Summertime and the Livin’ is Healthy

Summer is here…school is out. Compared to the fall and spring, there aren’t as many things to do or as many events on my calendar. All of a sudden, my life has become less deadline-driven. My mind has become less cluttered with competing thoughts. For me, the season allows me to indulge a bit in stress-free living and doing things for myself. I’m going to jump on that!

As a cancer survivor, I know the importance of lessening stress. It helps prevent recurrence and creates a better quality of life. Studies show that a large percentage of cancer survivors have issues with stress and many suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. While we can’t take away all stress, we can manage it. We can learn to tone down the level of stress in our lives.

Here are a few suggestions:

Commit to exercise at least 30 minutes a day.

Consider adding yoga to your exercise regime. Focus on being in the moment during your practice.

Try not to over-commit these few months and be mindful of continuing that habit through the remainder of the year…and beyond.

Carve out time each day for prayer and meditation. I often take anywhere from two to 20 minutes to practice sitting meditation as Micki Fine taught me.

Pledge to find some quiet time during the day for napping, reading, watching a movie…even if for only 15 minutes.

Do something special for yourself at least once a week – a massage, a long walk, a soothing bath.

Plan outings with friends and DON’T cancel.

Take the time to do things for yourself and learn to stay calm. That “training” will come in handy when life becomes hectic. After all, the best we can do is manage the stress.

Here’s to a happy and relaxing summer to you…and to less stress for a healthy path to cancer rehab.

Category: Cancer

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,