The overwhelm after cancer diagnosis is real as any cancer patient or ex-patient can attest to. However, it doesn’t have to crush you.
If you’re serious about wanting to thrive without overwhelm, here are 6 steps that would help.
During times of overwhelm, it can seem that the last thing you need is any talk of focus after all, the feeling of being snowed under by different challenges is real. Picture a house falling on top of you and trying to dig your way out from underneath the rubble. I can totally relate.
Even years after breast cancer diagnosis and multiple surgeries, I have gone through periods when the late effects of treatment and medication have felt like an avalanche of issues. I have found that digging my way through difficulties did not happen overnight as there is no magic bullet.
With support and resolve, I discovered that if I didn’t choose my focus when overwhelmed, nothing changes mentally, physically or emotionally.
The same is true for you.
The good news is that you can regain a sense of calm and semblance of order as you navigate your way to a thriving future.
Use the steps below as often as you need to. Write them down in your journal for future reference.
Step # 1 – Acknowledge the sources of the overwhelm
- Identify the things you find challenging at present.
- Make a list of all the difficulties that are causing you to feel overwhelmed.
Blue sky by Masaaki Komori Unsplash
Step # 2 – Ditch pretense of any kind
- Set aside the need to pretend that all is okay.
- Living with a mask on is exhausting.
Step # 3 – Number your list in order of importance to you
- There are often many things resulting in overwhelm.
- Prioritising in order of importance frees you to tackle ONE thing at a time.
- Finish one thing before going on to another.
Step # 4 – Don’t use someone else’s yardstick to assess yourself
- Your journey is different to others even if diagnosis is the same.
- The opinion of others can become a prison if you have different ideas.
Step # 5 – Take inventory of your community
- Assess the kinds of people in your close circle.
- Choose truth tellers who would support, love you and believe in who you are becoming not who you used to be.
- Ask for support and accountability.
- Seek professional help as often as required.
Step # 6 – Believe in yourself
- What you think of and about yourself matters.
- Believe that you have the strength, courage and resilience to thrive with support.
My suggestion to you now is to schedule distraction-free time to tackle overwhelm and focus on what truly matters to you.
Hey, by the way, if you really want to your own map for thriving after cancer, my book, Navigating Your New Normal is a good map to start with. Get your copy at: https://amzn.to/3IDV3GV