• Fresh Views

    Feeling Out of Balance? 4 tips to help restore work-life balance

    September 27, 2023

    “We need to do a better job of putting ourselves higher on our own ‘to-do’ list.”

    ~Michelle Obama, former First Lady

    Restoring work-life balance some months back in a rooftop igloo during a weekend escape to Nashville

    Coming from two highly driven multi-taskers, work-life balance has been top of mind lately. Tami recently has found herself waking up in the middle of the night with work issues running through her mind. Deb’s been racking up skymiles lately traveling (happily) for work, yet family life pulling at her time and attention while planning her son’s wedding rehearsal dinner party and her mom’s surprise 90th birthday party. Sometimes we both find our lives a little out of balance. In talking about life recently, it gave us pause to think about those living with diabetes…not only is there the need to maintain  equilibrium between work and life, there is the added challenge of managing diabetes.

    What does work-life balance look like?

    That’s the million dollar questions. In short, work-life balance is prioritizing one’s career equally to the demands of personal life. Work-life balance can look different to each person as we each have different life commitments. What tips that balance for you? And what about for the clients/patients that you work with? Work-life balance is a factor to assess and consider in your diabetes care and education encounters.

    It’s said that a good work-life balance has numerous positive effects, including less stress (which could translate into blood glucose spending more time in range with diabetes), a lower risk of general burnout (and diabetes burnout), and a greater sense of well-being. 

    4 tips to help restore balance

    Today we’re sharing 4 tips that you can add to your solution-focused tools and tactics to use with your clients/patients with diabetes (or put into practice yourself) to help restore balance.

    1 – Prioritize your health. It’s easy to put work before health. We both have been guilty of doing so. But working beyond physical and/or mental limits can result in poor work quality and increased health risks. Building on the solution-focused tenet of doing more of what works, prioritizing physical, mental and emotional health can make one a better employee and person. Find a healthy way to get work done without exhausting your body or mind. Prioritizing health can be as simple as fitting in some physical activity or daily meditation.

    2 – Plan personal time. It’s said that achieving work-life balance requires intentional action. A mentor of Tami’s instilled that if you don’t schedule your personal time (such as date night with a spouse, girls/guys night out with friends, or family time) it likely won’t happen. Planning and prioritizing personal time is as important as planning for work. We have to remind ourselves that ultimately we have control of our time and life (at least for the most part, although sometimes we may forget that!).

    3 – Take time to unwind. It’s critical to success. Unplugging from the outside world from time to time allows us to recover from stress and gives us space for other thoughts and ideas to emerge (read some of our past blogs on nature, being with friends, and rest). Unplugging can mean something simple like reading a book for pleasure, binging a new streaming series, or practicing gratitude on your way to and from work, instead of thinking about work. Taking that time to unwind can help prevent burnout and help you feel more energized when at work

    4 – Strive for a realistic balance. Some days, you might focus more on work. Other days you might have more time and energy to spend time with family and friends or enjoy a favorite hobby. Keep the big picture in mind – that balance is achieved over time, not each day.

    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

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  • Fresh Views

    Friends, Laughs, Views, Taxis…and Tornadoes

    April 12, 2023
    “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.

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  • Fresh Views

    8 Tried and True Solution-focused Strategies for Eating Healthy Through the Holidays

    November 9, 2022

    With Thanksgiving celebrations and the holiday season at hand, today we’re sharing 8 tried and true strategies to enjoy the special foods that accompany holiday gatherings without compromising blood glucose. These 8 solution-focused strategies have worked for our clients and we hope are helpful for you.

    Strategy 1: Take a healthy dish or treat to share, or a healthier version of a favorite. Maybe it’s something like the caprese kabobs Tami made for an event that you see pictured below. Just a couple of grape tomatoes, fresh basil (or spinach) leaves, and a fresh mozzarella ball speared with a small skewer with a balsamic dressing to drizzle. Offering to bring something healthy can reduce stress by knowing that there’s at least one item to suit personal preferences and needs.(And chances are the host will welcome an addition to the party spread!)

    Strategy 2: Share a side dish that incorporates seasonal vegetables. Many of the food traditions associated with Thanksgiving and the winter holidays are laden with carbs and calories. One of our well-loved low carb favorites is roasted vegetables. Whether you choose to roast one type of vegetables (our vote is roasted Brussels sprouts) or a combination of winter vegetables (such as butternut squash, brussels sprouts, radishes (yes radishes!), parsnips, carrots, and red onion) they’re low in carbohydrate, high in flavor, and won’t keep you hanging out in the kitchen. Cut the vegetables into even size pieces/chunks for even cooking, then toss with some olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper. Roast at 425 degrees in an even layer on a sheet pan until fork tender (about 20-25 minutes). These roasted carrots were delish!

    Strategy 3: Try the Two- to Three-Bite Taste Test 

    Many clients we’ve worked with over the years have shared success keeping their blood glucose in range by sticking with tiny tastings, or 2-3 bites, of foods they may not be sure of exactly what’s in them or foods that are rich in carbohydrate. They can still enjoy the experience without too much worry of sending blood glucose out of range.  This is also a great strategy when traveling over the holidays. You can read more about that here.

    A patient Tami’s worked with in the past  loved cheesecake. Prior to developing diabetes she’d eat an entire giant slice when she  dined at her favorite restaurant. Once diabetes entered her life, she still wanted to try to  work in cheesecake on occasion, and realized  that portion control was important. She agreed to try the two- to three-bite taste test. She reported back that she discovered she really  savored the first three bites of her cheesecake, but after that the pleasure decreased. Based  on her discovery, she decided to eat just three  bites of cheesecake at the meal, count and  incorporate the carbohydrate accordingly, 

    Strategy 4: Make a swap or two. Consider the foods that are often at holiday gatherings and determine where you can make a swap or two for health. One client who is planning ahead shared that she’s planning to swap in broccoli casserole (made with reduced fat ingredients) on her plate in place of mashed potatoes and a corn casserole to reduce carbs.

    Strategy 5: Eat off a smaller plate.  As we shared in our July 3, 2019 post, when you are ready to sample the celebration spread, if there’s a choice on plate size, go with a smaller plate (maybe the ones that are out for salads or desserts). This strategy helps manage portions, and make those portions appear larger on the full small plate. 

    Strategy 6: Fill half of your plate with veggies of the non-starchy variety

    Aim to fill at least half of the plate with non-starchy veggies (such as veggie salads, green beans, broccoli, roasted vegetables from Strategy 2), one fourth of the plate with lean protein foods (such as a turkey), and one fourth with carbohydrate foods (this is mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn on the cob, or a sweet treat may fit). This simple strategy has brought success for many when navigating picnics and celebrations. 

    Strategy 7: Cruise by the foods that aren’t worth the carbohydrate or calories.  Before filling your plate with a little bit of everything, cruise the buffet or party spread to see what’s available, and then decide which foods you really want, and what portion of each works for you, We encourage asking yourself, “Is it worth the carbohydrate or calories?” If the answer is “no,” then it may be best to pass it by. If the answer is “yes,” then decide what portion fits your carbohydrate budget before adding it to your plate.

    Strategy 8: Focus on fellowship and laughter. We believe that laughter is the best medicine, and we try very hard to practice what we preach. Scientists have shown that laughter is a great stress reliever and causes mental relaxation. Laughter can even improve blood pressure, pain, and immunity. Most importantly it strengthens human connections when we laugh together. There is now actually “laughter therapy” defined by the National Cancer Institute as therapy that uses humor to help people cope with medical conditions by relieving pain, stress and improving well-being. Here we are embracing this strategy a few years back on holiday escape!

    Evaluate what went well. After each event, reflect on what went well and how you can repeat that at future gatherings. This is a helpful solution-focused strategy for anyone! Also think about what didn’t go as planned, and what changes can be made at future gatherings to keep blood glucose in range. You can read more in our blog post on Bright Spots and Landmines.

    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.

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  • Fresh Views

    When Life Give You Lemons

    June 15, 2022
    Courtesy of Deb’s backyard lemon tree

    When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. – Proverb

    Hey, it’s Tami writing today!  The life circumstances of these past 2 weeks in my world brought this proverb to mind: When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. If you follow our blog, you know that our primary focus is on taking a solution-focused approach to life to positively impact the future, particularly life with diabetes…rather than focusing on problems. It’s all about how you respond. So when life hands you situations that may initially be perceived as a “problem” (a lemon, if you will), focusing on how that can ultimately be transformed into something sweet (lemonade, or better yet, diet lemonade!) is the game changer.

    So today, here are 5 reflections I want to share, relating from conversations with a couple of friends that have recently unexpectedly lost spouses/partners, Covid-19 rearing it’s ugly head, and transitions galore these last few weeks:

    1. Even in the tough days, try to be present and appreciate every minute of life. We’ve written in the past about the impact of finding joy and expressing gratitude.
    2. Rest and sleep are way more powerful in healing the mind and body than we give it credit for. Personally, the day seems more manageable when I get 8 hours of sleep instead of 6 ½.
    3.  A good belly laugh can make things seem not quite so dark or overwhelming. A perfectly timed meme from a friend has done just that for me. As comedian Milton Berle said, Laughter is an instant vacation. We’ve written about the  benefit of laughter here.
    4. Embrace the power of “can do”. One friend walking through a significant loss shared with me a “track” she plays in her mind, “You HAVE done xx. So you KNOW you can do it. You CAN do it again. You WILL do it.” She shared that this positive self-talk and doing more of what works has given her the momentum to keep moving forward. 
    5. I constantly remind myself that even the tough “lemon” days are part of my story. While I may not fully see it now, how I respond shapes my future. And I can share and use my experiences to impact and encourage others. 

    I hope these reflections that have become evident to me over the last few weeks are in some way encouraging and motivating to you, and can be shared with those clients you work with.

    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 and Instagram @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.

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  • Fresh Views

    Happy Memorial Day! 6 Solution-focused Strategies for Picnics and Gatherings

    May 18, 2022

    Where did Spring go?! Memorial Day is at hand, and that means it’s time to kick-off summer! If you’ve been following our series on Transforming Primary Care Encounters Using a Solution-Focused approach, we’re going to take a few weeks off from this series,  but will revisit and closeout the series with a few more important considerations and tactics later this summer. 

    Will you be gathering with family and friends on Memorial Day? Sometimes it can be challenging to maintain healthy habits during group gatherings, especially if everyone is not on the same page. It’s helpful to have strategies in your back pocket to pull out. So, today we want to share with you 6 solution-focused strategies for navigating picnics and gatherings that you can share with your clients (or even try out yourself)! 

    #1 – Portion your plate by the healthy plate for diabetes. When you are ready to sample the celebration spread, if there’s a choice on plate size, go with a smaller plate (maybe the ones that are out for salads or desserts). Then fill half the plate with non-starchy vegetables (such as veggie salads, green beans, or sliced tomatoes), one fourth of the plate with lean protein foods (such as a grilled turkey burger or grilled chicken), and one fourth with carbohydrate foods (this is where potato salad, corn on the cob, watermelon, or a sweet treat may fit). Partitioned paper plates can do the portioning for you. Not sure partitioned paper plates still exist? Here you go, just a click away.  When asked how high one can “pile the plate”…try to keep it no higher than a deck of cards is thick. This simple strategy has brought success for many when navigating picnics and celebrations. And, Tami recalls one client she worked with that embraced this as a “year-round” strategy, purchasing the “old fashioned” partitioned 9-inch paper plates to use at home. He went on to lose over 30 pounds managing his portions and blood glucose in this manner. And he was thrilled that he didn’t have to wash dishes!

    #2 – Stick with small tastings. Maybe there are a number of things on the picnic table that you want to enjoy. And maybe you are not sure exactly what is in some of the dishes or how much carbohydrate they contain. One tried and true strategy is to stick with small tastings. You can sample a number of different items if you choose, fitting them within the plate sections reviewed above. And there’s a lesser chance of sending blood glucose out of range with small tastings versus a serving spoon portion. This is a great strategy for travel as well, discussed in our blog on Traveling with Diabetes.

    #3- Eat fresh and local. We are fans of supporting local farmers and enjoying local produce at the peak of ripeness. When trying to decide what to take to a gathering, think local and fresh. Picnics can be laden with rich casseroles and sides, so taking a fresh, low carbohydrate side that you know will work for you helps to insure there is something you can eat at the event. One of our favorite go-to’s that is ALWAYS the first dish to disappear is this (you may know it as Caprese salad): juicy ripe sliced tomatoes on a platter, topped with a slice of fresh mozzarella cheese, chopped fresh basil (or a dollop of pesto sauce), then drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sometimes we’ll layer sliced avocado on the tomatoes as well. Serve with  salt and pepper grinders alongside so everyone can manage what goes on their salad.  

    A version of the Caprese salad we enjoy made with yellow tomatoes

    #4 – Fill the day with fitness. With the eating and celebrating, fitting in fitness can help manage blood glucose and spend more time in range. Whether it’s participating in a local walk/run, swimming, playing cornhole, or joining the kids in a water balloon toss. How can you fit in fitness during Memorial Day weekend? We are believers in making a commitment to move even more when we know there is a weekend or vacation ahead filled with a few indulgences. Take a walk early in the day. That makes sure that movement doesn’t get pushed out by other holiday activities. And if you find blood glucose out of range 1-2 hours after you eat, take another walk to help lower blood glucose.

    #5 – Bring something to share that incorporates seasonal produce. Many of the food traditions associated with Memorial Day are filled with the best summer has to offer. Not only is flavor at its peak, seasonal produce is packed with nutrients (and lower in cost). Deb has local, fresh grown strawberry stands nearby at this time of year, so makes a weekly journey to purchase and enjoy their sweet flavor.

    #6 – Focus on fellowship and laughter. We believe that laughter is the best medicine, and we try very hard to practice what we preach. Scientists have shown that laughter is a great stress reliever and causes mental relaxation. Laughter can even improve blood pressure, pain, and immunity. Most importantly it strengthens human connections when we laugh together.

    Here with our husbands, we enjoyed some laughs atop a rooftop among igloos when we were together a few months ago
    We got some more laughs wrapping up in the furs in the rooftop igloos

    We hope you enjoy some laughter, friendship, family and great food this holiday! We are taking our own advice and will be enjoying some travels, adventures, and connecting with great friends and will be back soon with more content to share.  

    If you have any suggestions regarding future blog topics or series please let us know!

    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 and Instagram @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.

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  • Fresh Views

    WELL-LIVED: Today’s word to jump-start solution-focused practice

    December 9, 2020

    A life lived with purpose and growth is a life well-lived. – Lisa Layden

    As 2020 is drawing to a close, we find ourselves reflecting, “Was the year well-lived despite the chaos of the pandemic?” Admittedly, the first response was “no”, as it’s easy to focus on the social distancing, not spending in-person time with those we love, stay at home orders, loved ones with Covid-19, and the list goes on. BUT, upon deeper reflection actually, YES, there are many positives that have come out of these unusual, unprecedented, stressful and anxious days. 

    If you’ve followed our blog, you know that our interest and passion revolves around taking a solution-focused approach to practice (and life), which means acknowledging what has gone well, acknowledging how you achieved that success, then identifying how to do more of that and build upon that moving forward.

    TODAY’S WORD IS WELL-LIVED

    Today we’re sharing with you 4 strategies that have helped us to declare 2020 well-lived. These are strategies that we plan to continue to embrace through the pandemic and beyond so we can continue to declare that even through challenging times life has been well-lived.

    1- Be still, be present.  During weeks of stay at home orders and working remotely, we’ve spent MUCH more time being present, living in the moment, and pausing to fully appreciate our surroundings and backyard spaces. In doing so, we saw many things we otherwise would likely have missed while zipping through life: hummingbirds in both of our backyards (who knew!), a baby bunny that would sit by Tami’s feet and eat when she was in her “outdoor office”, spectacular sunsets, and then the shift to brilliant fall leaves.

    A socially-distanced hike in Bernheim Forest in Kentucky

    2- Surround yourself with things that bring you joy. This past year more than ever we’ve appreciated the importance of this concept. It doesn’t have to be something big, just something as simple as the bright flowers Tami planted outside her kitchen window that she’d see when she passes by during the day.

    3- Find laughter in some way each day. Laughter is good for your health! You can learn more about that in our blog post here . We have intentionally found something to make us laugh each day, whether a GIF, a meme, a funny YouTube video, a Facebook post from our friend Lorena, a cat in a box…you get the idea.

    Tami’s son’s kitty Starlight        
     Deb’s kitty Nike enjoys a little “bubbles”

    4- Want what you have.  As you know, we were avid travelers prior to the pandemic, always in search of a new fresh view and looking forward to what’s next. However, these last 9 months we have embraced the attitude of “want what we have”. Being grateful for exactly what we have. Deb added Christmas lights and heaters to her backyard this year so she can enjoy at home, outdoor dining this holiday season. But she is most grateful that some of her kids have spent time at home this year when they would have normally been living out of town and even out of state.

    Diana and Deb enjoying a sunny winter day in Apple Hill, Placerville, CA

    We look forward to sharing a few more learnings and reflections that the year has brought us personally in our January 13, 2021 blog. 

    EACH WEEK WE INVITE READERS TO PARTICIPATE IN A SOLUTION-FOCUSED CHALLENGE… As you close out the year with your clients with diabetes, we challenge you to spend a few minutes with them reflecting on 2020 and identifying one, two or more things big or small that have helped them live well this past year.

    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. 

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  • Fresh Views

    HUMOR: Today’s word to jump-start solution-focused practice

    August 19, 2020

    Laughter is an instant vacation. – Milton Berle

    Given the stress, anxiety, and chaos that COVID-19 is still raining upon the world, we’ve been looking for opportunities to laugh and find humor in our everyday world. Earlier this week, that came in the form of a virtual happy hour (pictured above) with dear colleagues at the close of the Association of Diabetes Care and Education Specialists (ADCES) virtual meeting. A special shout out to Lorena Drago for being the “hostess with the mostest” and donning a blonde wig and festive party attire for the celebration! 

    You may be super busy these days and have many things on your mind, so we’re hoping today’s blog can help you take a short stress break, identify personal opportunities to laugh, and consider how you can look for moments to incorporate humor in encounters with your clients and diffuse stressful conversations.

    Today’s word is HUMOR: 

    Finding humor and laughter in the everyday world is a key opportunity to reduce stress. Personally, we often feel rejuvenated and ready to face the world again after a good belly laugh or a few silly moments. Suddenly the weight of the world is lifted off our shoulders. 

    Research has shown that not only can humor reduce stress, it can decrease anxiety and fear, and help people cope with challenging situations. Humor can instill a more lighthearted perspective and make challenges seem less threatening. Laughter increases hormones in the body that reduce stress, decrease pain, and can even improve the immune system by supporting T-cell development. Humor can instill a sense of power, especially during times when feeling powerless. In fact, we have documented through our research that humor increases resilience in diabetes management and is a key factor to living well with diabetes. You can read more about the research findings in our recently published research paper, Applying a Solution-Focused Approach to Life With Diabetes: Insights Gleaned via Twitter published in July in The Diabetes Educator journal (). In the study, laughter and humor were described by all participants as essential for overcoming the burden associated with living with a serious chronic condition.Strength and resilience were often equated with a sense of humor when faced with challenging situations

    Here are 5 ways that we have been finding opportunities for humor which we hope may spur some ideas for you and that you can suggest to your clients:

    1 – Get together and laugh with friends: Whether this is via Zoom or in a social-distanced driveway happy hour. Fun virtual backgrounds can add laughter for virtual gatherings.

    2 – Social Media cartoons, memes and videos: We have a couple of friends that also help us start each day with a funny cartoon or meme posted on Facebook. We look forward to that chuckle as we head off to our home office for work. Taking a mid-day break and searching for a good laugh is also good medicine. 

    3 – Binge watch comedy shows: Like Deb, you may have older kids home again with many schools and colleges being virtual. Deb’s found that watching old shows with her daughter has been a great bonding experience and opportunity to laugh. The current binge is Gilmore Girls (now up to Season 3).  Any suggestions for the next show?

    4 – Smile every day,  even when it’s hard: Starting the day off with a smile can help impact your mood.  You’ve heard the old saying “Fake it until you make it.” Well, saying that you’re going to have a good day and find humor in your day can really make a difference.

    5 – Laugh at yourself: If you tend to take everything very serious, especially these days, finding ways to relax a little and laugh at mistakes, misfortunes and circumstances can make life easier. Laughter connects us with others and most people find that laughter is contagious. The picture below candidly caught us sharing contagious laughter a few years back. This photo still makes us smile and is a gratitude reminder everytime we look at it. You can learn more about gratitude reminders in our post here and about Finding Joy in our post here.

    Each week we invite readers to participate in a solution-focused challenge. We encourage you to ask your clients this week what they have been doing in their life to find opportunities to laugh! Discuss with them that finding humor in the everyday world is healthy for them both physically and mentally.  If you are doing telehealth meetings and you see something that makes a person unique in their home, maybe you can ask them to tell you about its significance, maybe there is a light hearted story to tell. 

    Try out one or more of the strategies we shared today, and reach back to  let us know how you’re doing! We’d love to help you de-stress and focus on a positive mindset.

    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 and Instagram @AFreshPOVforYou

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  • Fresh Views

    SOCIAL WELLNESS : Today’s word to jump-start solution-focused practice

    July 22, 2020

    With the United States slowly reopening, many are longing to physically be in the presence of family and friends, and are fatigued with virtual “gatherings” (ourselves included!). The very thought of even a small physically-distanced in-person gathering brings joy! After all, these summer months typically abound with backyard barbecues, family reunions, and pool parties. 

    Research has shown that these types of interactions are not only fun, but healthy too – helping people stay healthier both mentally and physically. They contribute to what’s known as “social wellness”. Fittingly, July is Social Wellness Month.

    Many people with diabetes, parents and children with diabetes spent last weekend engaged in social wellness by participating in the Virtual Friends for Life conference. Normally in Orlando every July, this meeting is so unique and so important for the many families that attend. At the meeting people wear a green bracelet when they have diabetes and an orange one if they do not. Tami used to serve on the Children with Diabetes board and we’ve both attended the conference several times and guarantee that it is a magical event. Especially when you see young children making “friends for life” with other kids, just like them, sporting their green bracelet, living with diabetes. While a virtual format does not allow for the connections that are made in person, there were many opportunities to have fun, dance, learn and “meet up” in the virtual hallway. People were doing their best to stay connected.

    Today’s words are: SOCIAL WELLNESS

    What is “social wellness”? Social wellness refers to building positive, supportive, healthy relationships that can offer support during challenging times. Support comes in many forms. In this blog we share 5 ways to guide your clients to engage in ongoing diabetes support. In case you’re wondering what exactly are hallmarks of  a “healthy” relationship, here are signs to consider:

    • feeling good about yourself around your friend, family member, or partner
    • feeling safe talking about how you feel, 
    • feeling listened to, and valued, and truly experiencing mutual trust

    Social wellness is now receiving greater focus and emphasis from the medical community. It is a critical aspect of overall health. Through research and focus groups that we’ve conducted with people with diabetes, we’ve heard time after time the critical nature of fostering a genuine connection with others with a lived experience. Strong and healthy social connections and networks are associated with the following:

    • blood pressure and heart rate that respond better to stress 
    • a healthier endocrine system  
    • enhanced immune system’s ability to fight off infection 
    • a more positive outlook on life
    • longevity

    In the quest to help people with diabetes be their healthiest self, here are 2 strategies for improving social wellness that you may want to explore with your clients::

    Strategy 1- Make Connections. Come alongside your clients to identify ways to find new social connections, particularly in these socially distanced days. Here’s a few ideas: 

    • Join an online group focused on an interest or hobby, such as painting, great hiking spots, or an online book club. 
    • Expand horizons by taking virtual music lessons, using a cooking app to learn how to make new recipes, or finding a recipe that you can prepare on zoom simultaneously with a friend.
    • Participate in a neighborhood event, such as a driveway happy hour with neighbors sitting in their own driveways, or walk by “concerts” where musically talented neighbors have mini “concerts” in their front yard or on their balcony.

    Strategy 2 – Build Healthy Relationships. Making connections doesn’t mean one has arrived. Relationships require work and nurturing to build strong bonds. Here are a few areas you can explore with your clients: 

    • Share feelings honestly and respectfully
    • Ask for what you need from others
    • Be caring and empathetic
    • Decide what you are and aren’t willing to do
    • When compromise is needed, try to find a compromise that works for all involved

    THIS WEEK’S SOLUTION-FOCUSED CHALLENGE

    Each week we offer a solution-focused challenge that can help evolve care and education in a solution-focused manner. Here’s this week’s challenge: Consider asking some of the following questions the next time you engage with your clients to help identify their existing resources to move towards social wellness.

    1. What do you do for fun?
    2. Who do you enjoy spending time with? What makes that time enjoyable?
    3. How do you show the people in your life that you care for them?
    4. What would the closest person to you say is their favorite thing about you?
    5. What are you most proud of about yourself?

    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. 

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  • Fresh Views

    Going off the beaten path

    March 13, 2019

    From our off the beaten path adventure to  Ireland’s rugged West Coast

    Life throws challenges and every challenge comes with rainbows and lights to conquer it. –  Amit Ray

    With St. Patrick’s Day a few days away, memories of a trip we took to Ireland 4 years ago come flooding back into our minds. We and our husbands, along with two other couples, each of us from a different part of the US, convened for what became a trip of a lifetime.

    While the trip began in Dublin, the real adventure started when we got off the beaten path. When we got away from touristy spots, outside our comfort zone, and took a cross country road trip to the Western rugged coast of Ireland. The picture you see above with the rainbow was taken from the back yard as we were “imprinting” and savoring our last view at the end of the trip. This trip truly turned out to be our proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.  On this journey not only did we see magnificent castles, abbeys, history galore, sheep galore, glorious green like we’ve never seen, and breathtaking views, we laughed A LOT. We strengthened friendships, we made new lifelong friends in Ireland, but most importantly we learned that when you go off the beaten path (so to speak), good things can happen. You get a different view. You gain a different perspective. You get a different experience. (And yes these experiences are in our gratitude journals and brought us great joy! If you’ve been reading our blogs you’ll know how we embrace expressing gratitude and finding joy in life).

    The majesty of the Cliffs of Moher, County Clare, Ireland

    Reflecting and bringing these experiences back to our practices leads us to ask: What if you went off the beaten path so to speak, and rather than focusing on the things in life when managing diabetes that are NOT going the way you want, instead, focus on the things that ARE going well? In our experience, so often we see that healthcare professionals and those living with diabetes alike, fixate on things that are not as desired – whether its an out of range blood glucose, a high A1C, or frequent hypoglycemia. That can leave you burnt out, and frankly beat down. What if instead you get a whole different experience by taking the road less traveled? Focusing on what you are doing well and how you can achieve or do that more.

    This next week we challenge you (whether you live with diabetes or not) to identify at least 1 thing that’s gone well. Is it possible to repeat what you did to lead to more “positive” experiences and days?

    In closing, returning to the our Irish adventure. The four couples deeply bonded on this trip. We valued the time spent together. It  made us realize we wanted to spend more time together over similar shared experiences. So, we are in fact planning another “off the beaten path” adventure across the South of France this summer. Adventuring through life experiences worked for us. It brings us joy. So we are going to do it again. We are sure to have some new perspectives, new learnings and beautiful views to share with you!

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