Receiving a cancer diagnosis is undoubtedly a life-changing event that can prompt feelings of fear, anxiety, despair and uncertainty. Patients many times endure complications not only from the disease itself, but also as a result of side effects from various treatments. This can cause significant emotional distress, leading to a further reduction in health status and overall wellbeing. Much of this experience goes beyond what patients can control; thus, it is encouraging for patients to focus on what they can control — and this includes the mind.
Mindfulness can be defined as focusing one's awareness on the present moment, including one's internal and external environment, while remaining non-judgmental. Mindfulness-based techniques have the potential to elevate a patient's quality of life by alleviating feelings of anxiety and distress associated with their condition, as well as by helping to reduce physical symptoms such as pain, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, and cachexia, and by way of modulating the immune system. More specifically, studies have found mindful interventions to counter digestive symptoms associated with cancer, including significant weight loss; improve Th1/Th2 immune cell ratio; heighten NK cell cytolytic activity; reduce pain intensity and depressive symptoms; and increase patients' feelings of coherence, cognitive and emotional stability (Mehta et al., 2019).
Various mindfulness techniques have been studied in relation to their effect on cancer patients, including mindfulness-based stress reduction, mindfulness-based art therapy, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, mind-body bridging, and mindfulness meditation, among many others. Mindfulness-based techniques aim to help patients bring focus to a certain area of the body, become more aware of their breathing, or help them to better understand and accept their own thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. Although it may be supposed that distracting ourselves or not thinking about our current circumstances may help us cope with and move past difficult times, these studies suggest something quite different: greater awareness and understanding of our situation may help improve quality of life during distressful times.
Thus, being mindful throughout the day can significantly improve mental and physical health. Further, mindfulness-based techniques include a variety of practices, lending us multiple options to choose from when trying to find something that resonates with us. Incorporating mindfulness into one's day may start with something small, such as taking five minutes to focus on one's breath or sitting in nature and observing three things in the environment.
We must never underestimate the power of our minds, thoughts, and where we choose to place our attention. As humans, we often default to looking for external things to help improve our lives and provide us with gratification. It may be easy to forget that we can many times find joy and relief from challenging situations by looking within ourselves.