How do you feel about change? Do you resist it? Do you fight against it? Or, do you embrace it as inevitable? When you receive a cancer diagnosis there a lot of change and it wasn’t the kind you wanted. I feel for you. It’s one thing to make a decision for yourself, but it is another to have that decision taken away from you and to be put in the position of not having control. So many times I have heard my clients say, “There is just so much. I don’t know what to do or where to start.”
3 reasons you may feel uncomfortable with change
Panic. Your world feels like it is out of control. You don’t know what to do because you have never been here before. There are no familiar habits to dig into to solve this. Your brain is on overdrive trying to keep you safe by sending you into fight or flight. All this does is raise your stress and heighten ALL the emotions and thoughts. There is no resolution to the feelings of being out of control when you don’t have tools to support you.
Overwhelm. All of the people who love you, and even the people who don’t know you but want to help, have thoughts and ideas about what you should and could be doing. It is my experience that all of a sudden everyone else is an expert on you and how to live with cancer. Although this comes from a place of kindness it can be a lot. And what happens with overwhelm is inaction. It feels easier to do nothing than to try to decide what to do. This is not a good place to stay. Your health requires action.
Uncertainty. There is a sneaky thought that I know crept in to my mind when I was first diagnosed… will doing anything really make a difference? I want to offer that anything you do, whether it is going for a walk, drinking more water, or even journalling is going to make a difference. Each little action creates self belief and possibility. And, each little action can light the spark of wanting to take bigger action. Suddenly your walks become swimming or yoga, your water becomes green tea, and your journalling becomes meditation. All action is good for you because it is empowering and it gives you a sense of control.
When you know what is holding you back you can start to take steps to get the support you deserve. Taking control takes you out of want (inaction) and into desire (action). Take one step into action today to get started in taking back some control in your life and transforming your health.
If you would like to know more about the concept of living with cancer, I have written a book all about my personal experience with moving from survivor to thriver. In my book I offer anecdotes and strategies that will encourage you to learn how to thrive with cancer. You can get a copy of Living to Thrive: a holistic guide to living with cancer here.
You don’t have to navigate cancer alone. As a Certified Holistic Cancer Coach I support women who are looking for more than just surviving day to day – they want to learn how to thrive with cancer. The THRIVE Cancer Coaching Program is a space for you to learn and grow while getting one to one support from a ten year cancer thriver. Let’s talk about how coaching can help you create abundance in your life with cancer. Schedule a free 30 minute call today to learn more about coaching and how to get started.
Kathryn White is a Certified Holistic Cancer Coach who supports women to turn their cancer diagnosis into a thriving story one woman at a time.
