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Stress Management

We all know that "cancer" is one word that can change your life forever. Your diagnosis, the treatment of your cancer, and the time after treatment can be stressful. Some tools to reduce stress can take time to learn, but there are things you can do right now. Listed in this section are tools that can help you find relaxation and reduce stress right now. Just like there is no one "tool" for every carpentry need, there is no one tool for every individual. You will find one that works. Try them out and see which one works for you. Please visit the Comprehensive Cancer Support Program for information on other groups and services that can help you.

|Stress Management Techniques| |Relaxation Techniques|

Here are a few printouts that may help you take care of yourself now.

33 Ways To Take Care Of Yourself

Ways That I Can Ask For Help

Effective Coping Strategies That Can Be Adapted For Individual Use:

~ From Jon Seskevich Manage Stress Now

Take a break. A change of scenery can clear the mind. Go for a walk, call a friend, count to ten.
"One day at a time." Action or acceptance. Face stressors by acting directly when possible. Problem solve. Dwelling on issues without action or acceptance adds to stress. Acceptance at times is difficult because powerful feelings are involved. With loss can come: Shock, anger, peace of mind, sadness and hope. Working with your honest feelings is a way to take it one day at a time.
Use positive calming thoughts and decrease worried ones. This can be difficult because to worry is easy. Worrying about yesterday or tomorrow adds to stress today. Positive thinking takes practice. We can change our physical state with our thoughts.
Nourish the spiritual part of yourself. Religion, beauty, nature, science and even painful life experiences have been used by people to deepen their sense of spirituality. If religion is important to you, what part(s) of your religious practice brings you closer to God? Take the time to do it! Be here now. God is user friendly. Experience, strength and hope can be gained through painful life experiences. The beauty found in nature, art, music and poetry can provide deep inspiration and peace. Science, with the elements of wonder and open-mindedness and the goals of relieving suffering and serving humanity, provides a method to seek what is Truth.
Learn to use a relaxation technique. There are many types. Conscious relaxation reverses the physical stress response. See next section for details.
Establish clear and realistic goals for your personal and professional lives. Manage time; don't let it manage you.
Pace your activity. In managing pain, recovery or a chronic health problem, it is useful to have an activity-rest schedule. This allows you to rest before you get too tired. Over-activity causes a corresponding increase of symptoms and down time. Activity means feet on the floor including standing, moving about or sitting with your feet on the floor. Resting means the feet are up off the floor, including lying down or feet up in a recliner. Have a "sick day" plan for less activity and more rest.
Delegate responsibilities. It is OK to ask for help. Also it is OK to say no and not feel guilty if no is the truth.
Be involved with people, family, friends or support groups. Many communities have support groups that are free of charge.
Therapeutic massage, from a professional, a trained friend or a family member can be very beneficial for your body-mind-spirit. Neck and shoulder massages and foot massages are examples. Healing Touch techniques are relaxing.
"Talking it out" is a very good stress buster. It is helpful to share your thoughts and feelings with a family member or friend who is willing to listen. Some also find speaking with a professional provides objective support and encouragement. Locate someone you can trust! Some people find writing in a diary, journal or letter a good way to "get it out."
Allow your vacation time to be a complete break from routine. Rest a day before you return to work.
Regular exercise improves the body's ability to respond to stress. Stretching and walking are easy, safe ways to release tension.
Good nutrition. Follow your prescribed diet. Try to include more whole foods. Drink plenty of water.
Stop smoking. Even though people smoke to relax, it actually increases the long-term stress responses in the body.
Heat, warm water. Hot baths and hot water bottles can work like magic on tired muscles.
Sleep provides relaxation and rest. Avoid regular use of sleeping pills.
Remember to have fun! Humor and simple fun are surefire stress reducers. Hobbies, music or creative activities give your mind and body a break. Pets can also provide companionship and pleasure for people. For information on humor and healing visit the Carolina Health and Humor Association website.
Assertive communication skills. Passive and aggressive communication styles tend to draw more stress to people. Be "open, honest, direct and respectful." Be respectful both to yourself and other people. See below for everyone's communication rights. Exercising these rights may cause stress to rise at first but it is a good stress that can over time greatly improve your stress management.
Service. Consider increasing compassionate action in your life. Compassion is touching pain with love.
Create a beautiful and relaxing place to spend time. Include aromatherapy, candles, water, meaningful objects.

Relaxation Techniques You can Try Right Now

Relaxation can help you feel better — both mentally and physically. Many people with cancer have found that practicing relaxation has helped relieve their pain or reduce their stress. For most of us, though, it is not easy to "just relax." Relaxation is a skill, and it needs to be practiced, just like any other skill. Some people find that taking a class or buying a relaxation tape or CD is helpful. If you are interested visit CCSP or the Patient Resource Center. Health Journeys, has guided imagery and relaxation tapes specifically for cancer treatments and recovery. You can try a sample guided imagery and relaxation exercise at either of these sites: Health Journeys or Heart of Healing.

A Quick and Easy Relaxation Technique To Try

The Relaxation Response from Jon Seskevich Manage Stress Now

Let's try a relaxation technique... A simple exercise begins with abdominal breathing. Sit or lie comfortably and let your abdomen gently rise with the inhale and fall with the exhale of your breath. With sitting it is easier to stay awake! Repeat "Easy" with the inhale and "does it" with the exhale, silently to yourself. Each time the mind wanders, make a mental note that it is just "thinking, thinking" and gently return to the word "Easy". Even if the mind is very restless and must wander, be patient, returning again and again to the breathing. This quiets the mind and brings on the positive physical effects.

A Longer Relaxation Exercise

Learning To Relax from National Cancer Institute

The following exercise focuses on progressive muscle relaxation: slowly go through the body — head to feet or feet to head — relaxing muscle groups. With illness or chronic pain, unless supervised by a skillful teacher do not tense then relax muscles. Simply soften and relax them. Let them be warm and heavy. Before trying the full exercise below, first practice steps 1 through 5, so you can get used to deep breathing and muscle relaxation.

You may find that your mind wanders. When you notice yourself thinking of something else, gently direct your attention back to your deepening relaxation. Be sure to maintain your deep breathing. If any of these steps makes you feel uncomfortable, feel free to leave that step out.

Exercise 1

Find a quiet place where you can rest undisturbed for 20 minutes. Let others know you need this time for yourself.
Make sure the setting is relaxing. For example, dim the lights if you like, and find a comfortable chair or couch.
Get into a comfortable position where you can relax your muscles. Close your eyes and clear your mind of distractions.
Breathe deeply, at a slow and relaxing pace. People usually breathe shallowly, high in their chests. Concentrate on breathing deeply and slowly, raising your belly, rather than just your chest, with each breath.
Next, go through each of your major muscle groups, tensing (squeezing) them for 10 seconds and then relaxing. If tensing any particular muscle group is painful, skip the tensing step and concentrate just on relaxing. Focus completely on releasing all the tension from your muscles and notice the differences you feel when they are relaxed. Focus on the pleasant feeling of relaxation.
Step by Step Tensing, Holding, and Relaxing:
- Right and left arms. Make a fist and bring it up to your shoulder, tightening your arm.
- Lips, eyes, and forehead. Scowl, raise your eyebrows, pucker your lips, and then grin.
- Jaws and neck. Thrust your lower jaw out, and then relax. Then tilt your chin down toward your chest.
- Shoulders. Shrug your shoulders upward toward your ears.
- Chest. Push out your chest.
- Stomach. Suck in your stomach.
- Lower back. Stretch your lower back so that it forms a gentle arch, with your stomach pushed outward. Make sure to do this gently, as these muscles are often tight.
- Buttocks. Squeeze your buttocks together.
- Thighs. Press your thighs together.
- Calves. Point your toes up, toward your knees.
- Feet. Point your toes down, like a ballet dancer.
Review these parts of your body again and release any tension that remains. Be sure to maintain your deep breathing.
Now that you are relaxed, imagine a calming scene. Choose a spot that is particularly pleasant to you. It may be a favorite comfortable room, a sandy beach, a chair in front of a fireplace, or any other relaxing place. Concentrate on the details:
- What can you see around you?
- What do you smell?
- What are the sounds that you hear? For example, if you are on the beach, how does the sand feel on your feet, how do the waves sound, and how does the air smell?
- Can you taste anything?
- Continue to breathe deeply as you imagine yourself relaxing in your safe, comfortable place.
Some people find it helpful at this point to focus on thoughts that enhance their relaxation. For example: "My arms and legs are very comfortable. I can just sink into this chair and focus only on the relaxation."
Spend a few more minutes enjoying the feeling of comfort and relaxation.
When you are ready, start gently moving your hands and feet and bringing yourself back to reality. Open your eyes and spend a few minutes becoming more alert. Notice how you feel now that you have completed the relaxation exercise, and try to carry these feelings with you into the rest of your day.

Exercise 2

Sit comfortably. Loosen any tight clothes. Close your eyes. Clear your mind and relax your muscles using steps 4 and 5 above.
Focus your mind on your right arm. Repeat to yourself, "My right arm feels heavy and warm." Stick with it until your arm does feel heavy and warm.
Repeat with the rest of your muscles until you are fully relaxed.