OVERVIEW
When you or someone you love receives a diagnosis of lymphoma or chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), life often becomes flooded with various appointments, blood tests and side effects. The management of your diagnosis and treatment is the ultimate priority, but it is also essential that you take time out to care for your body and mind.
There is an overwhelming amount of research which recognises the positive impact of self-care on wellbeing at every point in the cancer experience, from diagnosis to survivorship. The evidence also suggests that people with lymphoma who take time for self-care report reduced levels of stress, anxiety, pain, nausea and fatigue without medicinal input.
The following fact sheet will define and identify self-care activities, as well as provide some practical tips and strategies on how to implement these into daily life.
WHAT IS SELF-CARE?
Commonly, we refer to self-care as activities that we do deliberately in order to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health. Self-care can look and feel different for each person, but we can tell whether an activity is a form of self-care if it refuels us, rather than takes away from us. Self-care is not selfish, but more about listening to the needs of our mind and body and understanding what we need in order to cope with our day to day life.
When we consider the additional stress which a diagnosis of lymphoma or CLL can place on our lives, it is realistic to consider that we may need to create extra time for self-care activities in order to cope. It is also important that carers of people with lymphoma regularly take time for self-care. For more information on this, see the ‘Caring for someone with lymphoma’ fact sheet via the Lymphoma Australia website: engonetlymaus.blob.core.windows.net/assets/uploads/files/ Fact%20Sheets/LYA084_C4SwLorCLL_FactSheet_FA(web).pdf
SELF-CARE FOR THE MIND
Many people experience a wide range of emotions following a diagnosis of lymphoma or CLL including sadness, fear, anxiety and anger. There is no right or wrong way to feel, and there is also no normal timeline your emotional experience must follow. Often, people describe their emotions during treatment as variable and changing every day. Medications such as steroids may also impact your emotional wellbeing during treatment, at times making you feel more emotional or tearful.
Creating time to look after your mind and manage your emotions is as important during your experience as looking after your body and managing side effects. The first step in this process is acknowledging your feelings and emotions and talking about them openly with someone you know will listen to you without judgement. Some strategies for practicing self-care of your mind can include:
- Giving yourself permission to experience your emotions as they arise, including taking time to cry if you feel you need to
- Discussing your emotional concerns with your nurse, GP, treating team – remembering that they are just as important as your physical concerns
- Keeping a diary or journal during treatment documenting your emotions, thoughts and feelings each day
- Asking for a referral to a counsellor, psychologist, social worker or spiritual care worker to discuss your emotional concerns on a regular basis
- Continuing enjoyable hobbies, or taking up new, relaxing hobbies for example swimming, craft groups or meditation classes
- Joining the private Facebook support group for people with lymphoma or CLL ‘Lymphoma Down Under’ and connecting with others in similar situations
- Learning to meditate and practice mindfulness. There are many free smartphone apps for this, or you can look into whether there are some meditation groups in your local area
- Making time for socialising with friends or family members
SELF-CARE FOR THE BODY
Self-care activities for your body have the two-fold effect of taking care of your physical and mental health. For example, there is a lot of evidence which promotes regular exercise during treatment for managing side effects and creating better treatment outcomes, but there is also substantial evidence which supports exercise for stress reduction and mood stabilisation. For more information, view the ‘Exercise and Lymphoma’ fact sheet on the Lymphoma Australia website: engonetlymaus.blob.core.windows.net/assets/uploads/files/ Fact%20Sheets/LYA084_Exercise_FactSheet_FA(web).pdf
Some other examples of self-care for your body include:
- Making healthy food choices and including more fresh fruits and vegetables. Ask for a referral to a dietitian if you aren’t sure about what your dietary requirements are
- Listening to your body and understanding when it needs rest and when it needs activity. Keeping a journal or diary can greatly assist with this strategy
- Regularly setting aside time for safe complementary therapies such as massage, acupuncture or reflexology (for more information see the ‘Complementary and Alternative Therapies and Lymphoma’ fact sheet)
- Creating a sleep schedule and allowing time for rest and relaxation (for more information, see the ‘Sleep Management & Lymphoma’ fact sheet on the Lymphoma Australia website: engonetlymaus.blob.core.windows.net/ assets/uploads/files/Fact%20Sheets/LYA084_SMSleep_ FactSheet_FA(web).pdf
It is important to note that what is self-care for one person, may not be helpful for another. While for one person, self-care may mean putting on make-up and nice clothes and leaving the house for a coffee, for another it may mean cancelling plans to go out and spending time at home watching movies instead.
The first step to take when creating a self-care routine is listening to your own body and acknowledging your unique needs. Start small and try different things to know what works for you. Like everything in life, self-care takes practice.
