Cancer Things - Practicing Mindfulness Before, During, and After Breast Cancer
Kaitlyn Elizabeth Riddle, M.Ed.
Energetic B2B Growth Marketing, Social Media Marketing Strategy, Brand Strategy & Creative Storytelling | Mindfulness Practitioner | Lifelong Learner
"Feelings. The truth is, for so long, I'd forgotten what those even were. I’ve been stuck in that place, in a cave, you might say. A deep, dark cave...When life hurts you (because it will), remember the hurt. The hurt is good. It means you're out of that cave."
— Jim Hopper (David Harbour), Stranger Things
October means football, Halloween, decorative gourd season, Pumpkin Spice everything, Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and of course, Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It especially means sharing the story of my journey as a breast cancer patient and fighter, pink hair, and carrying out my not-so-hidden agenda to become Eleven from Stranger Things.
After three years, 452+ medical procedures, chemotherapy infusions, major surgeries, post-treatment infections and complications, and one raging pandemic later, I'm forever thankful to be alive and on the long and slow path to healing and recovery.
That’s where practicing mindfulness comes in, especially on this World Mental Health Day! I have been practicing mindfulness with my therapist for the past four years before, during and after being?diagnosed with invasive HER2-Positive breast cancer on May 31, 2019 at age 34.
Below are some of my favorite ways to practice mindfulness anywhere and experience joy, peace, and love before, during, and after breast cancer.
Prioritizing Mental Health
Prioritizing mental health has never been more important. Everything is hard. Everything is harder without taking care of your mental health and well-being.
I'm forever blessed and grateful to have such a world-class medical care team at Stanford Cancer Center and the most devoted, loving, kind, and compassionate support group I could dream of. I have my beloved partner in crime, family, friends, Cancer CAREpoint, my therapist, and my dear colleagues at my wonderful company Infoblox to thank for taking such exceptional care of me before, during, and after breast cancer.
Practicing Meditation
Dedicating time to meditate every morning and evening before bedtime has completely changed my life for the better.?Meditation?is globally recognized for its many benefits and is known to significantly improve mental health.
If you haven’t tried meditating, try taking just 5-10 minutes in between holiday activities to sit, stand, lay down or walk in a quiet space, be still, turn off your phone and just breathe.?The Calm app?is one of my favorite ways to learn how to meditate and improve my practice.?
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Practicing Gratitude
Breast cancer?has been a much needed reminder of how truly loved and cared for I am. My family, friends, partner and my amazing and world-class medical care team at Stanford Health Care and?Stanford Cancer Center?continue to go above and beyond to take care of me and save my life, and for that I am most thankful.?
However, feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like getting a gift and wrapping it and then not giving it to anyone.?Research shows?time and time again that practicing gratitude and outwardly expressing it physically changes how the brain is wired. Gratitude has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety, increase self-confidence, help improve relationships with self and others and more.
During medical leave last year, for example, I started writing in a gratitude journal, thanks to a great suggestion from my mom. One of many. Writing down at least one thing I’m grateful for or at least one event that went well that day helps me feel noticeably happier, more confident and more connected to myself and those around me. It reminds me how wonderful it is to be alive!
Living an Active Lifestyle
I cannot emphasize the importance of getting active enough, for everyone. Aging, pain, and deadly diseases such as cancer happen faster and more easily for people who life a sedentary lifestyle. Research has shown for more than 20 years that getting active can lower risk of getting breast cancer and that it provides a seemingly endless list of benefits.
Exercise is the only thing, above everything else, that has gotten me through the clusterf*** of side effects and pain from cancer, treatment, surgeries, and the aftermath including lymphedema, deterioration of my rotator cuff, and nearly dying from a massive, rare Staph Infection after my bilateral (double) mastectomies surgery.
There's not a shred of doubt in my mind that my history as an athlete, sports and exercise junkie, yogi, and lover of the outdoors saved my life from breast cancer. I never stopped working out or going outside as a breast cancer patient, even during chemotherapy and on medical leave.
Going for a walk, exercising at the gym or inside at home, yoga, swimming, and playing with my adorable nephew are some of my favorite ways to exercise. Moving my body gives me instant gratification when it comes to reducing physical pain, brain fog, hot flashes, volcanic eruptions of emotion, fatigue and more.
Conclusion
What does Breast Cancer Awareness Month mean to you? What are your favorite ways to prioritize your mental health and practice mindfulness? Please share with me below as a comment. I'd love to learn from you!
Let's connect on?LinkedIn, Instagram,?and Twitter?and grow the #hertoopositive community. Thank you for reading!