How do you mentally prepare yourself for something like a cancer battle?

When you are facing cancer, the biggest battle you face might actually not be physical. Yes, don’t let me discount the immense physical battle that you are facing day in and day out to get your physical body back to a healthy state. That is a HUGE battle. However, sometimes it’s not a battle we, personally, have full power over. All the while, there’s a battle happening in our minds and in our souls, and if we don’t pay attention, we could lose this battle very easily. 

The Mind is Powerful

Our minds are powerful and they have the power to help us in more ways that we realize. That’s why meditation and prayer is so important, especially as you prepare for your cancer battle. You need to be at your strongest, and that starts with your mindset!

A study by the American Cancer Society shared that “In our observational study, we found people who found feelings of transcendence or meaningfulness or peace reported feeling the least physical problems.” This isn’t just nice feelings that are getting us by, but trends found in medical studies showing that meditation and prayer can have a profound effect!

So, how do we mentally prepare to fight cancer with strength?

I can’t guarantee that I’ve got this all figured out and I can’t guarantee it will ALL work for EVERYONE, but I do know that these are helpful things that may help some of us. And, for those of us reading who don’t have cancer, but are still walking through hard times, you might find some help in these as well. 

  1.  Be realistic. Be true to yourself, knowing that you are walking into a battle. Think through some of the realities, knowing that some days will be harder than others. It won’t be all rainbows and sunshine. While it’s good to be optimistic, it’s also good to have a realistic foundation, knowing that while you can have hope and be positive, it won’t always be easy. 
  2. Cling to hope. There is always hope and if you can cling to that concept, it will do you a world of good. Look for hope in the world around you. Even if it’s just in the simplest of flowers peeking out after a long winter. 
  3. Focus on your purpose. We all have a purpose in life and a “why” behind what we do in it. The journey to get to that purpose may look different from what we imagined, but encourage yourself to look beyond the circumstances and instead focus on what the bigger purpose and bigger picture might be. 
  4. Pray and Meditate. Start and end your day in silent moments where you can focus your mind. You can block out the distractions from the day and the voices that may have spoken hard things to you. Focus yourself back on what you know to be true.
  5. Surround yourself with encouraging people. Who is on your team? Are they lifting you up? Or, are they filling you with worry and doubt? Be smart about what voices you are choosing to listen to. 
  6. Take a digital hiatus. Friends, social media may NOT be the right place to be when you’re going through tough times. In seasons of a fight, you may not want to focus on what others are doing. It might be a good time to simply change some of your surfing habits on social media. 

While there are so many other things you can do to mentally arm yourself for the cancer battle, my hope is that you’ve found at least a few things you can do to help you today. Whether you are fighting cancer yourself, or are a friend to a warrior today, may we all focus on the mental battle that goes alongside the physical battle of cancer!