How Meditation Helps You Cope With Cancer

Cancer can make it difficult to be present and venture into the world around you, especially if you are ill. Patients who have been diagnosed with advanced cancer or are facing death may find it difficult to find meaning in life. This is why cancer patients get consumed with anxiety and stress and they forget to enjoy the time they have left.

Recent scientific advancements in cancer treatment are encouraging patients to seek out alternate means of coping with the physical and mental challenges that come with the disease. For cancer patients, treatments such as mindfulness meditation have had a significant positive impact by increasing immunity and increasing pain tolerance levels. Additionally, mindfulness meditation improves emotional well-being, physical health, and psychological aspects of cancer patients at a significant level.

Enhancing Physical Well-Being

A study on patients with cancer reported multiple positive effects on their physical and mental health when they practiced mindfulness meditation. Improved sleep quality, more energy, less pain in the joints, and a greater sense of well-being were among the positive effects. The study found that cancer patients who practiced mindfulness meditation were better able to deal with the stressors of daily life, which hindered their potential to heal.

Individuals can sign up for a course “Mindfulness Meditation for Emotional Awareness” for being able to cope better.

Meditation for Cancer Patients: Positive Effects

Many people have come to appreciate the genuine and core benefits of mindfulness meditation in the last few years. Scientific research has revealed that there are numerous benefits of meditation. For instance, meditation has proved to be relieving stress and furnishing mental health.

But the most asked question is “How can mindfulness help cancer patients?”

Well, cancer patients can create feelings of compassion towards themselves. They can address and acknowledge the pain, rising thoughts, and negative sentiments by focusing on the present moment. These acknowledgment practices will reduce stress hormones in the body and generate happy hormones which will relax the already tensed muscles and nerves.

Healing Faster

Mindfulness meditation can help reduce stress levels in the body. It aids the body to speed up the healing process according to the Cancer Council. In addition to reducing pain and nausea, mindfulness meditation also improved coping skills which effectively alleviated worry and sadness in cancer patients.

Living a More Mindful Life

Mindfulness meditation has allowed cancer patients to live life as if it mattered, paying attention to every moment, regardless of how much they are suffering. A study has reported that meditation exercises assist cancer patients in recognizing the precious gift of life and value every single moment.

Additionally, physical and mental health can be restored through mindfulness meditation. It is supported by research evidence that cancer patients have better abilities to calm their unpleasant emotions and deal with pain. Though mindfulness cannot cure cancer, it plays an important role in dealing with the challenges that arise through cancer.

Getting Rid of Negative Feelings

In contrast to the fear-inducing word “cancer,” “mindfulness meditation” evokes sentiments of peace and tranquility. When cancer patient is diagnosed, they are highly likely to think about pain, loss, and perhaps the end of their lives. It has both physical and psychological implications. It means that our perceptions and emotional reactions to the idea of cancer cause us stress. Individuals may ruminate or blame themselves, which results in increased emotional and physical suffering. Mindfulness meditation is an excellent way to tackle all the above problems.

Increasing Self-Respect

Patients with cancer can benefit from mindfulness meditation by becoming more aware of their thoughts and feelings. For this one can use the following pragmatic approaches.

Realizing that we are not our thoughts and feelings.
Growing compassion for ourselves
Accepting thoughts and feelings as they are

Reducing Pain

Cancer patients, whether they are in the early stages or late stages, frequently experience discomfort. Cancer-Related Fatigue (CRF) affects many cancer survivors. Mindfulness meditation has been demonstrated to increase the Attentional Function Index (AFI) and thereby lessen CRF. Additionally, due to constant muscle mass loss, cancer-related cachexia results in a decrease in daily functioning. Cancer cachexia is diagnosed when cancer patients lose more than 5% of their body weight.

Despite all of this, research studies show that mindfulness meditation reduces pain and improves emotional function in cancer patients. It also reduces fatigue and digestive problems.

Improving the Quality of Sleep

Falling asleep, remaining asleep, and trying to stay awake during the day are all common issues for individuals who are dealing with depression and anxiety. But, it is also a reality for those who are cancer patients and they are undergoing chemotherapy.

Mindfulness meditation, on the other hand, can increase the quality of sleep for cancer patients. It is through addressing all these issues, of sleep latency, awakenings, and excessive daytime sleep that individuals can improve their sleep quality. For this purpose, cancer patients can practice meditation before bedtime. The duration can depend on their stamina.

5 Simple Steps to Cope with Cancer through Meditation

Work regularly on your ability to be fully present.
Pay attention to your reactions regarding your thoughts as you go about your daily activities e.g. picking up the phone, going up and down the stairs, or even getting a drink of water.
Be compassionate and non-judgmental to yourself when you are reminded of your physical or mental limitations.
Try accepting your emotions rather than burying them under a pile of sand.
Release the tension of your body and mind through deep breathing exercises at the end of the day.

Conclusion

Cancer is, no doubt, a deadly disease that pulls the life out of the heart and soul of an individual. Practicing mindfulness meditation empowers cancer patients by helping them become more aware of their inner strengths. . The ability to regulate one’s thoughts and feelings is among the many benefits of mindfulness meditation. Hence, Individuals can opt for online courses from the comfort of their homes to cope with cancer and its health consequences.