Emotional Wellbeing Starts Here.
What Is Complementary Therapy? Activities of your choosing that, together with conventional, evidence-based medicine, help you feel better during your chemotherapy journey. It helps improves well-being, manage stress, and reduce side effects.
Complementary Strategies
The pages below are self-soothing strategies to complement your chemotherapy treatment.
YOU CHOOSE YOUR JOURNEY:
Some ideas may really “speak” to you, while others may not. And that makes sense: we are all so different: values, age/generation, belief systems, background, education, emotions, personality… so there is no ONE right way or strategy to follow.
More info to come regarding research and links to leaders/pioneers..
Scroll through and browse this section or click on an area of interest below.
BENEFITS OF GUIDED IMAGERY
What: A mind-body intervention. Also known as visualizations. Verbal instructions filled with imagery of a beautiful space/place or any peaceful environment helps individuals focus on healing. The calm promotes psychological and physical well being.
HOW: Imagery can affect your nervous system… consider how you feel if you are sitting next on a beach hearing waves splash and watching pelicans gliding over water versus driving in rush hour traffic.
Guided Imagery
The following are some wonderful sources of guided imagery, many with a specific focus on cancer and/or chemotherapy:
Integrative Medicine: Meditations | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
** NOTE: When you click on the above link, scroll down for your SPECIFIC NEEDS: “Newly Diagnosed”, “Support Through Treatment”, “Symptom Relief”
Breast Cancer Self-Care and Recovery: Meditation and Guided Imagery | UCSF Health
** NOTE: Once you go to the above link, click “Listen Now” and it will bring you to a separate site with many beneficial guided imagery/meditations.
Guided Imagery to Fight Cancer: https://northwellcwim.com/guided-imagery-to-help-fight-cancer/
City of Hope. 10 Minute Guided Imagery Meditation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1rRo6cgM_E
Guided Meditation for Cancer Patients and Caregivers.
David Zuniga, PhD. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjMed9F2Ng4
Cancer CAREPoint. Guided Imagery Podcasts. https://www.cancercarepoint.org/our-services/mind-body-skills/guided-imagery-audio/
Insight Timer. https://insighttimer.com/meditation-topics/visualization
Guided Meditation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tvs7JNV8NDA
LAST BUT NOT LEAST: Research Dr. Bernie Siegel, Love, Medicine & Miracles and Peace, Love & Healing.
RESEARCH
Guided Imagery has been shown in dozens of research studies to positively affect almost all major physiological systems of the body: respiration, heart rate, blood pressure, metabolic rates in cells, and even immune response.
Specifically, in chemotherapy, research has shown that guided imagery helps patients with:
Stress
Anxiety
Quality of life
Small studies show improvements in the following areas, although more research is needed:
Fatigue from chemo
Chemo Induced nausea and vomiting
Depression
Ability to cope with cancer
Motivation
Pain
Adding Progressive Muscle Relaxation saw measurable positive outcomes in:
Improved psychological health
Improved quality of life
Reducing stress and anxiety
ONE RESEARCH EXAMPLE ON GUIDED IMAGERY’S EFFECT ON CANCER:
Guided Imagery increases “Natural Killers” in our bodies. Natural Killers (NK) are special cells already in our body that FIGHT cancer cells.
Recent research indicates guided imagery increases Natural Killer cell function, which play a crucial role in the body's defense against tumors. The persistence of these NK cells in a patient's body contributes to the fight against cancerous cells.
Eremin, Oleg et al. Immuno-modulatory effects of relaxation training and guided imagery in women with locally advanced breast cancer undergoing multimodality therapy: A randomised controlled trial. The Breast, Volume 18, Issue 1, 17 - 25.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960977608001859
WHAT IT IS:
Systematically and intentionally tightening muscles and then relaxing them. This action allows us to recognize when/where our bodies are tense and what it feels like to be relaxed.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation:
Practice: Tensing & Relaxing Your Body
This is an easy, short activity to help relax the body, relieve tension and improve mood. By changing the position of the body, one's spirits can be lifted.
We explore how it feels to go from very tight, stressed muscles to relaxed and calm. The extreme opposite sensation helps us realize when we are stressed and how different and refreshing it FEELS to relax our muscles.
Journaling
Chemotherapy treatment and cancer…
This is unchartered territory. You may have a lot of emotions and not know where to even start or how to process them.
The following pages offer prompts, videos, and practical advice for journaling.
The QUICKEST JOURNAL ENTRY EVER.
For those ROUGH days…
Just one question to text yourself. It may help.
CHECK-IN
Take a moment and see how you feel. Circle each statement best applies to you.
I feel supported
not true somewhat true very true
I feel safe
not true somewhat true very true
I feel loved
not true somewhat true very true
I can do this
not true somewhat true very true
I can ask for help
not true somewhat true very true
A Visual Guide for Journaling
This video in one example of a way to approach expressing oneself in a journal.
Journaling: Gratitude
Research indicates that gratitude helps:
reduce stress
improve sleep
strengthen your immune system
This videos offers three prompts can help you identify areas in your life that bring you joy.
GRATITUDE
WRITE DOWN
THE THINGS YOU ARE GRATEFUL FOR
-even the smallest thing-
ADD TO IT ANY RANDOM TIME YOU THINK OF BEING GRATEFUL
OR AFTER A HARD DAY.
TRY TO THINK OF JUST ONE THING YOU ARE GRATEFUL FOR.
NO MATTER HOW SMALL.
Below are a few prompt questions, as well as some free space to write how you feel or document the treatment or anything else you want to write.
OVERALL, I FEEL: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________
WHY?______________________________________________________________________________________________________
WHAT DO I NEED RIGHT NOW?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
WHAT AREA OF MY LIFE AM I STRUGGLING WITH THE MOST RIGHT NOW?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
WHAT MADE ME FEEL BETTER OR WORKED FOR ME?
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
WHAT CAN I IMPLEMENT OR ADD IN MY LIFE TO HELP ME BASED ON THE ABOVE:
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
HELP YOURSELF
Sometimes we know more than we think we might. Below are some questions to ask yourself when you are feeling down… ways to explore your deeper feelings and emotions.
Things that make me smile: ____________________________
My biggest fear is: _______________________________
One small thing that I can do for myself right now to help myself is:
_________________________________
_________________________________
When treatment is complete, one of the first things I am going to do is:
_________________________________
_________________________________
If I could tell myself anything right now, it would be: ___________________
______________________________________________________________
If I could ask for anything right now, it would be: _____________________
___________________________________
I feel my best when I am: _________________________________
___________________________________
I wish I could: ___________________________________
I get my strength from: _______________________________________________________
Positive Affirmations -
Different from toxic positivity…
Louise Hay is known as one of the founders of the self-help movement. Her first book, Heal Your Body, was published in 1976, long before it was fashionable to discuss the connection between the mind and body.
— From https://www.louisehay.com/about/
LOUISE HAY
“In the infinity of life where I am, all is perfect, whole, and complete.
My life is ever new.
Each moment of my life is new and fresh and vital.
I use my affirmative thinking to create exactly what I want.
This is a new day.
I am a new me.
I think differently.
I speak differently.
I act differently.
Others treat me differently.
My new world is a reflection of my new thinking.
It is a joy and a delight to plant new seeds, for I know these seeds will become new experiences.
All is well in my world.” - Louise Hay
POSITIVE AFFIRMATION ACTIVITY:
STAND IN FRONT OF A MIRROR OR TAKE A SELFIE VIDEO AND SAY THE FOLLOWING AFFIRMATIONS ALOUD:
I AM BEAUTIFUL. I AM BEAUTIFUL.
I AM HEALING EVERY DAY. I AM HEALING EVERY DAY.
I LOVE ME. I LOVE ME.
I AM SUPPORTED BY THOSE
AROUND ME.
I AM SUPPORTED BY THOSE AROUND ME.
I FEEL WONDERFUL.
I FEEL WONDERFUL.
I LOVE YOU. I LOVE YOU.
I AM PROUD OF YOU. I AM PROUD OF YOU.
IT MAY FEEL AWKWARD AND STRANGE TO TALK TO YOURSELF IN A MIRROR OR PHONE.
TRY ANYWAY.
SMILE AT YOURSELF AS YOU SPEAK.
PAUSE.
GO SLOWLY WITH IT.
SOME OF THE AFFIRMATIONS MAY NOT FEEL TRUE TO YOU, FOR NOW ANYWAY, AND THAT’S OK. BY SAYING THE AFFIRMATIONS INTO THE UNIVERSE (AND TO YOURSELF), IT CAN CHANGE YOUR MINDSET.
I AM BEAUTIFUL. I AM BEAUTIFUL.
I AM HEALING EVERY DAY. I AM HEALING EVERY DAY.
I LOVE ME. I LOVE ME.
I AM SUPPORTED BY THOSE AROUND ME. I AM SUPPORTED BY THOSE AROUND ME.
I FEEL WONDERFUL. I FEEL WONDERFUL.
I LOVE YOU. I LOVE YOU.
I AM PROUD OF YOU. I AM PROUD OF YOU.
REVIEW A RECENT JOURNAL ENTRY.
ARE THERE ANY NEGATIVE STATEMENTS?
IF SO…
WRITE THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF THOSE NEGATIVE WORDS IN THE SPACE BELOW.
THESE ARE THE AFFIRMATIONS YOU NEED TO HEAR!
I AM _____________________________
I AM ____________________________
I AM _____________________________
I AM _____________________________
I FEEL ____________________________
Parasympathetic response
rest and digest…
When you are struggling with difficult emotions…
BENEFITS:
Parasympathetic response (rest/digest)
Lift spirit/ease depression
Mental clarity (combat "chemo brain")
Increase focus and attention
Emotional regulation
Promotes feelings of safety (counters fear and anxiety)
Vagus nerve stimulation (while humming)
This video is for those chemo days when you are experiencing general malaise, fatigue, and lack motivation to engage in ADLs after your chemo infusion. While the acute side effects have passed, you just want to stay in bed or sit and do nothing all day. This activity is short, easy and holistic, helping your body, mind, and spirit. All you need is a comfortable seat in a quiet setting.
Engage your Parasympathetic Response… rest and digest
This is a simple and effective holistic activity that reduces anxiety and promotes the relaxation response. Principles include vagus nerve stimulation, parasympathetic (rest & digest) response, EMDR bilateral stimulation, heart breathing, and CBT techniques.
ART THERAPY -
using different mediums to heal
The Kawa Model
The Kawa Model is a technique where you draw your life as a river.
The elements of a river/nature represent different aspects of life, such as challenges, obstacles, supports, etc. Kawa is the Japanese word for ‘river’ and it uses the metaphor of the river to symbolize your life. Below are the different elements and what they represent:
The River. The river represents how your life is flowing and all the things in your life moving along (Is the water moving fast and wild? Or is the river slow and meandering? Are there ripples and waves or the water calm?).
1
Rocks. You can draw rocks in the water. These rocks can represent things in your life causing you issues and blocking the regular flow of your life.
2
Driftwood. Adding in pieces of floating wood could represent things in your life right now that are either resources for you or liabilities. What are assets in your life that are adding value to your life? What things are dangerous and making your life challenging?
3
The Riverbank. The riverbank represents the overall structure of your life: your environment – where you live. Is your environment safe and easily accessible or is it barren? Is the riverbank steep? Is it windy or a straight path. Draw anything you feel represents your environment at this juncture of your life.
4
Modified Kawa Model:
“Draw Your Weather”
This activity is loosely based on the Kawa Model, an occupational therapy model that can help identify life's flow, obstacles, and resources in one's life.
For more information on The Kawa Model, please check out: https://www.kawamodel.com
Are you feeling unmotivated and "off" and just don't want to get up to do anything? This easy activity may help. It can be done anywhere (in bed or a comfy chair)... all you need is a piece of paper and pen/pencil.
Art can be a wonderful way to express feelings, especially difficult ones that you may be experiencing while undergoing chemotherapy.
Here, we draw our "weather", with the elements of the weather symbolizing how we feel:
Sun represents feelings of peace, joy, happiness
Clouds represent sadness, anxiety, concerns about illness
Storms represent side effects of chemo, serious issues in our lives
Draw messy, wild, and unleashed/ unfiltered... there are no rules and no one has to see it. Just the act of scribbling on paper may help you release some bottled up emotions. When you are done with your picture, remember to date it. One day, you can look back at this sketch and realize just how far you have come! Wishing you the best.
CALMING
Chill Vibes.