Using Mindfulness, Meditation, and Writing to Fight My Cancer

Cancer is a word that invokes fear, confusion, and uncertainty. It affects not just the body but also the mind and soul of those battling it. The journey through cancer treatment is a rollercoaster of emotions and challenges. Mindfulness, meditation, and finding moments of quiet when you can as much as possible have all helped me manage the anxiety and stress that comes from managing this complex condition.

Mindfulness, by definition, is about being fully present in the moment, acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations without judgment. It involves bringing attention to the present moment without dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. This practice cultivates a sense of calm and awareness that can greatly benefit individuals navigating the complexities of a cancer diagnosis. When I'm working on mindfulness, I spend a lot of time focusing on my breathing and utilize a technique called square breathing. Basically, in my mind, I draw a square. On the down stroke, I breathe in. On each of the horizontals, I'll hold for 3 counts. On the vertical stroke, I'll breathe out. I'll do this intentional breathing technique 3-4 times when I'm feeling high anxiety.

Meditation, a cornerstone of mindfulness, offers a myriad of benefits for cancer patients. It provides a space for individuals to connect with their inner selves, allowing them to observe their thoughts and emotions from a place of detachment. While I'm not an expert, I do use meditation to help with relaxing at night when I'm ready for sleep. It also helps me process some of the more complex feelings that come along with having cancer, in particular, anger and sadness. I don't really have a set technique, but I'll usually have a question or series of questions I want to think about. Sometimes it's as simple as "naming 3 things that make you feel good" or "starting at your toes and letting the light travel up your spine".

There are so many things that are going on when you begin undergoing cancer treatment - appointments, testing, diagnostic imaging, and so many decisions that have to be made. It can be a chaotic period until you settle into a solid treatment routine, which honestly could take months. Mindfulness can serve as a way to focus on what's happening now and away from all the unknowns and uncertainties.

I have found that incorporating mindfulness into daily life doesn't have to be complicated. Sometimes it's as simple as taking the time to light a candle, or perhaps taking a few moments to enjoy an extra moment with my tea. Whenever I'm feeling overwhelmed, I try to incorporate these little moments into my day to keep my anxiety under control. Research shows that tiny mindfulness practices like these can have a positive impact on physical health by reducing stress levels, boosting the immune system, and promoting overall healing. Basically, by taking a few minutes to be in the moment, I'm helping my body fight my cancer! That's a WIN!

When I was going through cancer for the first time, one of the things that I worked on with my therapist was finding small ways to reduce my stress, so that I could work through my treatment plan and make it through the day-to-day aspects of living and working with cancer. One of the main techniques that I use is writing and journaling. Sometimes the journaling would be in my planner, sometimes in my books, and sometimes just putting thoughts down on my phone. It was perhaps the most helpful thing that picked up during this period and I'm super thankful that my therapist was pretty adamant about cultivating this technique. It's part of the reason why I wanted to start writing my blog!

Writing has quickly become a cornerstone of my life and it provides me with space and clarity to process my emotions. It provides me with a space to get thoughts out of my head, keep them out of my body, and, of course, share an experience that may help others. When I'm writing, all I'm thinking about is how I want to get my experience out there, and what aspects of that I want to talk about. Whether I'm struggling with a particular topic (like my hair loss) or just floating through life with my impressions of my experiences, the writing helps me to process how I'm feeling. And while I may not write all the time, I do find that when I write more, I feel better, can better manage my symptoms, and manage my day-to-day life.

I will say that I'm not an expert and honestly, I fail some days... Just ask my husband about those days. Crying a lot, high level of irritation, annoyance with everything, and general meltdown mode - think like terrible twos but with pants on usually. But what I do find is that the more I use the techniques I've learned, the more that I'm able to work through each of the challenges as I work and live with this disease. Even if you're not going through what I am, maybe incorporating these techniques in your life will help with what you're going through!

Talk again soon!

OLIVIA