Even without the stress of a pandemic and rising costs that strain household budgets, life deals us good days and bad days—often at an unbelievably rapid pace. Some days we wake up filled with hope, other days, not so much. Take time to know how you’re doing, and if you need help managing life’s challenges.
If you’re feeling out of sorts, you’re not alone. After all, we’ve had a few challenging years. Even without the stress of a pandemic and rising costs that strain household budgets, life deals us good days and bad days—often at an unbelievably rapid pace. Some days we wake up filled with hope, other days, not so much.
More than 37% of adults in Maine reported they had symptoms of anxiety or depression, saying the pandemic affected their mental health, according to a 2021 report from NAMI Maine, a part of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. And the Maine Integrated Youth Health Study published in September 2022 reported nearly 43% of Maine students said their mental health was not good “most of the time” or “always” during the pandemic.
Our mental and emotional well-being shapes how we approach life—what we think of ourselves and others, and how we approach work, relationships and personal goals. Checking in on yourself and paying attention to how you’re doing can help you to build resilience and develop coping tools to deal with life’s challenges. Importantly, a strong mind-body connection leads to better physical health and can strengthen your immune system, along with reducing the risk of stress-related heart disease, high blood pressure, digestive disorders, headaches, and other aches and pains.
It's great to be aware of how you’re doing. And if you’re feeling overwhelmed or isolated and your bad days outnumber your good days, you may want to find some support. Maybe you need to talk to a friend or family member. If you need to do more than vent to a friend, here are some resources that can help:
Most important, if you are in crisis and need immediate help, you can dial 988, which routes you to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. If you just need someone to talk to, you can call Maine’s Intentional Warm Line at (866) 771-9276.
If you’ve been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, you likely already know the risks that come with high blood sugar levels—heart or kidney disease, blindness, nerve damage or stroke. Low levels can pose problems, too, like blurred vision, nightmares, headaches, confusion or lightheadedness.
Diabetes has become a national epidemic—there are at least 37 million people diagnosed with the disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Maine, more than 113,000 people—or about 10% of the state’s adults—have been diagnosed with diabetes, with an estimated 32,000 who likely have diabetes, but don’t know it.
It takes more than an occasional A1c blood test, a measure of average blood sugar over three months, to effectively manage Type 2 diabetes and prevent the serious complications that can go with it. Even so, there’s a good chance that for many with diabetes, daily glucose monitoring can be hit or miss. Let’s face it: It can be a hassle to keep track with frequent finger sticks.
Daily monitoring empowers you to take control of your diabetes, whether measuring a few times a day with a glucose meter or using a continuous glucose monitoring system (CGM) that tracks patterns 24/7. Daily monitoring can also provide real-time information and reveal patterns, like whether sugar spikes after a meal or drops to dangerous levels overnight. It can also show you how your body responds in real time to specific food, exercise or the medications you take.
