Cancer is tough on the mind as well as the body. But everyone reacts differently, and there's no right or wrong way to respond. Whatever you're feeling is absolutely, completely 100% natural. It’s OK to not be OK.
So if you’re finding it difficult, don’t give yourself a hard time – it’s OK to get upset. You might be more used to putting on a brave face, but that’s not always the best way to deal with cancer. during your time with us and beyond treatment the TYA team are there to listen and try and help you through any ups and downs. However, If you have any serious concerns about your mental health its important to talk to your treating team or Clinical Nurse Specialist.
Below are a few coping strategies for self-help;
Self Esteem
Your self-image and self-esteem can take a hit during and after treatment, you may have hair or skin changes, have changes in weight, or find that after treatment you are not able to things that you used to be able to do and all these things can impact on your self-esteem.
https://www.teenagecancertrust.org/about-us/what-we-do/campaigns/still-me
Your Youth Support Coordinator can also work with you on dealing with body and image changes, there are also events such as Look Good Feel Better that can help with confidence and body image during treatment
https://www.lookgoodfeelbetter.co.uk/
Self Care
Making sure you take time to look after yourself can be a great coping strategy. Take time to think about your diet, sleep, social needs and physical activity and make sure you are taking care of yourself by paying attention to these things. There are plenty of support services and charities that focus on exercises and keeping active.
Doing things that you used to enjoy, if you are able, can also help remind yourself of who you were before diagnosis. If you can’t do the things that you used to enjoy now is a great time to try some new simple things like being creative, reading and learning a new skill.
Keeping busy and having a routine can help; distraction is a great technique to use if you are feeling worried or anxious your TYA team should be able to help you find something to keep you busy. Seeking help and talking to friends/ family or your TYA team can also help to vent and express your emotions, keeping things bottled up often makes things worse.
Nottingham and Leicester have the Lets Talk well-being service that can also offer advice and support
https://www.nottinghamshirehealthcare.nhs.uk/letstalkwellbeing
Mindfulness & Meditation
Mindfulness and mediation are great tools in learning to deal with anxiety and managing your emotions especially when feeling overwhelmed. here a few links and resources for learning more about mindfulness and some practice exercises.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/mindfulness/
There are also multiple apps that can be used to meditate or track your mood;
Daylio- mood tracker app https://daylio.webflow.io/
Headspace - https://www.headspace.com/
