1. Play Pollyanna's Glad Game
It may sound silly but nurturing a positive attitude is one of the best things you can do to cope with breast cancer. Every day presents new challenges with unexpected side effects to treatments and emotions that run the gamut. It can take all your emotional, mental, spiritual and physical stamina to endure the onslaught of stress that accompanies breast cancer. While you can't control what is happening to your body, you can control how you respond. Imagine yourself standing at a crossroad. One is the road that only takes you to a darker, scarier place. The other one offers hope and optimism. Choose the Pollyanna path and find reasons to be glad every single day. You'll be surprised by how many things you can find.
2. Avoid Information Anxiety
It's normal to want to know everything about breast cancer, but the more you research, the more you worry. There is such a thing as too much information even with breast cancer. There are many helpful books and websites but if you find yourself feeling more afraid, anxious and worried after reading them, stop! If you're a natural born researcher, just monitor yourself and fight the urge to read every single article in the world on cancer. Information anxiety is the last thing you need right now.
3. The Benefits of Meditation
Even if you're not the new-age yogi or meditation type, there are many guided meditations that can help you cope with breast cancer. You can find them on-line, in music and book stores, and even in Hallmark and Target. On Oprah.com you can listen to them for free. "The Ease of Being" by Mary and Richard Maddux is a good one that can help quiet or center your mind when you become restless, sleepless or anxious. Many guided meditations can help you shift your mental processes just enough to strengthen your arsenal of coping mechanisms.
4. Stay Connected With Friends and Family
When you are coping with the many side effects of breast cancer treatments, you may feel like cutting yourself off from the world. It's important to stay connected to your friends and family, especially those who support and understand you. Get out and do some "normal" things. If you have friends or family who don't uplift and encourage you, pull the cancer card and decline those invitations. You don't need anything else bringing you down right now.
