Staying Calm and Relaxed

Breast cancer can be an extremely stressful and frustrating time for anyone. A build up of stress is not conducive to good health, which in turn is not useful for fighting cancer. One must be sure to keep their health in as good of shape as possible so that they have the strength to withstand treatment procedures. There are a few key steps to help lower stress levels and keep you calm during such a hard time.

1. Set Your Own Intentions

Every day you should wake up and set a daily intention for how you want your day to play out. You can decide how you want to act, interact with others, and react to situations. Once you set your intentions, you must keep them. This can be difficult whilst battling cancer and juggling various obstacles in life. Keeping a journal of positive affirmations, writing messages of support on a mirror, and crafting a collage of images and objects that bring you peace can help keep your intentions throughout the day.

2. Meditate

Meditation is one of the most beneficial practices you can adopt to lower stress levels. Using meditation on a daily basis will clear your mind of all the fears and distractions of breast cancer. Clearing the mind can allow you to truly feel the present moment and focus on the most important thing—living life to the fullest.

3. Make Plans

When you initially receive a breast cancer diagnosis, you most likely have new fears and numerous unanswered questions. Your future becomes uncertain and can bring many unexpected obstacles. While all of these things begin to take over your present life, you do not have to let them take over your future. Planning positive activities that you look forward to and writing them down in a calendar serves as a good reminder that there is still a great deal of good in your life. While cancer is very difficult to deal with, it is important to remember there are still great things ahead.

4. Have a Buddy

Having a strong support system alleviates some of the burden of having breast cancer. When you are having difficult moments reach out to a close friend or family member. Also having someone accompany you at all of your doctors’ appointments can be very reassuring. Do not try to take on the battle by yourself. A great support system can help keep you calm, relaxed, and bring you back to reality (5 Tips to Stay Calm for Breast Cancer Patients).

Below are some additional resources related to the topic above:

Websites:

Waiting for Breast Cancer Results: http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-cancer-results

Diagrams:

Mindfulness Exercise:

(Silver Threading)

Stress Relief Activities:

       

(Reduce Stress with Your Senses)
          

        
       References:
      "Reduce Stress with Your Senses - Bite Size Wellness." Bite Size Wellness. N.p., 26 June                         2012. Web. 27 July 2015.

      "Silver Threading." Silver Threading. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 July 2015.

      
      "Waiting For Results :: The National Breast Cancer Foundation."                                                               Www.nationalbreastcancer.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Aug. 2015.
      
      "5 Tips to Stay Calm for Breast Cancer Patients." 5 Tips to Stay Calm for Breast Cancer                        Patients. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 July 2015.