October 4, 2009

Happy Fall ladies!!! I hope everyone’s weekend has been exceptionally well. As always, I have had a good weekend even though I have been a little stressed out with friends and schoolwork. So, tonight I would like to bring up an issue about something I read in one of my classes that is particularly applicable to life. One of my class readings focused on network ties and social connectedness in relation to cognitive aging and overall well-being. Researchers have noted that people who have more network ties that are both weak and strong and people who are fairly active in their social networks exhibit a more positive well-being. I would like to explore this issue and how it is applicable to student life and diabetes.

From my own experiences, the more friends I have and the more active I am on campus, the happier I seem. Usually, when I am happier my blood sugars are more controlled and stable, but this is only if I am not getting too involved. From this point of view, I could see how being active in the community could help a person feel more positive about themselves because they feel more competent, involved, and self-sufficient. On the other hand, if something goes wrong or there is chaos within social networks then a person may feel overwhelmed or stressed, which could also affect bloodsugar levels. For me, stress usually increases my bloodsugar, which is not a good thing. This weekend I have experienced tugging on my close-knit social network and I can definitely feel the consequences on my bloodsugar sand my overall well-being. As researchers have mentioned, even though there may be some bumps in the road of a close knit social network, it is better to have many weak social ties as well as strong social ties. Data has show that individuals who are embedded within a group of friends have a more positive cognitive aging experience. I think it is interesting to notice the effect that changes within friend networks and stress have on blood sugar levels. It seems that a good general thing to remember is to relax, smile, and let go because almost everything will smooth over in time. Perhaps, relaxation is also key to the process of bloodsugar stabilization J, which is always a good thing. As I get older, I am noticing this more and more, and gradually realizing the truth in life. I hope this blog will help you as much as it has helped me by writing it.

Sara

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lgarrell  - mom   |98.104.172.xxx |2009-10-06 10:20:39 Remember the one thing you've learned about life, especially when you've been stressed. "It goes on."

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