How to reduce anxiety as a breast cancer survivor

Apr 22

Written By JC

If you’ve never had anxiety before, a breast cancer diagnosis can—and likely will—change that.

Breast cancer patients are 3x as likely to experience anxiety as the general population.

Cancer anxiety is the constant fear of treatments, doctor visits, tests and cancer; it’s the overwhelming apprehension that something bad is going to happen.

If you are experiencing this (or have experienced it), then you know that battling cancer is more than navigating chemo, surgery, or radiation; it’s also about battling the mental battles it brings.

However, there are ways that you can find relief from breast cancer anxiety as a survivor.

Talk to your doctor about your cancer anxiety as a breast cancer survivor

More than 70% of women go undiagnosed and untreated for anxiety and depression.

Both depression and anxiety can inherently affect your sleep, sex life, and emotional wellbeing.

But you don’t have to go through it alone.

Talking with your oncologist for an oncology-certified psychologist and/or psychiatrist can tremendously help reduce depression and anxiety.

Cancer Anxiety Relief for Cancer Survivors

What if I don’t want more medication?

For your personal preference, meet with an oncology-specialized psychologist for healthy lifestyle alternatives to help you reduce anxiety, insomnia, and depression

Who can give me the medication I need for the anxiety?

An oncology-specialized psychiatrist can help with lifestyle and medical treatment for anxiety, insomnia, and depression.

So, this isn’t normal?

While experiencing occasional anxiety is a normal part of life, the constant fear governing your mind can be an endless cycle of insanity that does not help you heal.

When should I get help for my anxiety?

Ideally, you want to go before you start feeling anxiety and depression, but if your life is governed by intense, excessive and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations and it’s leading you to:

Shortness of breath and/or rapid breathing
Accelerated heart rate
A lump in your throat and a dry mouth
Difficulty swallowing
A fluttering feeling in your stomach and/or stomach sickness
Tension around your neck/shoulders and/or dizziness

It’s time to stop fighting it silently and get help.

Your body is telling you it’s had enough, and it needs an outlet.

Life becomes miserable on the other end when you don’t take adequate measures to make changes that support your well-being.

Therefore, work with your provider to see how you can best reduce your anxiety.

Finding the right support group can help relieve cancer anxiety

Yes, the cancer is the issue, but what no one tells you is that being done with treatment is just the first part.

While you may have healed physically, it does not mean you healed mentally.

And learning to live life after cancer is something that no one in your oncology team will provide you with.

Therefore, finding a community, non-profit, social group, therapist, counselor, support group, or hobby to get you moving forward is a big step in the right direction.

“I thought that once I stopped treatment I could put this cancer thing behind me, but it never went away. I am realizing now 10 years later that the more I engage with it and learn to deal with it, the more I can heal and grow.”
- 57-year-old breast cancer survivor

Find ways to express yourself and let it out.

No one but you and other cancer survivors know the struggle and the challenges that you are facing, but you don’t have to go through it alone.

And don’t stop until you find the right support.

Your doctor will prescribe your medication; your nurses can help deliver chemo; your dietician can give you a diet.

But only you can get the help you need and find the right group and outlet for yourself.

You have as much power and role in this fight as everyone else; use it to your advantage and get better daily ❤️

Relieve cancer anxiety through exercise

The anxiety cancer brings not only impacts you mentally but also physically, causing your body to have unregulated breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, and sweating.

And one of the best ways to help take back control from this deregulated nervous system is through the use of exercise.

Exercise is a phenomenal tool for reducing anxiety from cancer, but even as good as it is for relieving cancer anxiety, it cannot cure it.

Exercise and movement can be tremendous for your health and can give you a sense of command over your body and your life.

If you don't know where to start, try getting in more physical activity in the week by doing activities you love, such as:

Tennis
A nature hike
Racquetball
A long walk
A mild jog
Laps in the pool
Dancing
Yoga
Gardening

As you do this, make sure to pencil it in. Track how long you are doing each activity, and tally it all up in minutes by the end of the week.

The goal is to see if you can get at least 150 minutes of physical activity a week, and if you get 300 minutes a week - even better!

The more you track it, the more benefits you will see, and the more motivation you will have to continue.

Exercise training is about focusing and making your body better and improving. The point of training is to get your mind off everything else and set its focus on one thing:

Completing the exercise.

As you train, your body will naturally get better and improve, but in order to train properly, your training requires a plan, and your body requires a challenge.

Mindful breathing through movement can relieve anxiety from breast cancer

But just like you can feel your anxiety physically, you can also help alleviate it physically by regaining control of your body, mind, and spirit through mindful breathing.

Mindful breathing can come in many forms, such as through yoga, jogging, or boxed breathing.

Learning to breathe during movement is a great way to reduce overall stress and anxiety.

It's the best way to regain control of your body when under stress and anxiety.

Exercise training, paired with mindful breathing, is the key to helping reduce symptoms of anxiety.

While lack of sleep can cause fatigue and affect your ability to exercise, getting enough exercise is associated with improved aspects of sleep.

So, if exercise is important to you, but you're stopped by tiredness and fatigue, check out my blog on Exercising When Fatigue Hits to best help you.

You don't have to walk through the anxiety of cancer alone.

Allow yourself the time and space to breathe, and consult with a team of people who can support you.

Anxiety is a common emotion many of us feel, eliciting feelings of nervousness, being on edge, and worry.

These emotions are normal, and in many ways, they help us survive, but in today's society, far too many struggle from too much stress and anxiety and too little exercise.

Exercise in almost every form is medicine for the body, and when done properly, it is a tremendous anxiety and stress reliever.

Exercise helps reduce anxiety and stress in 4 main ways:

💪 It boosts the production of your brain's "feel-good" chemicals (endorphins) into your body.

⬇ It reduces the negative physiological effects stress has on your body, by lowering your heart rate, blood pressure, and relaxing your muscles.

🧠 It boosts your cognitive function. You can exercise to focus, stay calm, clear your mind, and boost your creativity.

💤 Regular exercise helps your body rest and lowers symptoms of mild depression and anxiety, which can affect your sleep.

And the best part is that it does all this with minimal side effects.

Exercise helps treat your anxiety by

🧠 Diverting your mind from your anxious thoughts
💪 Decreasing muscle tension
🫀Reducing your heart rate and blood pressure
🫶🏽Increasing your endorphins

There is a lot you can do to relieve anxiety from a breast cancer diagnosis

Navigating cancer is never easy—even less so when it comes with anxiety surrounding your treatment, your future, and uncertainty about your symptoms.

Both medication and different forms of complementary treatment, like exercise, can help to mentally, emotionally, and spiritually heal from cancer.

The good thing about meeting with an oncology-certified psychologist is that it is a certified professional who knows how to help you without involving more medication.

Common side effects of anti-anxiety medication can include:

Feeling agitated
Feeling sick
Indigestion
Loss of appetite and weight loss
Dizziness
Blurred vision
Dry mouth

This is not to say that you shouldn't take medication or that you should just exercise but rather that exercise is a great tool to prevent you from needing medication or helping to reduce how much you may need so you don't require as much.

Remember, it is always important to consult with your doctor first, but you should also make sure to get enough exercise - even if you are on medication.

However, if needed, they will also be able to guide you for further help if they see fit and can guide you to your next best source of treatment to cope with your anxiety.

If you're experiencing any of these at a more prominent degree following your cancer diagnosis, please consult with your doctor to receive the help you need.

With a few minor changes to your day, your mind (and body) will be thanking you.

👍🏽 Meet with an oncology-certified psychologist or psychiatrist.

👍🏽 Incorporate mindful breathing through movement with oncology-certified tai chi, chi gong, or yoga instructors.

👍🏽 Exercise. If it’s going to be <45 minutes make sure it is either moderate intensity or high intensity, and if it’s more than 45 minutes, it can be light to moderate intensity.

👍🏽 Do complementary therapies, such as oncology-based art therapy, music therapy, acupuncture, and massage therapy.

If you don’t know where to begin, start with just one. Many hospitals offer these services for free.

And as you learn and grow, add more; the combination of different forms of treatment will help you heal best in different ways.

Exercise might help boost your body image, while doing massage therapy may help you feel cared for, and art therapy can help you feel things you’ve never felt before.

Everything has its place, but just know you don’t have to do them all at once.

It’s ok to take it in seasons and work with what your body, time, money, and schedule allows.

Fighting cancer requires you to overcome cancer mentally as well —otherwise, the healing process will feel never-ending.

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