When you wake up in the morning and you don't feel great, what's the thing that gets you moving? On the days when you're feeling fantastic, what do you like to do, what really makes you smile?

Winter is full of ups. Many festivals both religious and non-religious are during these months and we overindulge. We get invited to parties and our lives are often in flux. This affects us all differently and sets up challenges that we need to adjust to which adds to the anxieties and concerns when you have a medical condition like diabetes. Here what some of these worries are for our health-shared community. But you have to be prepared to talk to the healthcare professional who you're engaging with, that's part of the characteristics about communication. They also have to be receptive, it can be very easy to be didactic and paternalistic. That isn't necessarily because people want to be didactic and paternalistic, it's just because of constraints of time and if someone is sitting there not engaging, then you're going to behave in a certain way that people have behaved for decades and decades that have been passed down to you as a healthcare professional. So I'm one of those fortunate people that I made it my business to get to know my diabetes from the beginning when I was diagnosed 22 years ago. And I tried to learn everything I could about diabetes and how it affects me personally. And hence I got to understand about medication. I got to understand about diet, about exercise, physical activity. And over the years, I have been in touch constantly my health care professionals. I attend all my appointments, you know, my annual six-monthly check-ups and so on. And usually I've ended up making suggestions that they seem to take on board and I think it pays. It's very, very important for people, everybody to understand their body, to understand their diabetes and their medication and also understand what the health care professionals say and ask questions. So you need to, you know, once you understand diabetes, you know the kind of questions to ask them. Because they are really the bedrock, I think, to general physical health and mental health. And like a lot of conditions, it sometimes feels like it's as much in your head as it is in the rest of you. And if you can get a handle on your general lifestyle outside of your condition, it really does give you the bedrock, I think, to manage the particular issues you face as a diabetic or with any other condition. How do you then take that good foundation and lead it into what matters to you, particularly as, in my case, a diabetic? And for me, that's being confident that you can solve problems with your health when they arise, owning your own health and being able to manage your lifestyle, particularly in times of stress, which is not always easy. Now, if you have stress management and physical activity and sleep under control, it gives you a good foundation to look at those particular aspects of being somebody with a health condition. And I think if you have those under control and you're confident in your ability to manage your care, the other things that are relevant, knowing when to contact your healthcare professional, understanding your own medication will naturally flow through it and most importantly you'll have the confidence to be able to do the other things that are necessary to manage your condition. Whatever your worries, there is someone who has been there before and hearing their story can give you some peace of mind. Overindulgence is part of the human frailty and something we all have battles with because it brings with us feelings of guilt, annoyance and sometimes depression. Alcohol is sometimes one of those excesses at this time of year. It's important to understand how much it affects your diabetes and how to manage and treat yourself. The Healthshare Diabetes Community shares with you their stories and you can join that conversation.