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Mind Maps: A Promising Aid in your Management of Type II Diabetes

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Visualize a Positive Outcome with Mind MapsPeople are constantly referring to the light at the end of the tunnel. Unfortunately, no one tells you that you actually have to survive the tunnel in order to see the light. For those living with diabetes, that light can seem a lifetime away. Enter mind maps. This brainstorming exercise is considered a valuable tool in helping diabetes patients remain positive while managing their illness. Read on and maybe that light won't seem quite so far out of reach.

What Is a Mind Map?

Evidence of the first mind maps turned up around the third century, but it wasn't until the 1950's when a noted British psychologist, Tony Buzan, popularized the method:

To create a mind map:

  • Consider a topic such as Diabetes Treatment.
  • In the center of a piece of paper, write or draw this statement and what it represents to you. Mind maps are meant to encourage creativity as a form of expression so let loose!
  • From this center, create sub-categories that stem from it, such as "remain positive" and "eat healthily." Surround the center idea with these new thoughts and connect them to the core with illustrated lines.
  • Let your mind expand as you branch out from each new idea.
  • When your page is full, it may look like a series of thought bubbles, symbols, and words all evolving from a nuclear idea

How Can a Mind Map Benefit Someone with Diabetes?

According to the staff at the Mayo Clinic, the first lifestyle or home remedy for a disease as serious as type II diabetes is to commit to managing your illness. This commitment can seem intimidating. But, through its visualization techniques, a mind map can help you break down the illness and both digest and retain the information you have been given.

A mind map can be as basic as this exploration, or it can be a coping mechanism as you attempt to manage your diagnosis. If you are a Type II diabetes patient, your symptoms could include:

  • Increased dehydration
  • Frequent urination
  • Exhaustion
  • Foggy vision
  • Increased susceptibility to infection
  • Weight loss
  • Dark patches on skin

Given these hindrances, it can seem daunting to remain vibrant. Maybe you doubt your treatment, your will power, or your strength. A mind map can help you dissect this inner-questioning while keeping your mind open and creatively active.

Image credit:MindMap Inspiration