The national diabetes charity, Diabetes Ireland, is hosting its first patient education webinar this week. The event aims to help people with diabetes to manage stress and cope effectively during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The last few months have proven extremely stressful for many people, including those with diabetes. From worrying about your own health or the health of a loved one, to wondering whether you will have a job in the coming months, or if your children will ever return to full-time education, the list of concerns seems endless.

The Diabetes Ireland webinar aims to examine how we can influence our thoughts, bodies and actions to manage our stress levels and moods as well as possible.

The guest presenter will be Dr Austin Bayley, a senior clinical psychologist at the Mater Hospital in Dublin. He will discuss ideas from resilience training, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and positive psychology.

"It is hoped that you will feel more empowered to make positive changes to manage the additional stressors associated with COVID-19. This is a new direction for us but a necessary one in the current climate and I hope that people will avail of this free event," commented Diabetes Ireland CEO, Kieran O'Leary.

This is the first of a series of three webinars the charity plans to host over the coming weeks to provide people with practical information about living with diabetes during the current pandemic.

The first webinar will take place on Thursday, August 20, from 7-8pm. To register for it, click here.