardening 

One study found that having direct contact with the earth and soil helped improve glucose fasting levels among patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. The researchers also concluded that exposing yourself to earth and nature influences physiological process and may be “the primary factor regulating endocrine and nervous systems.”  

Meanwhile, another study on the effects of gardening in the Navajo nation found that community gardens were a component of diabetic care. The same study said that gardening ranked highest in exercise preference among people with diabetes who engaged in more than one physical leisure activity for 30 min. Per day, five days a week. It also “improved insulin sensitivity and glycemic control, and decreased the need for oral medications or insulin.” 

On top of these benefits, gardening has also been linked to reduced levels of fatigue and depression, as well as improved cortisol levels, heart rate, blood pressure, and other cardiovascular issues. 

To practice mindful gardening, think of this activity as a form of meditation, in which your sole focus at the moment is caring for the plants and soil. As you start seeing the effects of your green thumb, you will likely experience a boost of gratitude and self-esteem. Go get your gardening gloves ready! 

4. Walking 

If you are able-bodied, brisk-walking or running are tried-and-true mindfulness exercises with extraordinary health benefits.  

Researchers found in 2016 that the combined power of meditation with running or walking helped reduce symptoms of depression by almost 40%. In addition, walking briskly can lower your risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes as much as running can. 

Like with the other activities listed in this article, the key to transforming regular walking to mindful walking is to concentrate on the exercise itself rather than your thoughts. Get on a treadmill or take a nice stroll in your neighborhood!

5. Yoga 

A 2022 comprehensive study concluded that mind- and body-based interventions are strongly associated with glycemic control in people with Type 2 diabetes (read more about T2D here). “The overall mean reduction in HbA1c and FBG was clinically significant, suggesting that mind and body practices may be an effective, complementary nonpharmacological intervention for type 2 diabetes,” the report states. 

Moreover, of all the activities observed, patients who practiced yoga saw a greater HbA1C (blood sugar) decrease.  

The great thing about yoga is that it ranges from beginner to advanced levels, so any able-bodied person can begin their journey, no matter their age or experience. Don’t have access to yoga centers? That’s fine – you can find a widespread variety of free lessons online. Just make sure to have the necessary equipment and consult with your physician before starting a new exercise activity. 

And there you have it! We hope that this article inspires you to try something new and take control of your mental and physical well-being. Remember to complement regular activity with a healthy diet; you can find delicious and nutritious dining ideas on our Recipes section. You got this!