Coping with Fear and Anxiety

August 9, 2021 …. “You have breast cancer.” No one wants to hear these words spoken over them. I’m sure fear and anxiety go hand in hand with a cancer diagnosis, so I am not alone. Over the last year of treatment I have certainly felt both emotions, sometimes fleeting, sometimes lasting for days. However, you do not have to have a cancer diagnosis to suffer with bouts of fear or anxiety. Grief, hormonal imbalances, genetics and a myriad of other things can cause these feelings to be overwhelming and even paralyzing times.

Since the beginning of my diagnosis, my motto has been “one day at a time.” Some days it is “one second at a time,” but living a life with this one-day-at-a-time mindset has helped quell my fears. I read a quote from a woman whose young child would declare every morning that “today was the best day ever.” I have sidled up to this way of thinking and it has transformed my outlook. I repeat these words daily as soon as my feet hit the floor.

While this isn’t always easy, there are a few self-care tips that I use to soften my anxious thoughts. Deep breathing can help stabilize your heart rate and pour fresh oxygen over every cell in your body. It calms the sympathetic nervous system, which is activated during times of stress. I usually sit in a quiet place and breathe in to a count of four, hold my breath for three seconds, and release the breath for four seconds, continuing this process until I feel better.

Exercise can provide stress relief to the entire body and improve your overall quality of life, lower blood pressure and boost the immune system. A good sweat sesh can release those wonderful endorphins (that I crave) and help improve our mood and sleep health. Exercising with a friend offers double the benefits.

Get involved!! Leaning on friends and staying socially active has huge benefits I often find happiness for days after I have attended or hosted a social event.

Help others! This is an area that brings joy on so many levels and takes the focus off of yourself and your own problems. Volunteer, help a friend move or take a dinner to a sick friend I promise this is balm for the soul!!

Most importantly, my faith has played a huge role in how I manage and cope day to day. Whether I am praying silently or playing worship music, I am reminded of this verse, “Do not be afraid …. the battle is not yours, but God’s.” (2 Chronicles 20:15b). I find comfort in this fact and know that I am helpless on my own power. There’s peace in “the surrender.”

I am a firm believer that God puts people in our lives to fill in the gap. Don’t be afraid to talk to someone about your feelings. We are relationally built, so sharing our emotions is natural and normal. We can be very vulnerable during these times so find someone you trust wholeheartedly to share your feelings with and know when it’s time to get professional help. There is no shame in seeking mental health counseling during these times!!!

xoxo

Shannon