COPING WITH DAILY LIFE IF YOU HAVE A CANCER: RELAXATION
You may associate the concept of relaxation with classes full of women in leotards. This does not have to be the case! You will almost certainly undergo stresses which affect both your mind and body, and learning some basic relaxation techniques can help. This does not mean that you have to sit cross-legged on the floor chanting ‘Om’ – although if this suits you, then fine.
Simple breathing exercises in which you learn to breathe deeply and at a controlled rate can help to slow down your mind when your thoughts are racing. You can also incorporate simple physical exercises which help to relax your muscles, especially those in the neck and shoulders where many people carry much of their tension. You can ask your GP or at your hospital for help in learning these techniques. Some hospitals run classes and workshops, for exactly this purpose.
Using essential oils (aromatherapy) can have a pleasurable and calming effect. Oils can be used in the bath or diluted in a ‘carrier’ oil to use in massage (or simply rubbing into your hands or feet, for example) or to burn in an oil burner. Different oils have different properties and can help to promote relaxation – or simply be pleasant to use. Again, some of the nurses on your ward may have had training in the use of essential oils, or be able to recommend sources of information.
Some people use ‘visualization techniques’ – images of quiet or happy places, for example – to help them relax. Shutting your eyes and visualizing yourself in a favourite tranquil spot, imagining how you feel when you are there and allowing the image to take over your thoughts, if only for a minute or two, can have a calming effect.
If you want to practise relaxation techniques, you need to ensure you are in a quiet room without interruptions or excessive background noise. If you feel a little foolish at first, practise when you are alone. Remember that loved ones will be experiencing their own stresses too, and might like to share in practising your relaxation techniques.
For some people, relaxing may have a different meaning, such as the opportunity to watch a favourite TV programme or to listen to music undisturbed. What you do is less important than being aware of what makes you feel more relaxed and perhaps more refreshed afterwards. Achieving a more relaxed state may not directly affect your cancer treatment, but if it helps you to cope better in a calmer frame of mind, if only for a limited time, then it is surely worthwhile.
I had always been pretty sceptical about what I regarded as ‘hippy stuff, although Helen swore by the physical and mental benefits of her yoga classes and the occasional massage. On the whole, I preferred to relax by listening to music, preferably very loudly and often joining in the lyrics myself, to the occasional alarm of our neighbours. I suffered some nerve damage in my hands and feet as a result of my chemotherapy, and Helen persuaded me that massaging them with essential oils might help to release some tension – and that I might just enjoy the sense of being pampered! This became a regular fixture – if my feet or hands were sore (or even if they weren’t), she would rub them as gently or vigorously as felt comfortable while we were watching TV or chatting.
Although it could not directly help the nerve damage, it did help me to relax and she was right about the pampering!
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