Tips To Have A Queen Mindset While Battling Breast Cancer
Being diagnosed with breast cancer is one of the most difficult situations a woman can incur. The diagnosis and treatment can be overwhelming for the patient and their family. Understanding how to relieve the anxiety that accompanies a diagnosis will help you develop a queen mindset to defeat the cancer.
According to breastcancer.org, about one in eight women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States. It’s expected that 281,550 new cases of invasive breast cancer and 49,290 new cases of non-invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in 2021. So how do you handle this situation emotionally?
Whitney O’Connor is a breast cancer survivor and the founder of the Boobie Queen Company, an organization dedicated to helping women with breast cancer feel empowered. She has developed tips through her experience that can help those going through this ordeal decrease stress and maintain a queen mindset.
O’Connor says that the most important way to handle this diagnosis is by practicing mindfulness. Being diagnosed with breast cancer can be scary. You’ll have to go in for scans that can cause anxiety. In these cases, you might look into the future, which can cause you to worry and increase your stress level. Mindfulness is focusing on the present. Rather than worrying about what could happen months or years from now, focusing on today.
When you’re diagnosed with breast cancer, you’ll have to get a number of scans. This will allow the doctors to determine the severity of your condition. While important, these scans can be very stressful experiences. Each scan can take anywhere from two to four hours, resulting in a very overwhelming visit. Fortunately, there are some things that you can do to remain calm and keep control of your emotions.
One tip for dealing with these visits is to distract yourself by speaking with others. This might be people in the waiting room or the tech completing your scan. Talking with others is a good way to avoid thinking about your visit.
Another tip for dealing with scans is to control your breathing. Box breathing is a process that involves breathing in for four seconds, holding your breath for four seconds, and then releasing for four seconds. Erratic breathing can result in increased anxiety and a faster heart rate. Controlling your breathing will allow you to remain calm and keep your heart rate low, decreasing your anxiety.
Obviously, the patient will be stressed when being diagnosed with breast cancer but they’re not the only one suffering. Friends and family will want to help in any way they can but sometimes they don’t know how. There are ways that you can set up a system that will allow others to help without causing increased stress of responsibility on the patient.
When someone is going through an illness, those around them want to assist in any way possible. While you might think that asking them how you can help is being nice, it actually puts more stress on the patient. They’re already going through a lot and being expected to answer questions puts more responsibility on them.
This situation can be avoided by putting someone in charge of delegating duties. Rather than the patient deciding how people can help, it can be a loved one that spends time with them, such as a parent, sibling, spouse, or partner. This will take the pressure off the person, making their experience a little easier. But how do you know how the person is doing each day without asking them multiple questions?
When someone is going through treatment for breast cancer, they won’t always have good days. They might not feel well but have trouble articulating how they’re feeling that day. This is where a rating scale can be helpful.
Early in the treatment process, create a number rating scale that will allow you to quickly understand how they’re feeling. Each number can have certain treatment options, such as taking a hot bath, excluding light from a room, or drinking tea, whatever makes them feel better. The rating scale will ensure they don’t need to articulate their feelings but can quickly help a loved one understand what is needed.
The final tip that O’Connor gives to get through the process of breast cancer treatment is to smile. It can be easy to fall into a depressive state when you’re dealing with such a serious condition but doing activities you enjoy and not focusing on the treatment will make it much easier.
In her quest to make people smile, O’Connor has created the boobie crown, a bra made into a crown that can be worn with pride on the head. A donation to the Boobie Queen Company will allow you to obtain a bobbie crown. Now available in different colors, family members can wear them as well to show their support for your fight.
To learn more or donate to the Boobie Queen Company, visit Whitney’s website. You can contact her for further information via email or follow her on Instagram or Facebook.
If you’re looking to create a better overall mindset, book a free consultation through my website. You can also watch my weekly show, The Well-Balanced Mind, where I’ll provide insights into understanding your mind and behavior.
Do you find that you have anger, stress, or sadness and are looking for a change? Hypnotherapy might be a good fit for you. To schedule a consultation call, click here.