A January Boost: Starting the New Year With Type 1 Diabetes (Your Way)
- Erin Dolan
- Jan 16
- 4 min read
The new year has a way of piling pressure onto people living with type 1 diabetes. Reset your routine, manage better, do more, be better. But halfway into the new year, instead of chasing another list of “shoulds,” this is an invitation to pause, listen, and boost your diabetes management in a way that actually fits your real life.
We’re halfway through January, and by now you’ve probably seen all the headlines from so called diabetes experts: The New Diabetes Plan - Hacks to better manage your diabetes - Do this, don’t do that.
And while I actually support some of those tactics, I think the most important place to start the new year with type 1 diabetes isn’t another rule or reset.
It’s listening.
Listening to yourself.
And listening to what you need for your diabetes management and your life.
I used to read all those New Year articles and feel fired up. I’d start January with this bright, glowing vision of how my life and my diabetes management were going to go. Targets set. Motivation high. Everything felt possible.
And then… real life happened.
My glucose wouldn’t stay in range.
I’d go low during exercise.
Something unexpected would throw the day off.
Suddenly, that motivation turned into pressure. I felt like I was letting myself down. Like I wasn’t doing diabetes “right.”
What I’ve learned over the years living with type 1 diabetes, and now coaching others is THIS:
This is life with diabetes.
It’s not perfect. It’s not linear. And it doesn’t care that it’s January.
So instead of chasing perfection, I’ve anchored myself to a different belief, one I come back to again and again:
I am doing the best I can with my diabetes, with the support I have.
If you’re looking for a New Year boost with type 1 diabetes not a reset - Here are five questions that have genuinely helped me...
What do I need to add in to balance life with diabetes?
This is a BIG question, but it’s also deeply personal.
Maybe what you need isn’t tighter control maybe it’s more peace. More joy. More moments that make diabetes feel a little lighter.
That could be laughter. Connection. A good, slightly raunchy romantic novel before bed. Or a simple morning routine that helps you start the day grounded.
You know me I love my invigorating, extremely freezing cold dips in the Atlantic. They reset my mindset.
For you, it might be movement. Or rest. Or meeting people who really get what living with type 1 diabetes is like.
Sometimes adding something in — instead of constantly trying to take things away — changes everything.
What small tweaks could improve my diabetes management?
This doesn’t have to be overwhelming. We already know how many things affect blood glucose.
Maybe it’s looking at your trends — without judgment.Noticing when you tend to go high or low.Making one small tweak instead of ten big ones.
Maybe it’s practical:Ordering supplies on time.Setting calendar reminders for appointments.Planning ahead for certain events.
Sometimes the tweaks are diabetes hacks — figuring out how to wear your pump with different clothes, or reducing the mental load that comes with managing diabetes day in and day out.
Talk to others. Borrow ideas. You don’t have to do this alone.
Food for thought (yes, literally)
Food plays a big role in diabetes management - not just in glucose numbers, but in how restricted or supported we feel.
This isn’t about rules. It’s about curiosity and nourishing with the good stuff.
Maybe it’s a simple swap like brown rice instead of white, just to see how your body responds. Maybe it’s combining carbs with more fibre or bit of healthy protein. Maybe it’s journaling, noticing patterns, or cooking a little more at home. Oh I love cooking, but I give myself the days that I can commit and plan for it.
Food shouldn’t feel like punishment. It should feel nourishing physically and mentally.
Find your own food-for-thought approach one that works for you. Okay enough about food (although I could write books on this lol).
What support do I need for my diabetes?
We don’t often ask this from our own perspective. Support is usually pushed onto us from consultants, systems, or “experts” telling us what we should be doing.
So flip the question. Ask your diabetes consultant:
What technology is available to me?
What insulin pumps or CGMs can I access?
What support exists between appointments?
If the system says, “You only get one visit a year,” ask what’s available in between. Email support? Phone check-ins? Resources?
And sometimes support means education. There are so many free webinars, meetups, online resources, and diabetes organizations out there. Ask. Explore. See what fits.
The key is knowing what support works for your unique approach to type 1 diabetes.
Who is in my diabetes tribe?
Who is going to help you thrive through the chaos of diabetes life?
Your tribe might be diabetes-related like the online community, local meetups, people who just get it. That feeling of, “Oh, it’s not just me.”
But it can also be completely unrelated to diabetes.
That friend who doesn’t understand blood sugars but knows when you need a walk. Or a laugh. Or maybe even a martini on a Thursday night.
Your tribe can include therapists, alternative practitioners, bodyworkers, energy healers - anyone who helps keep you balanced and supported.
Because diabetes is 24/7! And you don’t have to carry it all on your own.
So you may want to add another question of your own and that’s okay. This isn’t about doing January “right.” It’s about finding what supports you today, this month, this year, and beyond.
And if you need an extra boost I’m here.
Happy New Year with diabetes and beyond 💙💙
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