(Photo: Mindfulness doesn’t have to be sitting in a chair meditating. I walked slowly on the beach as much as I could during treatment as I found it relaxing and especially important to get out of house and just be with myself by the sea)

Being mindful is another way of being more aware. It may seem that being more aware of what’s going on when you are a cancer patient or recovering from treatment is counter-intuitive, but this book explains clearly why being more mindful of what is going on in the mind and body can be central to caring for yourself. Mindfulness-Based Cancer Recovery: A Step-by-Step MBSR Approach to Help You Cope with Treatment and Reclaim Your Life (2011, L Carlson and M Speca) provides a mindfulness programme, well-researched and trialed with cancer patients. 

It can be so important to actually DO something for yourself when you are feeling overwhelmed and in the thick of treatment.  It may be that you don’t feel up to following an actual programme for yourself, but rather you might use a book like this as something to dip into, to find things that appeal to you that you might not have thought of before to help you manage.

There are various techniques clearly explained and guided practices in breathing, meditation and yoga, alongside the stories of people with cancer. All in all it’s a great resource at any stage of treatment and afterwards.

I’ve found the app Headspace, a meditation app, helpful as I can listen whenever I need to on my phone. There is a free trial of the app you can access before you decide whether you want to pay the monthly subscription. If you have trouble setting aside time for meditation, as I have in the past, then it may be a good investment to consider. It’s worth noting that there’s a very good meditation practice specifically for those going through cancer treatment. 

Some short mindfulness exercises you can use from The Cancer Society NZ:

https://www.cancer.org.nz/supporting-you/how-we-can-help/relaxation/