"A waiting person is a patient person." - Henri J.M. Nouwen

Argh! Have you ever felt impatient at a red light, or irritated at the end of a long line for your prescription at the pharmacy? You're not alone.

Patience can feel scarce when you don't have control over a situation. It can feel like diabetes interrupted your life and brought a slew of frustrations at the worst moments. Finding a tiny bit of control can bring us patience later.

Control might look like self-care: a walk around the block, getting up early for 15 minutes of alone time, spending time each week encouraging others who have diabetes or starting a gratitude journal. Don't let anyone (including yourself!) make you feel guilty for taking care of yourself.

Here are recent conversations from DiabetesTeam:

• "It will all still be here when we are not! Running around trying to do it all and please everyone isn’t something anyone should be doing. Take time for yourself."

• "When I do work at something, I work too hard and expect instant results. I really must rein myself in a bit and have some patience."

• "Make diet changes in small ways and they last longer. Have patience. It takes time to sort things out and we learn new things every day."

Have you found ways to take back control and practice patience? What do you do to be more open to self-care? Share your insights in the comments below or directly on DiabetesTeam.com.