• Fresh Views

    Live a better life through reflection and focus on what you can control

    If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward. – Martin Luther King Jr.

    As we launched into 2023, a personal goal for us both has been to focus more on the positive in our lives and do more of what’s working for us (core principles of a solution-focused approach to life). The above quote from Martin Luther King drives home the point that we have to keep moving forward. So, how do we each know if we’re better today compared to 2 years ago? Or even 4 months ago? We don’t… unless we’re keeping track…and that’s one way journaling has helped bring improvement in our lives. As part of our daily journaling, we take a moment to record at least 1-2 specific things we are grateful for in the day and a daily affirmation. We grow through reflection. So 4 months into this journaling journey, we decided to step back and see what we have learned – and share some of our learnings with you. Today’s blog is a little longer than usual. Thanks for reading and we hope you find it insightful.

    TAMI’S LEARNINGS

    Be present and be intentional

    Hey, this is Tami writing. At the start of his journaling journey I had 2 personal goals over this year: 1) To practice being more present in the moment and what it has to bring and 2) To be intentional. I am in no way where I want to be, but I’m making progress!

    Tami’s Big 6 Observations

    1. Consistency is important. A few days off track because life happens and it’s easy to lose focus on what’s good. Consistency in journaling helps me maintain focus on the positive.
    2. Work-life balance improves my happiness. I am happier when I leave work on time. The days that I get home just a half hour earlier makes a big difference.
    3. Nature brings joy. These gifts of nature have included a dusting of snow sparkling on roof tops on my drive to work. Sunshine and longer days. A blooming redbud tree and fragrant yellow daffodils in the backyard.
    4. Flexibility in my schedule reduces my stress. The rare opportunity to work from home for even 2 hours, rather than in the office, made a difference in my stress on those days.
    5. I feel calmer when I get the difficult things done early in the day.
    6. Pause and put my “problems” in perspective. When I get overwhelmed with life, I need to pause and remind myself of the people in my life that are dealing with many more challenges than me. That helps put my problems in perspective.

    5 things I expressed gratitude for:

    • When my sweet daughter-in-law dropped by homemade pad thai and a fun book for me to read
    • Cleaning out 3 drawers and dropping off a donation bag
    • Coming home from work to see the neighborhood kitty has stopped by for a catnap on our back porch sofa
    • Laughing with friends at the end of a long day.
    • An unexpected call from my son just to say “hi”

    2 impactful daily affirmations I’ve used:

    • I can choose to be happy
    • I CAN do this. I have no need for fear.

    DEB’S LEARNINGS

    This is Deb writing now. Like the graphic image in this blog, in 2023 I want to focus on things that I have control over in my life and spend less time thinking about or worrying over the things I can’t control. Based on those 6 categories in the image, here are some examples of what I’ve been doing and thinking about so far this year.

    Deb’s Big 6 Observations

    1. My boundaries. I have been focused on setting boundaries at both work and home so I can focus on things that are important to me and my family.  Sometimes that has meant canceling a trip when life gets too busy and other times, simply knowing I can say “no”.
    2. My thoughts and actions.  I tend to think that I have to be busy and productive all of the time….that down time is wasting time.  I travel a lot for work and sometimes I’m just tired…..I’ve allowed myself to spend a whole day in my PJs and watch some of my favorite shows or listen to a great audiobook and enjoy doing something that does not appear to be productive (but it really is!).
    3. The goals I set. I’ve been following our solution-focused goal setting approach by trying to do more of what works, and leaning in to what those situations are. I am more of a night owl but I noticed that when I go to bed earlier it’s much easier for me to wake up feeling refreshed. So I started to wake up at 5 am every weekday morning so I’ll be tired by 10 pm and be able to fall asleep. It’s hard to do when traveling, so this is still a work in progress.
    4. What I give my energy to. I have always talked about “bucket list” items, but this year I created an actual list and started to check things off. I love to travel, so travel locations are a big part of my list….I’ll be checking off quite a few later this spring. My daughter and I splurged and saw Adelle in Las Vegas (they’ll never be a show better than that!). I saw the California Poppy SuperBloom just last week. My list has both  big and small things. I want to imprint as many images and memories as possible.
    5. How I speak to myself. When I used to commute to work I would use my drive home at the end of the day as an opportunity to actually speak to myself and assess what went well, what could have gone better. I focused on how I could improve and also what I was proud of. Now that I work at home, I’m not doing that anymore. I’ve been using my journal as a way to start this habit again.
    6. How I handle challenges. Generating solutions, as you know, is a solution-focused habit. I’ve been trying to focus on how to make changes to move in the direction I want to go instead of “fixing” the problem. This is not always easy, but it’s the best way I’ve found to deal with challenging situations. 

    5 things I expressed gratitude for:

    My favorite tool and daily ritual when home is “feeding” the Gratitude Bird! Even if it’s small, saying those words and putting a pebble in the bird’s mouth makes me smile. Some of the things I’ve been grateful for are simple and some are big:

    • Sitting in front of a fireplace
    • Having my cat on my lap during a work meeting
    • My son moving back to the west coast from Indiana
    • A bright blue sky
    • My future daughter-in-law and how happy she makes my son.

    My most  impactful daily affirmation:

    • I can choose to be healthy.

    Let us know if some of our learnings resonate with you and spur topics for discussion within your professional practice.

    If you are a health care professional and interested in learning more about our solution-focused practice and approach, when you subscribe to our blog, we’ll send you in return a FREE resource of 10 Solution-Focused Questions to start a solution-focused discussion with your clients. 

    Follow us on Twitter @AFreshPOVforYou

    Deb is employed by Dexcom, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

    Tami is employed by the University of Kentucky HealthCare Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

  • Fresh Views

    Friends, Laughs, Views, Taxis…and Tornadoes

    “Imprinting” the magnificent view at Lake Michigan, Chicago

    We connected last weekend in Chicago for some much needed R & R! When we’re together and with friends there is no shortage of fun, laughter, and Fresh Views! So today we’re sharing a pictorial view of how we put some of our solution-focused tactics into practice and sharing some of our fun with you all!

    The Best of Second City improv and comedy theater where we laughed hysterically

    While we write about focusing on solutions and doing more of “what works for you”, we also try to follow our own advice. Last weekend we walked and danced and sang and brunched. We toasted friendship, birthdays, and life! We squeezed into too small Ubers and laughed a lot. While Chicago is know as the windy city, we avoided a tornado while “sheltering in place” at a dueling piano bar! We imprinted so many views and memories!

    Rose All Day Lounge at Hampton Social brunch
    Chicago skyline on a chilly, windy day with Joan, David, Mike, Tami, Deb and Mark

    We encourage all of you to look for opportunities to recharge, reconnect and refresh with those you enjoy spending time with to create your own solution-focused possibilities. Identify what makes you happy and brings you joy (even the smallest things can bring joy) and find a way to make it happen.

    Beautiful Chicago architecture
    View of Chicago from the Architecture Boat Tour
    Cindy’s Rooftop, a favorite stop with an amazing lakefront view over Millennium Park

    While we really missed our friends Karen and Terry (the tornado’s fault) we were grateful to FaceTime with them and share a virtual happy hour! (Making lemonade out of those lemons)

    We’ll be back focusing on more solution-focused tenets soon!

    If you are a health care professional and interested in learning more about our solution-focused practice and approach, when you subscribe to our blog, we’ll send you in return a FREE resource of 10 Solution-Focused Questions to start a solution-focused discussion with your clients. 

    Follow us on Twitter @AFreshPOVforYou

    Deb is employed by Dexcom, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

    Tami is employed by the University of Kentucky HealthCare Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

  • Fresh Views

    Expressing Gratitude: 6 Strategies To Get Started 

    Deb’s gratitude bird waiting to be “fed” a message of gratitude

    I am happy because I’m grateful. I choose to be grateful. That gratitude allows me to be happy.

    ~Will Arnett

    Expressing gratitude is something we strongly believe in and practice in our daily lives. The expression of gratitude and acknowledging things that have gone well in the day is a powerful tool in solution-focused practice. We’ve written about gratitude many times in this blog. 

    Recently when traveling in Colorado, Deb happened upon a unique art shop and was called to two beautiful “gratitude birds” (pictured above and below). She knew immediately that we needed them. Each morning, we start the day by “feeding” our gratitude birds with a daily message or two (or three) of things we are grateful for. Some are big, some are the tiny things in life. Today as we write, Deb is grateful for her kitties and Tami is grateful for the sunshine and spring daffodils ready to burst into bloom. Gratitude does not need to be huge or all encompassing, a simple statement can start your day off in a positive direction.

    The simple definition of gratitude is “a feeling of thankful appreciation for favors or benefits received; thankfulness.”  But the practice of gratitude means so much more.

    Gratitude is good for health

    Practicing gratitude is powerful. While the relationship is not fully understood, positive emotions such as expressing gratitude, are linked to healthier lifestyle choices. And healthy lifestyle choices including healthy eating and being active are in turn linked to overall health. 

    According to the American Heart Association, several clinical trials show that engaging in a practice of gratitude can lower blood pressure and help the immune system. It’s also been noted that grateful people have healthier eating habits, are more physically active, have improved sleep, are less likely to smoke and abuse alcohol, and have higher rates of taking medications as prescribed. Several studies suggest that gratitude can decrease stress and anxiety by activating the areas in the brain that release feel-good hormones serotonin and dopamine. It’s difficult to feel sorry for yourself or feel down if you’re practicing gratitude.

    Today we offer 6 strategies to help develop daily gratitude habits

    1. Keep a gratitude journal. For us recently, when we pick up our 5-minute daily journal which we shared about here, it prompts us to record those things we are grateful for in the day. Our personal goal is to identify at least 3 things daily for which we’re grateful. 
    2. Have gratitude reminders. These are simple cues to remind you to focus on gratitude daily. Maybe it’s an alarm on your phone, a bracelet or wristband, a photo, a magnet, or a post-it note. 
    3. Use gratitude apps. There are a number of apps with a range of capabilities including sending reminders, sharing uplifting thoughts, and organizing memories for which you are grateful. We shared some favorites in this post here.
    4. Practice sharing positive feedback with others. A little different angle on the practice of expressing gratitude, the next time a restaurant or store employee is helpful or you enjoy a product, tell others about your experience. Leave a positive review or tell managers about helpful, positive employees. That’s a simple but impactful way to express gratitude for great service.
    5. Start a gratitude box. Keeping a box (jar, album, folder, or whatever works for you) filled with notes, pictures, and moments you are grateful for can bring a boost when needed. 
    6. Listen, smile, be respectful and choose kindness. Applying this to solution-focused practice, our actions and treating others as we would like to be treated are another way to express gratitude. It lets others know that we value them.
    Tami’s gratitude bird

    3 tips to keep your gratitude practice going:

    1. Find a daily time to practice gratitude and try to be consistent. Maybe it’s when you get up in the morning. Maybe it’s before you go to bed at night. Maybe it’s when you’re exercising.
    2. Write what you feel. Don’t censor it.  
    3. Refrain from making the list repetitive. Pause, reflect and be specific about the small and the big things you are grateful for in the day.

    If you are a health care professional and interested in learning more about our solution-focused practice and approach, when you subscribe to our blog, we’ll send you in return a FREE resource of 10 Solution-Focused Questions to start a solution-focused discussion with your clients. 

    Follow us on Twitter @AFreshPOVforYou

    Deb is employed by Dexcom, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

    Tami is employed by the University of Kentucky HealthCare Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

  • Fresh Views

    Affirmations: There’s no one better than to be myself

    It’s the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen. – Muhammed Ali

    Simply put, an affirmation is a statement of what you want in your life.

    We recently learned of a new-ish YouTube channel developed by the American rapper Snoop Dogg himself, called Doggyland. He’s turning his rhymes into motivational affirmations for kids…and they work on adults too!  Have we piqued your interest? Check it out here

    Four of the affirmations you’ll hear there are :

    • There’s no one better than to be myself.
    • Today is going to be an amazing day.
    • I get better every single day.
    • I care about others.

    If this resonates with you, you’ll find additional affirmation videos on his channel .

    12 of Tami’s  favorite affirmations:

    • I am joyful. 
    • I am gentle. 
    • I am not easily offended and will not hold on to bitterness. 
    • I am patient.
    • I am self-controlled.
    • I am kind.
    • I am loved.
    • I am strong. 
    • I have not need for fear.
    • I will not worry. 
    • I am focused upon the best things. 
    • I am unfinished.

    While using the Five Minute Journal, Deb’s been using their tips for journaling.  One tip is to use the same affirmation every day if you’re struggling to come up with new affirmations and if you want to focus on one specific idea.  Deb’s daily affirmation since the start of 2023 is I can choose to be healthy! Her goals are to adopt more healthy habits over time, but to start with small, achievable goals. Deb is a big fan of Kelly Clarkson, and loves her affirmation at the end of her show each day,  “Have a great day, and if it’s not, try and change it.” Her message is a great personal challenge, as we wrote about last time, to encourage change and create the life you want! 

    Identify one or many  affirmations that resonate with what you want in your life and post it where you’ll frequently see it. Tami keeps a list on her refrigerator and both Deb and Tami write them down in their daily journal. Encourage your clients to identify affirmations to support their healthy choices and goal achievement.

    If you are a health care professional and interested in learning more about our solution-focused practice and approach, when you subscribe to our blog, we’ll send you in return a FREE resource of 10 Solution-Focused Questions to start a solution-focused discussion with your clients. 

    Follow us on Twitter @AFreshPOVforYou

    Deb is employed by Dexcom, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

    Tami is employed by the University of Kentucky HealthCare Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

  • Fresh Views

    Personal “challenges” can help create the life you want

    We both have this sign in our offices as a reminder

    The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. – Martin Luther King, Jr.

    As we both stay committed to our 5-minute daily journaling (we shared the beginning of this adventure in our last blog), today we want to share the impact of having a personal challenge to work on. The only way one can truly grow is by challenging yourself…whether it be challenging your abilities or your beliefs. In the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”  Challenges lead to personal growth and improvement.

    Future visioning (a tenet and tool of solution-focused practice) and creating the life that you want requires stepping out of your comfort zone – that’s where we really learn and grow. A weekly challenge can help you go there.  A weekly challenge doesn’t have to be big or difficult, but something with intentionality – breaking out of  the daily grind.

    You may choose to have a personal “challenge of the day”, or a “challenge of the week”…whichever you prefer and is helpful to you.

     Here are 10 challenges that we’ve been trying:

    1. Be mindful and practice being present in the moment.
    2. Get adequate and good quality sleep.
    3. Start reading a new book. (One that we’ve both recently started is Atomic Habits by James Clear)
    4. State one daily affirmation for positive self talk. (You won’t want to miss our next post where we elaborate more on this).
    5. Write a text, email, or hand written message to someone you truly care about to let them know. 
    6. Curtail expectations of others.
    7. Do a random act of kindness.
    8. Give someone a compliment.
    9. Say no. If something doesn’t work for you, just say no.
    10. Start a 5-minute journal (hey, we’re doing good with this one and learning ALOT!)

    Do you think this approach can help your clients create the future that they want? Let us know your experiences and successful personal challenges that are helpful to you or your clients.

    If you are a health care professional and interested in learning more about our solution-focused practice and approach, when you subscribe to our blog, we’ll send you in return a FREE resource of 10 Solution-Focused Questions to start a solution-focused discussion with your clients. 

    Follow us on Twitter @AFreshPOVforYou

    Deb is employed by Dexcom, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

    Tami is employed by the University of Kentucky HealthCare Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

  • Fresh Views

    What a difference 5 minutes can make!

    We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit. – Will Durant

    We prefer to  focus on New Year’s “Solutions” (rather than resolutions) as we mentioned in our last blog. It’s said that nearly 1 in 4 quit their attempts at their New Year’s resolutions within the first week, and a majority quit before the end of January. So out with “resolutions”, and in with “solutions” for us. Check out our last blog to learn a couple of our personal 2023 New Year’s solutions!

    Another personal New Year’s solution for us in 2023 to try to bring focus on the positive in our lives and do more of what’s working for us (principles of a solution-focused approach to life). A tool we’re using is quick daily journaling. As two people who don’t typically write journals, this has been an enlightening endeavor and adventure in the new year! The resource we are currently using is The Five Minute Journal pictured above (we are in no way receiving sponsorship/support). We want to share it with you as we are finding it helpful and thought you and those you see in practice might find it helpful too. 

    The journal incorporates solution-focused principles including:

    • Gratitude
    • Daily affirmations
    • Highlights and learnings of the day (so that one can build upon those)

    We’ll share more on these as tools in future posts – tools  that can help one create the life they want (whether they choose to journal or not). And we’ll share some of our personal learnings and highlights along the way.  

    This journaling experience is a positive practice to begin and end each day. And truly it’s taking us 5 minutes or less. Admittedly, the first few days, Tami found fitting this new routine in a bit challenging, but kept reminding herself 1% effort beats 0% and to just write what she could. (Maybe she couldn’t identify 3 highlights of the day, but she could identify 2, so go with that). A few weeks in, we now find ourselves thinking throughout the day what we want to capture in the journal at day’s end!

    Our discoveries our first couple of weeks in with our 5-minute journal experience:

    • It has brought consistency and accountability.
    • It’s providing a snapshot, if you will, each day of our positive experiences
    • It’s helping us create a better day, particularly in regard to what we have control over
    • We’re finding its a commitment we can stick with

    Do you think this approach can help your clients move forward with their diabetes goals? Let us know if you choose to start implementing The Five Minute Journal approach in  your personal life or in your practice and how it’s helping you stay focused on the positive this year. Stay tuned to future blog posts as we “practice what we preach” and share our insights with you. 

    If you are a health care professional and interested in learning more about our solution-focused practice and approach, when you subscribe to our blog, we’ll send you in return a FREE resource of 10 Solution-Focused Questions to start a solution-focused discussion with your clients. 

    Follow us on Twitter @AFreshPOVforYou

    Deb is employed by Dexcom, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

    Tami is employed by the University of Kentucky HealthCare Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

  • Fresh Views

    Discover the Magic in New Year’s “Solutions”

    Memories from a magical trip we took to Scotland and Inveraray Castle

    “The magic in new beginnings is truly the most powerful of them all.”

    ~ Josiyah Martin

    There’s some “magic” at the beginning of a new year! Looking ahead with anticipation to possibilities, opportunities and a fresh vision for the future. And that’s what we’re all about here at A Fresh POV! A new year creates opportunities for renewal and growth. We believe in using the start of the year to focus on strengths and create New Year’s “solutions” (as opposed to resolutions). This popular blog we wrote in 2020 shared that one way to identify solutions is to focus on things that have gone well in the past, and pinpoint how you can do more of that (rather than trying to change).

    Along those lines, Adam Grant, author and professor of psychology at the Wharton School of Business, shared in a recent interview, “You already have the knowledge you need to improve your life.” He discussed that instead of being passive, we need to step outside our comfort zone and challenge ourselves. Wow! A great affirmation of the work we’ve been sharing in relation to a solution-focused paradigm.

    If you’ve followed our blog, you’re aware that in a solution-focused approach, there are many basic tools and skills that can be incorporated to support the development of strengths and progress forward. We encourage people living with diabetes, diabetes care and education specialists, and other clinicians to try out these skills that lead to recognizing and celebrating individual strengths. If you are a clinician, additionally embracing the role as a “Think Partner” who walks alongside their client as they grow and learn is key.

    Join us in this new year as we go back to the basics and revisit some of these tools and skills, as well as share a variety of new tools. We’ll work through the development of strengths together. We believe that in all we do we need to have a sense of purpose, and that purpose will lead to happiness. Our personal goals must be meaningful to us and we hope sharing these goals may benefit others along the way.

    So… as we launch into 2023 we’re further taking our own advice! We’ve been reflecting on our strengths and what has gone well for us in the past. Here are our first steps in the new year as we focus on solutions. (Who doesn’t like a solution after all?)

    Deb’s New Year’s solution. Hey, this is Deb writing! My New Year’s solution is focused on sleep and developing a healthy bedtime routine. Rest and sleep are way more powerful in healing the mind and body than we give it credit for. I tend to be a night owl – the evening just seems to “happen” and is not planned. I’ve reflected that in periods in the past where I had a more routine bedtime, I would awake at about the same time each morning and feel more energized. So, my goal in 2023 is to be more intentional each evening. I’m taking small steps to develop new healthy habits. The first step was to use the “sleep schedule” in Apple Health to set a bedtime and a “reminder” an hour before. So far, stopping all screens and focusing on relaxing, reading, and other quiet and peaceful activities has created a much better routine. I am now noticing that I wake before my alarm and have more energy. 

    Tami’s New Year’s solution. And hey, this is Tami writing!  A few weeks ago I ran across a  message that really struck me: 1% effort always beats 0% effort. That made me stop and think. In reflection, I have found success in the past in taking small steps toward a goal (when big steps seem overwhelming). A recent example, in preparation for holiday guests. After a full day at work, the very thought of readying the house for guests felt quite overwhelming and not something I could do. However, I found that I COULD tackle one room each day. That builds on one of our tenets in solution-focused practice which is to do more of what works. That strategy worked for me. (And the house was festive and welcoming when guests arrived!) So in reflecting on renewal in the new year…I’m choosing to embrace and build on this principle that’s worked for me before. 1% effort always beats 0% effort. I intend to quit talking myself into what I can’t fit in, and do what I CAN do, with the energy and focus I  DO have. Early thinking…I CAN acknowledge 3 things I’m grateful for  each day. I CAN use my elliptical for 5 or 10 minutes, when longer doesn’t seem possible at the time. You get my focus. Little wins pave the way for bigger wins. I’m looking forward to seeing what this 1% effort yields!

    You won’t want to miss out on our personal journey over this next year as we focus on developing our own strengths, building some new healthy habits, and sharing how we’re evolving in the process! And, we are hoping to imprint some magical moments in 2023 and wish the same for you!

    If you are a health care professional and interested in learning more about our solution-focused practice and approach, when you subscribe to our blog, we’ll send you in return a FREE resource of 10 Solution-Focused Questions to start a solution-focused discussion with your clients. 

    Follow us on Twitter @AFreshPOVforYou

    Deb is employed by Dexcom, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

    Tami is employed by the University of Kentucky HealthCare Barnstable Brown DIabetes Center, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

  • Fresh Views

    Happy 2023 from A Fresh POV for You!

    Wishing you a happy and healthy holiday season from us here at A Fresh POV for You!

    We’re taking a couple weeks off but will be back soon with more fresh points of view to guide and support healthcare professionals in implementing a solution-focused approach to practice so clients can embrace possibilities, opportunities, and a fresh vision for the future. 

    We welcome anyone interested in our approach to Subscribe to our blog and we’ll email you when a new post is published!

    If you are a health care professional and interested in learning more about our solution-focused practice and approach, when you subscribe to our blog, we’ll send you in return a FREE resource of 10 Solution-Focused Questions to start a solution-focused discussion with your clients. 

    Follow us on Twitter @AFreshPOVforYou

    Deb is employed by Dexcom, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

    Tami is employed by the University of Kentucky HealthCare Barnstable Brown DIabetes Center, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

  • Fresh Views

    Using monitoring in a solution-focused way during the holidays

    Christmas at Gaylord Opryland Resort

    Learning is a constant process of discovery – a process without an end. – Bruce Lee

    The holiday season is an ideal time to use monitoring to learn how special holiday foods/meals, changes in schedules, stress, and changes in routine physical activity affect blood glucose.

    We know that glucose numbers are simply that……they are numbers, and numbers provide information. The goal of monitoring is to generate data to help people make choices and changes. Numbers are not good or bad. They help people learn and understand.

    While many people use meters to stay in touch with their blood glucose, a CGM (short for continuous glucose monitor) is a helpful choice for others. With a CGM one can see patterns and trends over time, not just one single number at one moment in time.  Also, they can receive real time alerts for when glucose is going above or below target. Around holidays, a CGM can be a great monitoring tool to see how the choices made impact glucose levels.  

    Learning from CGM

    Below you see CGM data over a 24-hour period, beginning at midnight. The goal is more green – more time in range – more time feeling better. Have you heard of the acronym FNIR?  It means flat, narrow and in-range. That is the goal of CGM trend graphs.

    Suppose this tracing below is a few hours after a holiday meal. This is  just one day. It’s important to keep the big picture in mind. Yet, learning can come from this data – seeing the impact of foods and portions.

    While the focus may be drawn to the time out of range (in red), let’s turn focus to the green (the time in range). How was that accomplished? We learn that the individual made it to the gym for a morning workout and enjoyed a healthy lower carb breakfast. Monitoring helped identify exceptions (those times when the presenting situation could have happened, but somehow did not.)  It’s a time when things could have gone wrong, but didn’t. Exceptions are a core tool in solution-focused practice. Focusing on what is going well, instead of what is wrong, changes the conversation and allows the client to identify strengths and successes.

    If you have not used CGM in the past, but are interested in learning from your own data, consider asking your healthcare provider to prescribe a Professional CGM. This type of CGM is owned by the clinic, but most insurances cover professional CGM a few times a year for most people with diabetes. Asking to wear a professional CGM over the holidays might not only provide you with data to learn from and might also help you to evaluate your choices and portion sizes. 

    Learning from structured blood glucose monitoring (BGM)

    If you don’t have access to CGM, you can use structured BGM to also learn about your body’s response to food and activity You can read about discovery learning and structured BGM here.

     “Discovery learning” focuses on using “personal experiments” to uncover aspects of one’s diabetes themselves. And when people learn by doing, they are able to make health decisions that work for them. They can identify “what’s working well” and are able to apply the solution-focused tactics to “do more of what’s working” and focus on successes instead of problems. Discovery learning is a great way to incorporate a solution-focused approach into practice. 

    Some examples of personal experiments you may encourage your clients to try:

    Food. Consider a 3 day challenge. Clients can experiment to learn how favorite holiday foods affect them. Day 1 eat their favorite high carb breakfast. Day 2 eat their favorite high fat breakfast. Day 3 eat a combination breakfast with both carbs and fats. At the end of the three days compare CGM data or pre- and post-meal BGM values.

    Physical activity. Day 1 eat before physically active. Day 2 do physical activity before eating. Day 3 have a small snack before physically active and then the next scheduled  meal after the activity. Do you see differences that make you want to “do more of that?”

    When following up with clients, focus first on glucose data that is in target, rather than the outliers. How was that accomplished? When evaluating glucose data and patterns, a typical first response may be to focus on the glucose values out of range and try to identify what went wrong at those times. However, what if the first focus was on glucose levels in the target range, and what was going on to accomplish that? Focus on what went well and what they learned. If we only focus on times that are not working well, we miss identifying successes.Of course, we always identify hypoglycemia and address that at all visits to ensure safety.

    Examples of questions to ask:

    I see you changed how much you walked after dinner, what did you learn? 

    You were in target range after these three meals, how did you do that? How can  you do more of that? And what else?

    What have you learned during your discovery? And follow up with, How can you do more of that?

    We hope you and your clients unwrap some new learnings and discoveries using monitoring in a solution-focused way this holiday season!

    If you are a health care professional and interested in learning more about our solution-focused practice and approach, when you subscribe to our blog, we’ll send you in return a FREE resource of 10 Solution-Focused Questions to start a solution-focused discussion with your clients. 

    Follow us on Twitter @AFreshPOVforYou

    Deb is employed by Dexcom, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

    Tami is employed by the University of Kentucky HealthCare Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

  • Fresh Views

    10 Solution-focused tips to sneak in movement during the holidays

    Gaylord Opryland hotel grounds in Nashville, TN. Tami and her husband sneaked in quite a few steps while walking around the festive holiday hotel grounds.

    Three little words: You’ve got this. (Now, get it.) – Anonymous

    The holidays can be hectic without a doubt! We find that for many, physical activity takes a back seat to all of the festivities and gatherings. For those who are challenged to fit physical activity into their day, especially during the busy holiday season, we feel empathy because some days it’s a challenge for us too! So that brought us today to share practical tips to “sneak” more movement into the holiday season.

    As DCES’s, using solution-focused talk, together, we can help clients/patients identify what activity they like and makes sense to them. By refraining from “all or nothing” thinking, described by Adam Brown in his book Bright Spots and Landmines (we interviewed Adam here), let’s help clients/patients take small steps towards a more active holiday season and acknowledge their success.

    10 solution-focused tips to sneak more movement in the holiday season

    1. Wrap holiday gifts, standing at a table or counter, instead of sitting.
    1. While watching a favorite holiday movie, walk in place or on a treadmill, or ride a stationary bike. 
    1. At commercial breaks or between streaming shows, march in place, walk around the house, or do jumping jacks.
    1. When doing holiday cooking or washing dishes, alternate standing on one leg then the other. Mix in a few leg lifts, squats, or push-ups against the kitchen counter.
    1. When writing holiday cards at a table or desk, strengthen your core by sitting on an exercise ball.
    1. While visiting with family or friends, get up every half hour and walk around 2-3 minutes.
    1. On holiday road trips, do leg stretches and ankle rolls every half hour or so. When stopping for bathroom breaks, stand and stretch and walk around the rest stop for 2 or 3 minutes.
    1. Shovel snow! Not only is it purposeful in clearing the sidewalk and driveway for holiday guests arrival, it sneaks in a lot of movement!
    1. When holiday shopping, park in the back of the lot to fit in extra steps. Make an extra lap around the mall.
    1. Turn on holiday tunes and dance around the house!

    Sneaking in more movement throughout the day is not only a healthy behavior, it can help cope with holiday stress. After the holidays have passed, reflect with your client/patient on which strategies worked for them. With a solution-focused perspective our focus is on doing more of what works. Maybe they decide to continue incorporating some of these strategies into their day in the new year?

    If you are a health care professional and interested in learning more about our solution-focused practice and approach, when you subscribe to our blog, we’ll send you in return a FREE resource of 10 Solution-Focused Questions to start a solution-focused discussion with your clients. 

    Follow us on Twitter @AFreshPOVforYou

    Deb is employed by Dexcom, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.

    Tami is employed by the University of Kentucky HealthCare Barnstable Brown Diabetes Center, but her words and opinions in this blog are her own.