• 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

    When Life Give You Lemons

    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.

  • Fresh Views

    3 Solution-Focused Fresh Starts for Fall

    “Step out of the history that is holding you back. Step into the new story you are willing to create.” —Oprah Winfrey

    Lake Nevin at Bernheim Forest and Arboretum

    Fall has arrived! While some consider Fall an “ending” with the wrap-up of the glorious long days of summer, we here @AFreshPOVforYou think of Fall as a time for new “beginnings”. The air takes on a crispness. The trees magnificently change colors and leaves begin to fall. And it’s the perfect time for a solution-focused fresh start or two (or three)!

    Today we’re sharing 3 solution-focused fresh starts for Fall that you in turn can share with your clients/patients: 

    1. Fit a few more steps into the day. With shorter days and cooler temperatures it can be easy to become more sedentary. We know walking is good for us, and doesn’t require any equipment other than some well-fitting walking shoes. A favorite way to fit in more steps is to intentionally stand up every 30 minutes or so during the day and walk around for 2-3 minutes. That activity has been shown to benefit blood glucose and heart health. We’re also big fans of fitness trackers to keep up with how many steps are accumulated during the day, then try to bump that average up by 500 per day. Once that’s achieved, try adding another 500, and so on, working toward a goal of 10,000 steps each day. Read more about solution-focused practice applied to activity tracker conversations in a previous post here.
    1. Enjoy Fall vegetables (of the non-starchy variety). In fact, try filling half of your plate with these! Flavorful fall bounty includes arugula, carrots, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, radishes, and spinach. These are all very low in carbohydrate (only 5 grams in a 1-cup serving raw or ½ cup cooked), so can help keep post-meal BGs in target and help bring more time in range. Plus, these veggies are packed with fiber to help fill you up. One of our favorites is roasted Brussels sprouts. Roasted radishes and roasted broccoli are pretty fantastic too! While Tami’s not a fan of raw radishes, roasted radishes are a different story. She’s found they become sweet and lose the bitterness when roasted. If you’ve never roasted vegetables, here’s the simple “how to” here. 
    1. Check-in on those New Year’s “solutions” (rather than resolutions) that you set 9 months ago. You can read more about our take on setting New Year’s “solutions” rather than “resolutions” here. This solution-focused approach focuses on things that have gone well in the past, and pinpointing how you can do more of that (rather than trying to change in the new year). Autumn is the perfect time to see what you have accomplished and had success with, and look ahead to what you want to do before the year closes out. 

    Find 3 more solution-focused fresh starts for Fall in our blog here from 2019.

    Stop back by in 2 weeks when we’ll share a few favorite apps that can be used in solution-focused practice. 

    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. 

    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

    Top 10 Things 2020 Taught Us

    We were happy to see the sun set on 2020! 

    Life is not about how fast you run or how high you climb, but how well you bounce. – Vivian Komori

    It’s been said that “Life is not about how fast you run or how high you climb, but how well you bounce.” That pretty much sums up 2020! We’ve all learned to “bounce” through the multitude of challenges before us this past year. Yet, through it all there were many positives that we @AFreshPOVforYou personally realized during those unprecedented days. And one of those positives was celebrating the second birthday of this blog!

    WHO ARE WE? 

    If you are new to our blog, we are solution-focused diabetes care and education specialists. We are passionate about doing diabetes care and education differently. Too much of life is spent focusing on problems. Instead, we believe in turning attention to possibilities, opportunities, and a fresh vision for the future. We see the benefit in stepping alongside our clients as “think partners” to focus on what’s important to them, what’s already going well, and build upon that to reach their goals so that they may live life to the fullest. We invite you to join us in doing the same if this is a new paradigm for you. We are advocates for person-centered, strengths-based language, and believe that self-compassion is essential when living with a chronic condition. 

    OUR MISSION

    As we welcome the new year, our Mission continues to be that We guide healthcare professionals in taking a solution-focused approach to practice to enable clients with diabetes to embrace possibilities, opportunities, and a fresh vision for the future.

    Our interest and passion around taking a solution-focused approach to practice (and life), means acknowledging what has gone well, acknowledging how that success was achieved, then identifying how to do more of that and build upon that moving forward.

    TOP 10 THINGS THAT 2020 TAUGHT US (in no particular order)

    1. Importance of connection with others and having support. We don’t take the human touch for granted after living through 2020. We learned that connection and support comes in many different forms. We found creative easy ways to Keep Friends Close, as well as family, through Zoom virtual happy hours, virtual graduations, virtual birthday celebrations; hugs through windows; and drive by celebrations. Find 5 ways to guide your clients to engage in ongoing diabetes support here.
    1. Do hard things early in the day to feel accomplished. We both work the best in the morning. While we’ve known this, it was never quite so clear as it was in 2020. We did the “hard” work early in the day when our minds were freshest, so that we felt accomplished. The stressful days left us tired and spent by days end, and after dinner to help us relax and “escape” we could often be found indulging in Netflix, Prime, and others (who knew you needed so many streaming channels?). We identified a time when things were working well (in the morning) and tried to do more of it. When working with clients, try to identify when they think the clearest and encourage them to focus on their diabetes at that time. Help them identify their “Exceptions”, those times when things are going well. If your client wears a CGM, help them identify a quiet time to retrospectively review their CGM reports to identify patterns and trends and develop 1-2 small behavior changes to move then towards their goals by “doing more of what is working well.”
    1. We CAN be healthy. While many have gained the “COVID 19 pounds”, and may have been over indulging during the past several months, we learned that we could continue to adopt healthy habits, even during a stay at home order. Deb likes and has been focusing on the Mediterranean eating plan that includes lots of healthy fruits and vegetables with less red meat. She also decided to go back to using her WW (formerly Weight Watchers) app to help her track her food, activity and sleep. Tami purchased an under desk elliptical machine to help keep her active during the week, and spent time enjoying great outdoor walking trails on the weekends while social distancing. While in ways it has been challenging being home so much, we learned that it can also be healthy. When eating at home there’s more control over the ingredients added to recipes. There also may be a little more time to prepare meals, or do “meal prep” for the week. Read more tips here.
    1. There are many possibilities, we just have to identify them. With restaurants closed and outside entertainment challenging, we quickly began to think of out of the box possibilities. Deb and her husband decided to have a “car picnic” after they picked up wine at a local winery. From the front seat of their car they could see the peaks of the Sierra Nevada Mountains while enjoying a picnic lunch and a cool glass of Rose. On the work front, taking a solution-focused approach to diabetes care and education can be a fresh new start and bring possibilities to light. Gather some tips from our blog here.
    1. Keep a mindset focused on finding solutions (rather than focusing on problems). We learned that in matters big and small, diabetes-related or not, by embracing a mindset that focuses on solutions, and channeling energy into leveraging strengths and possibilities, we can cultivate a solution-focused mindset. One that envisions success. One which helps manage stress. In our blog you’ll find 7 strategies you can use to step alongside your clients and support them in embracing a solution-focused mindset and managing stress.
    1. Acceptance and gratitude. While social distancing and stay at home orders in 2020 kept us from living out our plans for the year, we eventually came to accept that, and focus on what we could do and find gratitude and happiness in that. Read our tips on developing acceptance as a personal strength and helping cultivate it in others in our blog here, and tips to get started with daily gratitude practice here.
    1. The joy in giving. With life moving at a little slower pace, Tami found joy in giving to others. Small surprise “porch drops” on family and friends’ porches to brighten their day. Dropping by bags of food to be distributed to those in need in the community. She even took up baking bread as surprise drop-offs to those who would enjoy it. With the news coverage of families without food, Deb’s family and her workplace donated to www.feedingamerica.org on multiple occasions to support those in need. Sparking Joy in life and in diabetes education is an important element of our mission.
    1. Active listening is critical. With our daily Zoom meetings and family gatherings we learned that listening is crucial. It can be challenging to not “talk over” people when the virtual conversation includes many individuals. We couldn’t have “side bar” conversations unless they were by text or personal chat. We couldn’t read body language easily. Read more about how listening in a solution-focused practice can support the process of becoming a “think partner” with your clients.
    1. Resilience can be developed. How many virtual conferences or meetings have you attended in 2020? We attended more than we can count, and who knew just how successful they could be! While we missed the ability to be face-to-face with our friends and colleagues, we appreciated the opportunity to continue to learn and conduct business. We just kept going! That is what resilience is all about! Learn how you can build resilience in our blog here.
    1. Power of humor. How could we have survived the past year without humor! Laughing with friends online, reading silly memes on social media, and trying not to take ourselves too seriously. One of our dear colleagues and friends always provides us with comical relief and was no exception in 2020. You can sample our thoughts on humor in our blog here.
    Virtual happy hour laughs!

    2020 was a good teacher! Let’s embrace 2021 with New Year’s “solutions”, rather than “resolutions”

    Our challenge to you as we embark on this new year still facing struggles and uncertainty, is what if, instead of making New Year’s Resolutions this year (which require change and “fixing problems”), you instead guide your clients (and yourself) in making New Year’s Solutions? Who doesn’t like a solution after all? 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). One of the benefits of focusing on what went well, is that you can do it every day. Instead of dwelling on what you didn’t accomplish today, identify what was successful and try to do that “one thing” again tomorrow.

    WHAT’S TO COME? 

    Throughout 2020 we launched a series of posts, each revolving around a “word of the week” to inspire solution-focused thinking and practice. We embrace those words in practice and hope that you’ve found them impactful in your conversations too. What will we write about in 2021? Here are some of our ideas that we may write more about in the months to come: practical coaching tips; building your solution-focused question library; solution-focused behavior change; and incorporating solution-focused principles in a technology-enabled world. We’d love to hear from you, and learn about what you are interested in learning regarding incorporating a solution-focused approach in  your practice!

    We hope that  2021 will be kind to all of us and that together we can learn how to help people with diabetes live their best life!

    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. 

  • Fresh Views

    Flipping the Paradigm: Applying a Solution-Focused Approach to Healthy Eating

    Problem talk creates problems, Solution talk creates solutions. – Steve de Shazer

    Tasty, healthy grilled mussels in garlic and lemon

    We are excited to launch into a 7-week series on applying a solution-focused approach to the AADE7 Self-Care Behaviors for managing diabetes. As you probably know, the AADE7 is a framework for organizing diabetes self-management education and support and for identifying key areas that may require behavioral changes to manage diabetes.  The 7 categories are:

    For those of you that follow our blog, you know that we are passionate about flipping the conversation from a “problem focused” (traditional medical) approach to a solution-focused conversation. We are advocates for the use of person-first, empowering language when speaking with and in reference to people with diabetes. #LanguageMatters in diabetes care and education; problem centered talk can make speaking about and managing diabetes more challenging.

    Each of the next seven weeks, we will focus on one of the above self-care behaviors and provide 3 practical illustrations of how to flip the conversation around it to solution-focused talk.

    AADE7 Self Care Behavior #1: Healthy Eating 

    “What can I eat?” is the #1 question asked by people with diabetes when they are diagnosed. Without a doubt it can be a confusing, challenging, and sensitive ongoing area of diabetes management. 

    Often the healthy eating discussion focuses on foods to avoid and “what went wrong” when blood glucose was out of range. The conversation continues with discussion on how to prevent that from happening again. This approach to eating can be painful and result in feelings of blame and shame. A solution-focused approach changes the dynamics of the conversation.  It helps flip the focus to what is working well and building upon existing strengths.

    Instead of focusing on what is not working well or what is “wrong”, here are 3 illustrations of how to flip the conversation:

    Try this: I noticed that you are drinking sweet tea or soda only three times a week now instead of every day. How have you been able to do that? 

    Instead of this: Are you still drinking sweet tea and soda? 

    Try this: I hear you saying that you’d like to lose 20 more pounds. I’m noticing you are down 5 pounds since we last met. I’m really proud of you. What do you think helped you lose those 5 pounds? 

    Instead of this: I hear you saying that you’d like to 20 more pounds. I see you’ve only lost 5 pounds. What have you been eating?

    Try this: We’ve been talking about trying to work in more non starchy vegetables at dinner to help fill you up without raising your blood glucose. How many days a week do you think it’s reasonable to start with? On a scale of 0-10, where 0 is not all and 10 is I can definitely do this, where would you rate yourself? 

    Instead of this: We’ve talked about trying to work in more non starchy vegetables to help fill you up. I want you to eat one at lunch and dinner every day. 

    Be a think partner

    During a solution focused conversation, the diabetes care and education specialist acts as the “think partner” in developing solutions by asking questions and helping the person with diabetes to use their own personal strengths to create solutions that work for them. 

    When you meet again, here are 3 follow-up questions to try:

    • What’s been better since our last session?
    • What skills did you draw upon to make changes?
    • What do you know about yourself that lets you know you can achieve what you want?

    We’ll challenge you each week to try incorporating some flips into your conversations and let us know what impact they have.

    Join us next week as we discuss a solution focused-approach to Being Active!

    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

  • Fresh Views

    Hello world! A Fresh POV may change your life

    We started our blog in November 2018, just a couple of months ago, and thought we would re-share our first post in the new year for those of you who might not know who we are. Please subscribe to our email list and we’ll let you know when new blogs are published!

    Deb and Tami in Italy enjoying the view!

    Thanks for checking out our new blog “A Fresh POV for You”!  Join us as we focus on Possibilities, Opportunities and creating a Vision (POV) for the future, based on strengths and leveraging positive learnings from past experiences.

    Who are we?

    We are healthcare professionals and diabetes specialists passionate about positivity and empowering people with diabetes to live life to the fullest! Deborah is a nurse. Tami is a dietitian. We both have spent our entire careers partnering with those living with diabetes to leave a positive imprint.

    We are also speakers, authors, wives, moms, adventurers, and avid travelers always in search of the next fresh and magnificent view. (You see one of those stunning views in this photo, looking out over a vineyard in Italy). You’ll learn more about us and some of our adventures over time.

    What is our focus?

    Simply put, our goal is to inspire those living with diabetes, or at risk for diabetes to design a life that has a personal sense of balance, is realistic and fun. A life that works for them. It goes without saying that managing diabetes is complex and burdensome. The constant focus on problems can make it even harder. We are passionate about turning the focus to abilities and possibilities. What will be different and new instead of what will NOT happen anymore?  What is desired instead of what is NOT wanted? Let’s learn from each other!  

    Why did we start this blog?

    Since November is Diabetes Awareness month there’s no better time than now to let you in on our new adventure in diabetes that’s been in the works behind the scenes for some time.  

    Getting to know us personally, beyond professionally is important. We believe in the concept of a “therapeutic alliance”- which means that the relationship between health care professionals and people with diabetes is the most important component.  

    Awhile back, we discovered an approach called Solutions Focused Brief Therapy. It resonated with us because of the focus on possibilities, opportunities, and creating a vision for the future.  How about applying this to diabetes?  We  look forward to sharing with you as we learn more!

    Then we joined together to craft content for two recently released brief videos focusing on the use of empowering language in diabetes. Language that puts the person with diabetes, their needs and their values first, thus moving away from language that judges, blames and shames. These videos are based on the language position paper published by the American Diabetes Association and American Association of Diabetes Educators. (You can check out the paper and the videos here and on our blog homepage). Over the months that we worked on the video project we had many soul searching discussions about how diabetes care and education needs to evolve and innovate.

    And thus was born A Fresh POV for You! If you are someone who feels challenged and overwhelmed with aspects of life with diabetes – or someone who just wants to learn more about our creative approach – follow our blog as we begin to share more about our exciting new adventure over the next few months. We have lots of creative ideas and ways we hope to engage in innovative diabetes services! Our goal is to create programs and services that resonate and make sense for people living with diabetes.

    Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @AFreshPOVforYou.  

  • Fresh Views

    Make New Year’s Solutions rather than Resolutions

    With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts – Eleanor Roosevelt

    New Year’s Eve Fireworks

    With the start of the new year, many find themselves reflecting on the past year, re-evaluating life, and pondering what “resolutions” they will set for the new year.  New year’s resolutions often focus on “stopping” doing certain things and starting to make changes. Many resolutions revolve around trying to be healthier in some way.  Yet evidence shows that about 80% of people fail to stick to their New Year’s resolutions longer than six weeks.  That means by the time the Valentine’s Day rolls around, many have abandoned their desire to change. Often resolutions are attempts to find ways to solve problems.

    What if, instead of making New Year’s Resolutions which require change and “fixing”  problems (and change is hard!) – you focus instead on making New Year’s Solutions?

    Who doesn’t like a solution after all? 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).

    As you reflect on the past year, here are 5 questions to ask yourself and guide your thinking:

    • What went well for you in 2018?
    • What did you feel happy about?
    • What behaviors helped you feel successful and were doable?
    • How can you do more that?
    • Instead of thinking about “problems”, how can you reframe your thinking into positive “opportunities” and solutions? (Reframing a situation, idea, or belief can bring a fresh perspective. You can read more about this in our January 2, 2019 post.)

    Here’s an example from Deb…

    I am  a fan of Starbucks Mochas. As 2018 opened, I was getting a Mocha most every day. I also like Starbucks lattes. And the latte has fewer calories. So I started ordering the latte more often. I also discovered I didn’t really need a grande but was satisfied with a tall, so I now order a tall most days. When you add up the calories over the course of a year, that’s a significant savings! (Now on some days when I  really need a pick me up I may decide on a Mocha or splurge on a grande, but it’s no longer the routine). I leveraged something that was going well, and did more of it. It was doable. I closed out 2018 happy about this solution.

    Here’s an example from Tami…

    One of my favorite ways to get physical activity is to walk in the neighborhood after a long work day. I especially like this in the fall and during the holidays with all of the decorations and twinkling lights providing a fresh view to take in while meeting my step goal and unwinding from the day. The past few months I’ve battled a foot injury that has made walking my usual routes impossible some days. Rather than focusing on the “I can’t”,  I’ve turned and focused on what I CAN do. By reframing my thoughts, I find myself thinking, “ I can do this. I am not lazy. I am rebuilding my endurance step by step. I am grateful I am able to do half of my usual walk, it’s better than none.” And I’m really grateful for the days I’ve been able to complete my routine route! I’ve focused on keeping the habit going. Focusing on what I CAN DO and what is going well, rather than fixating on what I can’t accomplish. By reframing the situation, my resulting emotions are feeling confident, in control, and hopeful.

    So as we look with excitement to 2019, join us in making New Year’s Solutions and resolving to do more of  things that we do well!

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  • Fresh Views

    Do you need a “secret drawer”? A strategy to reduce stress and identify solutions

    “Solitude is where one discovers one is not alone.” –Marty Rubin

    Puma in her secret drawer

    We love animals, and believe in the therapy pets can provide. We also believe we can learn from them.  

    One of Deb’s cats has a secret drawer where she hides when life gets a little too stressful.  She’ll use that alone time to calm down, and when she’s ready, she’ll come out and face the world again. Her resource to foster her strengths is a secret drawer. It’s her stress management.

    Do you ever feel like you need a “secret drawer”, where you can think about things and reframe your focus on things that are going well?  (Check out our January 2, 2019 post for more thoughts on reframing).

    Are you someone who re-energizes by taking some alone time? Or by spending time in a group?  If you’ve ever completed a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Personality Test you understand this concept. In Myers-Briggs, an introvert replenishes their energy with much needed alone time, because their energy is drained when with a group (which differs from the common thought that introverts are simply quiet and shy). An extrovert, however, needs to be around others to “fill their tank” and recharge. 

    When employing a solution focused approach to help others create solutions, it’s key to understand how people re-energize. To help flush this out, we can explore where they get their strength from? How they have coped in the past? How they have managed?  When they answer these questions, it’s then possible to identify the type of solution they have engaged in, and encourage them to engage in these helpful behaviors more often. Keep in mind, when using a solution focused approach, the solutions do not have to be directly related to any identified problem. The focus is on what the desired future for the individual is, and pinpointing how to move in that direction.  So when things are going well, we want to encourage engaging in behaviors from that time, more often.

    What resources can you pull from when you need a secret drawer? If a little down time helps reduce stress or gives your mind the bandwidth to think and identify solutions, then take a secret drawer break. Or, maybe going out with people is what you need. Maybe you need a little of both, depending on the day.

    A secret drawer may help you focus on and identify your solutions.