WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MANAGING STRESS DURING CANCER

We all know about physical toll that having cancer or undergoing cancer treatment can have on patient but, what about the mental toll? When you find out that you have a cancer, there are lot of emotions to process and not only emotional it can be stressful as well. When a patient goes through physical and mental pain then even their families and friends do suffer and it can be stressful even for them. People who have found out that they have cancer, may find the physical, emotional and social effects of the disease which is more stressful. Many people try to manage their stress with smoking, drinking alcohol and that can have an adverse effect on their body. People who are able to manage stress can help them recover early or are positive towards life while undergoing cancer treatment.

Here are some tips to know for reducing stress –

• Limit your schedule – You need to limit your daily schedule as compared to your schedule before cancer. Reducing schedule will help you manage your stress and if you want to manage it you need not to feel guilty to say no to social events or other commitments during the time of your cancer treatment. You should not schedule too many activates or work at one day because it can be stressful for you.
• Exercise – If your doctor has recommended you with certain exercise then it is important to follow that on regular basis. Regular exercise will help you stay in better shape, improving mental peace and eliminating stress. Regular exercise is truly one of the biggest tool in fighting against stress when undergoing cancer treatment.
• Eat well daily and sleep – Eating healthy and a good sleep is important to reduce stress while undergoing cancer treatment.
• Do things you enjoy – When you say no to certain things at that time it is also important to say yes to things you love the most. You need to say yes to the things which lighten the mood and help reduce the stress and monotony that can sometimes be experienced by cancer patient at the time of treatment.
• Join a cancer specific support group for yourself – Sometimes, even friends and family cannot understand what you are going through even if they have the best of intensions unless they have been through it themselves. They are not completely aware about your daily mental health. At times, when you feel lost or not good with mental health, just join the support group. Support group can alleviate a lot of stress because you can talk about your cancer related issue or about mental health and stress with people who understand on that group. The people will guide you, offer you helpful advice which helps in stress management.
•  Get help with financial issues – sometimes the treatment can be expensive for some people because when you have cancer, you may need surgery, chemotherapy, radiation or more. This can be burden for anyone undergoing cancer treatment which leads to stress and depression. The solution for this can be, there are many social workers to help you in your treatment to figure out the finance, navigating insurance and more. You are not alone in this so get the help with your financial issues.
• Accept a helping hand – Dealing with the stress can be difficult and the best way to deal is to be around positive people and environment. There is certain task to do on daily basis where you need to ask for help or anyone who is offering you help should be accepted.
• Write it down – Journaling or writing down about what you feel, what all is your treatment progress or anything you love to write is an effective way to deal with stress.

To Conclude, stress can be managed if you know all of the above tips and followed regularly. Managing stress is as important as your cancer treatment.