Posted in Cancer survivors

A recent study found that regular exercise before, during, and after breast cancer treatment can help minimize the cognitive difficulties known as chemo brain. Many, if not most, people going through cancer treatment experience some blunting of their usual mental sharpness,  and difficulty with concentration, focus, and word-finding. Most of us compensate fairly easily and return to our normal level of mental focus within a few months. Unfortunately, there are people who have a hard...

A 2022 University of Florida study found that meditation done at an intense level caused diverse positive changes in participants’ immune systems. The meditation experience studied was certainly intense: an 8-day retreat with 10-hour daily meditation sessions, all conducted in silence. Those retreat participants saw robust activation of their immune systems, with positive changes in 220 immune-related genes–but without activating inflammatory signals. The positive impact of medit...

Our stories give our lives meaning.
What story are you telling yourself? What story are you telling others? Do your thoughts echo your inner critic or are they your biggest cheerleader? The stories we tell ourselves are connected to our past, yet they often limit our future. What we believe is ultimately what we become.
Challenging and painful chapters make it harder for us to rewrite our story because we feel stuck. I’ve often felt stuck in the past and powerless or even incapable...

It is important that cancer survivors take care of their mental health. A few practices to maintain and improve the quality of life include: Exercising
Engaging in hobbies/interests that bring joy
Asking for and accepting social support
Getting enough sleep
Eating a healthy diet
Limiting alcohol and other substances
Meditating The importance of maintaining good mental health while going through cancer was once not considered a priority, as it was assumed depression was a normal response to t...

It’s possible that 2021 has significantly increased stress and complexities to individuals who are already at risk for increased psychological distress following cancer treatment. If this year is compounding your stress or anxiety, the good news is there are plenty of coping strategies at your disposal, even if you are forced to stay at home. One of the most accessible coping strategies during the pandemic is meditation, which can easily be practiced wherever you are and has garne...

We have all been told, over and over and over, about the importance of regular mild-to-moderate exercise.  We know that, cancer aside, exercise improves our health, manages our weight, helps us sleep, and relieves stress and anxiety. With cancer in the equation, we also know that studies suggest it can reduce the risk of development or recurrence in some kinds of cancer. We also know that regular mild to moderate exercise can help people better manage active cancer treatment. Even tak...