Self-Care & Mindfulness Habits for Happiness

May 20, 2022

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In our society, there is so much emphasis on assisting other people. Maybe you are taking care of your family, kids, loved ones, and friends 2/47. Or are constantly giving and providing your energy to make sure everyone else is ok – but when do you take a second to check in with yourself?

Self-care is not selfish. Self care plays a huge role in supporting your physical and mental health, especially after receiving a cancer diagnosis and going through cancer treatment. The term ‘self-care’ can seem daunting, uncomfortable, and scary. However, self-care is essential to your overall wellbeing and mental self. Self-care encompasses a lot of basic but overlooked practices such as getting enough sleep, meditating, practicing gratitude, and saying ‘no’ to things that do not resonate with you.

“Self-care is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation.” – Audre Lorde

Practice Mindfulness Meditation

It may surprise you that one of the best and most effective practices you can do for self-care and stress relief is nothing at all. Well, maybe that is actually a bit misleading! Silencing the mind and tuning inwards isn’t really nothing – in fact, it can take time and practice to cultivate a solid foundation to reach inner stillness and peace. However, carving out time to silence the mind will always pay off. Meditation trains your brain to tune into the present moment, to focus on your breath, and to give your body the time and space it needs to relax. By sitting down and paying attention to where you are without distractions, you begin to accept and dismiss the thoughts and emotions that arise. Through consistent practice, you train the subconscious mind to do this even when you are not meditating. This self-care practice guides you to leading (and living!) a more mindful life on a day to day basis, and is effective for cancer patient’s care.

Meditating also provides you with the opportunity to set intentions that propel you to manifesting positive energy, all while tapping into the pure joy that you desire. One way to embark and begin your self-care practice is through our Meditation Program on the OncoPower App. By practicing our guided meditations and breathing exercises, you can jumpstart your self-care routine that reduces the stress and anxiety that cancer can bring. Led by Mindfulness Coach and Meditation teacher, Natalie Thomas, you can also sign up for 1:1 sessions for further assistance and more personalized coaching. OncoPower is one of the leading sources for support for cancer patients.

Expressing Gratitude

Another important form of self-care is expressing gratitude. Just by waking up in the morning and thinking of five things that you are grateful for is a practice of self-care. The benefits of gratitude are endless. When you give thanks for what you have in the present moment, no matter what is going on in your life, the universe will conspire to provide you with more to express gratitude for.

Through journaling and/or meditation, see if you can create time to notice and reflect upon the people, places, things, moments you cherish. Some additional benefits are: you begin to relish more positive emotions, your sleep improves, you are able to express more kindness and compassion (for both yourself and others), and you can begin to feel more ‘present’ and alive. 

Expressing gratitude can even assist your body in building a stronger immune system. This is beneficial when going through cancer treatment. Gratitude expression can be for something big in your life, such as a child and/or family member, but it can also be for something as simple as expressing gratitude for a nice cup of coffee in the morning.

Affirmations

Affirmations are phrases / mantras that can assist you in overcoming challenging life moments, such as cancer, by subconsciously training the mind to think positive thoughts versus self-sabotaging thoughts. This is another self-care practice.

When one is diagnosed with cancer, it can be difficult to not have negative thinking which can manifest into increased anxiety and depression. Negative thinking can turn into destructive self-fulling prophecies, which is why it’s extremely important to rewire the nervous system to think thoughts that are in alignment with healing, love, and harmony.

Affirmations help you take control of your thoughts. When repeated and practiced regularly, each phrase / mantra begins to become engraved into the conscious and subconscious mind, so you actually start to ‘believe’ that each positive thought is true. While it is completely normal to think negatively from time to time, know that affirmations can shift your emotions, behaviors, and overall energy levels all for the better.

Affirmations can reaffirm positivity and self-assurance back into your life while assisting you on the path of healing. We also recommend you check out our Affirmation Meditations on the OncoPower App to assist you in further in your healing and wellness journey. You can also find a growing cancer support community on the OncoPower App.

Additional Self-Care practices:

1. Take an epsom salt bath
2. Stretch for 20 minutes
3. Savor your favorite cup of tea
4. Journal
5. Read a book on self-care
6. Take a 20-min walk
7. Tap into your creativity 
8. Use a soothing face mask

For more information, please visit us at OncoPower today!