While the coronavirus pandemic has been a difficult time for most of us, Rock the Treatment reminds us that it’s been especially challenging for those coping with a new cancer diagnosis, recovering from surgery, or undergoing a cancer-related treatment program. However, there are some things cancer patients can do during the pandemic to reduce stress and anxiety in their daily lives — and boost their physical, mental, and emotional health overall. In the sections below, we’ll highlight these self-care strategies in greater detail.
Tips to Reduce Stress and Anxiety in Daily Life
To reduce daily stressors and anxieties as you juggle a cancer diagnosis with life in the age of COVID-19, it’s important to care for your physical, mental, and emotional well-being — and simplify your everyday life as much as you can.
- Reduce coronavirus-related stress and anxiety with some tips from the American Cancer Society. Make sure you’re getting plenty of quality sleep, exercising regularly, and limiting the amount of time you’re spending reading or watching the news.
- Are you wondering what is CBD and how it can help cancer patients? Some studies show that CBD could help to relieve treatment-related side effects like nausea.
- Reduce mealtime stress throughout the week by investing in a top-reviewed slow cooking appliance. With your new slow cooker, you can make nutritious soups and stews, oatmeal, casseroles, and more without spending hours in the kitchen each night.
- Download a health app to your mobile device. Several great health apps for individuals with cancer include Happify, Cancer.net, Fooducate, and MyFitnesPal.
Calming Activities that Boost Physical, Mental, and Emotional Well-Being
From yoga and meditation to weight training and aerobics, stress-relieving activities like these can help to boost your well-being from the inside out. These resources will help to calm your mind and body as you cope with a cancer diagnosis or treatment program during COVID-19.
- Calm your mind with DoYogaWithMe’s free guided meditations for cancer patients.
- Read HomeAdvisor’s guide on Promoting Mental Health at Home: How to Design the Perfect Meditation Room. This article will help you to design a calming room at home for meditating and practicing yoga.
- Alleviate pain and nausea, emotional distress, and feelings of anxiety with yoga poses like Cat-Cow, Legs Up the Wall, and Bridge Pose.
- Care for your physical and emotional health by exercising with these online workout videos from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
Additional Resources
In addition to reducing stress and incorporating calming activities into your daily routine, the following resources will help to boost your mind, body, and health during COVID-19.
- Nutritional Foods to Stock in Your Pantry During COVID-19
- Healthy Recipes to Eat When You Have Cancer
- 50 Cheap and Easy Crock Pot Recipes
- How to Practice Self-Care During Cancer
A battle with cancer is never easy or stress-free, but we hope that these tips and resources will help to alleviate some of the added stress and anxiety you’re experiencing due to COVID-19. If you find that your worries are getting to be too much, however, don’t be afraid to talk to a trusted friend, loved one, or licensed counselor. Even during the pandemic, help is available to you whenever you may want or need it.
