Maintaining a Positive Mindset
Comprehensive Cancer Centers is committed to ensuring that its patients have the resources and tools necessary to navigate stressful times. Even those who are typically strong and resilient in crisis situations can experience anxiety about the unknown, while being treated for cancer.
To support patients holistically during challenging times, Comprehensive regularly provides helpful tools and information on self-care and resiliency to ease the day-to-day stress of patients and their families and friends. The blog on our website offers resources including books, podcasts and websites with topics ranging from practical ways to incorporate self-care as well as adapting to situations and balancing new routines.
Tips for Self-Care While in Treatment for Cancer
Stay mentally strong during stressful times that can occur during treatment by incorporating some of the following tactics into your daily life:
- Self-care activities – Discover practical ways to demonstrate self-compassion and mitigate compassion fatigue by taking time for yourself. Take time to listen to music, read a book, exercise or go for a walk.
- Practicing meditation, mindfulness and yoga – Calming the mind by redirecting focus and physical movement are powerful methods to reduce stress. Use apps and virtual tools designed to ease tension and promote relaxation.
- Engage in family activities – Times of uncertainty prompted during a health crisis can impact the entire family. Implement new strategies for parents and caregivers to address the sensitive needs of children and incite engaging activities.
- Find balance while working from home – Working remotely can be a challenging and uncomfortable lifestyle change for some. Use resources that provide ways to stay productive while still caring for your mental well-being and finding balance.
Make Sure Not to Over Do It
While staying positive and active helps, the physicians at Comprehensive Cancer Centers understand that it’s important to be aware of how you feel and not push yourself too hard. If you do start to feel overwhelmed, it’s a good idea to rest or, if you feel the need, get help from a mental health professional.
Take Care of Yourself with Smart(er) Diets
While balancing job demands, caring for yourself and families during these challenge times, it is important to manage their mental health and well-being. While the care of others is important, one must remember to take care of themselves in order to take care of others. A great way to accomplish both can be found in eating healthy food.
It can be convenient to choose fast food when you are short on time or tired, but there are smarter alternatives to eating healthy that don’t require too much prep or cooking time. Many of these types of foods can be found on the American Institute for Cancer Research’s Better Eating Resource page and include blueberries, broccoli, cranberries, grapefruit, dark leafy vegetables, tomatoes and grapes.
Eating organic is almost always healthier than eating conventional foods as residue from pesticides contaminate many conventional foods. When buying food on the go, know which conventionally made foods are okay to eat and which foods should be avoided.
Foods with the most pesticides: Apples, peaches, nectarines, strawberries, grapes, celery, spinach, sweet bell peppers, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, snap peas (imported) and potatoes.
Foods with the fewest pesticides: avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, cabbage, sweet peas (frozen), onions, asparagus, sweet potatoes, mangos, papayas, kiwi, eggplant, grapefruit, cantaloupe and cauliflower.
With self-care to take care of your mental health, and good eating to care of your physical well-being, you, and your family and friends, will be as prepped as possible to stay in good spirits through your cancer journey. You can find easy and tasty recipes on the Comprehensive blog.
Comprehensive Cancer Centers Can Help
Physicians at Comprehensive Cancer Centers provide a variety of treatment options for patients who have cancer, blood disorders, breast health conditions and pulmonary disease or sleep disorders. To schedule an appointment with Comprehensive, please call 702-952-3350.
The content is this post is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.