Cancer Causes Physical and Emotional Challenges
When someone has cancer, they face many challenges. They might have painful symptoms from their illness or various physical side effects of cancer treatments like nausea, nerve pain, mouth sores, or fatigue.
Some cancer patients try anti-nausea drugs, pain medications, or natural remedies to help them combat these uncomfortable and sometimes debilitating conditions. And many of them find some relief.
But what about the non-physical challenges that people with cancer experience? Receiving a cancer diagnosis and getting cancer treatment often unleashes many emotions, including anxiety, fear, anger, depression, and worry. Cancer patients might be concerned about their loved ones, worried about dying, afraid of treatment, anxious about finances, and more.
As with physical symptoms, medication can help alleviate some of these emotional side effects for some cancer patients. Some activities can also help manage the impact of cancer on mental health. For example, meditating, doing yoga, walking outdoors, and journaling are all proven to help boost mood, improve sleep, alleviate anxiety, regulate breathing, and positively impact attitude and health.
Another activity proven to help people with cancer ease their stress is coloring. Coloring is not just for kids anymore! It can have multiple benefits for everyone, especially people feeling anxious and stressed.
Coloring Can Help Ease Some Challenges for People With Cancer
Research shows that coloring can have real benefits. Whether you use crayons, pencils, markers, an “adult” coloring book, or children’s coloring pages, here are some ways coloring can help you.
Coloring can decrease feelings of anxiety and stress – Coloring can quiet the mind, much like meditation does. It can induce a state of mindfulness and calm as it relaxes the amygdala, which is the area of your brain that feels fear. Coloring during chemotherapy can greatly reduce the anxiety and stress that many cancer patients feel during treatments.
Coloring can direct and improve focus – Coloring a picture forces you to focus in a way that is not stressful. Coloring uses the frontal lobe of your brain that controls organization and problem-solving.
When your brain focuses on coloring, you can shut out some of the negative, anxious, stressful feelings you might otherwise be experiencing, at least for a time.
Coloring before bed can improve sleep – Because coloring can help you live in the moment and relax, it is an excellent activity to do before bed. The fact that it is a non-electronic activity is a bonus because it does not have the lights that can disturb your melatonin levels. Despite feeling exhausted, sleep does not come easily for many people with cancer. Coloring can be a perfect addition to a pre-bedtime routine.
Coloring can improve motor skills– Coloring requires both sides of your brain to communicate and coordinate, two things that are beneficial to your motor skills. Some people with cancer experience things like brain fog and tingling in their fingers.
Coloring can help with both as it forces you to concentrate and use your brain to work those fingers.
In reality, you don’t have to have cancer to benefit from coloring. Anyone looking for an easy, relaxing, satisfying activity can reap the emotional and physical rewards of coloring!
Send Someone A Cancer Gift Basket From Rock The Treatment
If someone you love has cancer, send them a helpful cancer gift basket from Rock The Treatment. Chemotherapy and radiation gift baskets are packed with the essentials needed to ease side effects of treatment, as well as enhance physical and mental well-being. Our baskets contain things like comfy socks, anti-nausea pops, healthy snacks, lotions, and coloring books – all of which can ease the physical and emotional side effects of cancer treatments. See all of our cancer care packages and find the one that best supports their journey.
