9 Useful Positive Coping Strategies After a Recent Diagnosis
Boost your quality of life with effective coping strategies for cancer! Discover positive techniques today to enhance recovery and well-being.
Dealing with cancer is tough, both on your body and your mind.
It’s normal to feel sad or worried. Experts in cancer and mental health, called psycho-oncologists advise monitoring your feelings throughout your cancer journey. If you start feeling really down or anxious for a long time, it’s a good idea to get some help. Research shows that people who learn good ways to handle these tough emotions often feel better and recover better than those who don’t.
Your doctors work hard to treat your cancer, but more and more of them understand that taking care of your emotional health is just as important. Learning how to deal with the feelings that come with head and neck cancer can really help you and your family.
Good Ways to Cope Versus Not-So-Good Ways
Coping is all about handling tough situations and big feelings. How you handle your diagnosis can impact you and your caregivers day to day feelings. There are good ways and not-so-good ways to cope.
Not-so-good ways include things like denial (acting like you don’t have cancer), pulling away from people, or always thinking the worst will happen. These ways often lead to more worry and sadness, especially for people with head and neck cancer.
On the other hand, good ways to cope can make your life better and might even help your treatment work better. These include seeing the good in your situation, getting support, knowing your cancer, talking about it. Staying active and keeping a hopeful attitude during your cancer journey can also help you cope with your situation. It might be hard to see the good in having cancer. Many people feel it gave them a stronger purpose or built closer relationships with others.
Some people find positive coping easier than others. If you have scars or changes to your face from treatment, it can be harder to stay positive. But if you tend to use not-so-good coping methods, you can change this. It’s tough but doable with time and effort. Medication and therapy or counseling are great ways to build better coping skills. Also, having strong family bonds and an active social life helps a lot.
Learn to listen to your body. Relaxation and visualization can take you just 2 minutes to figure out and 10 minutes to do, but they’re strategies you can use your entire life. It can help in every situation.
Linda K. (maxillary sinus carcinoma survivor)
In fact, 25% of head and neck cancer patients who go through counseling for over a year feel less anxious or depressed. Up to 67% who start therapy soon after diagnosis feel better within a year. A good therapist or counselor can teach you specific coping methods. They’ll also provide advice and support as your treatment and circumstances evolve.
Good coping methods can make life better for many people with cancer, but they’re not one-size-fits-all. Some folks might not click with always being positive. They might struggle to keep up a cheerful outlook all the time. For these people, being realistic and well-informed, even if it’s less upbeat, feels better.
If this sounds like you, remember, it’s okay not to be optimistic all the time. The key is to find coping ways that work for you, whether they’re upbeat or not. Use them to help you through your cancer journey, and don’t hesitate to ask for help when you need it.
9 Positive Coping Strategies
Here are some ideas you can use today to help you cope with your cancer diagnosis, treatment or recovery.
- Understand Your Cancer Diagnosis
Learning as much as possible about your cancer type and treatment plan can help you feel more in control of the situation.
- Maintain Good Communication with Your Family and Care Team
It’s perfectly understandable to want time to yourself, particularly after a diagnosis. However, maintaining good two-way communication with your loved ones, your doctor(s) and nurses is important.
- Anticipate Possible Physical Changes
Before beginning cancer treatment, it’s a good idea to plan for possible physical changes, as this can help you cope later. Understanding your treatment plan and speaking to your doctor can give you an idea about what cancer treatment side effects you may experience, such as severe dry mouth. A wide variety of solutions are available to help you through this process.
- Try to Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle
Head and neck cancer treatment can create changes to your diet, so you should meet with a dietician before and during treatment to ensure you maintain adequate nutrition. If possible, practice regular exercise during treatment.
Exercise has been shown to provide benefits in cancer patients, such as reducing fatigue and preventing muscle loss. Exercise is also effective at reducing stress. You might even try dance or movement therapy. This can help reconnect you to your body and enhance your ability to express yourself. It also has he added benefit of building muscle strength, and reducing feelings of isolation, fear and depression.
- Let Family & Friends Help You
Allow people close to you to run errands, provide transportation, help you with household chores and prepare meals. It can be a huge benefit and can reduce your stress. Don’t feel guilty about accepting their help, as it can also help them feel more productive in a difficult situation.
- Regularly Practice Relaxation Techniques
A variety of relaxation techniques can help you feel more relaxed and relieve stress. Try things like deep breathing exercises, prayer, meditation and yoga.
- Carry On With Your Normal Lifestyle
Try to maintain your normal routine as much as you are able. This can help you cope with cancer. Cancer treatment side effects can be managed better than ever before. In addition, many cancer patients are able to work full time or part time while undergoing treatment. Even simple activities, such as walks around the neighborhood with your spouse, may help you feel better.
- Speak with Other Cancer Patients
Because people who haven’t experienced a cancer diagnosis may have trouble truly understanding your feelings, it may be helpful to join a cancer support group. Your hospital may have groups available. Online cancer support groups are also available.
- Use Technology to Help You Communicate
If you lose your ability to speak, hear or see as a result of your cancer treatment, there are tools that can help you to cope with these difficult changes. Many people who lose their ability to speak find that it is too tiring and frustrating to try to communicate their needs to others at first, so they don’t. Consequently, they end up going through treatment without help and support when they need it most.
Look for ways to communicate more easily and delegate tasks to others. For example, tablets and pads can help you to communicate without speaking much more easily than writing on paper or gesturing. Interactive calendar applications can help you communicate days and times for visits, meal deliveries, chores and more. This can allow friends, family and caregivers to sign up for times and tasks that suit their schedules without having to go back and forth with you.
You can also have computers, pads or smart phones “read” text you type out loud to help you “speak” to others or hear text read to you if your sight is impaired. There are many tools available that can reduce your stress level and help you feel more in control. This will in turn help you to cope with your emotions and keep a more positive outlook in general.
Holistic Coping Strategies Can Help Map Out Your Cancer Journey
Navigating the journey of a cancer diagnosis requires more than just physical treatment—it demands a holistic approach that includes emotional well-being and coping strategies. By understanding your diagnosis, maintaining open communication with your support network, anticipating physical changes, and embracing healthy lifestyle choices, you can significantly improve your ability to cope.
Regular practice of relaxation techniques, staying engaged in your normal lifestyle, connecting with fellow cancer patients, and utilizing communication tools can all contribute to a more positive outlook. Remember, each step you take towards adopting these positive coping strategies not only aids in your recovery but also enhances your overall quality of life during this challenging time.
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