Cancer can take a toll on you mentally as well as physically. Concerns about your prognosis and long-term health are completely normal and to be expected. However, depression and anxiety can reduce your body’s ability to heal, so it’s important to address these issues. Our Mindfulness mental wellness program will teach you more about the connection between your body and your mind, between cancer and your mental health, and offer advice for improving your mental well‑being.
Managing Mindfully
Mindfulness can be a powerful tool in lowering stress and keep you from feeling overwhelmed during treatment. At its most basic, mindfulness means allowing yourself to focus on where you are and what you are doing, without judging how you’re feeling. When you’re able to calm your racing thoughts and worries, you might find it easier to deal with your emotions, find solutions to problems and reduce overreactions to items beyond your control.
Our programs will teach you how to be mindful. You’ll learn complementary practices such as journaling and other creative outlets.
It’s OK to Not Be OK
Both patients and their caregivers can feel immense anxiety after receiving a cancer diagnosis. Beyond mindfulness, these tips can help you manage stress, depression and anxiety:
Talk it out. Whether you attend one of our many support groups or confide in a loved one, verbalizing your feelings can help you process them.
Listen with sympathy. Feeling sad and angry is completely normal. Rather than ignoring or judging those feelings, talk through them and try to find solutions together.
Take care of yourself. Take time regularly to do something you enjoy. Whenever possible, get others involved, as friends and loved ones can be powerful anti-depressants.
Seek out professional help. Recognizing that you can’t manage stress, depression and anxiety on your own takes enormous strength and courage. Our team can connect you with a mental health professional when necessary.
Our Mindfulness classes and seminars are led by licensed clinical social workers. All sessions are held online via Microsoft Teams, unless otherwise specified on the event page.
Blossom Within
This class is for anyone currently receiving treatment and will teach you how to renew yourself from the inside out and discover ways to complement your inner and outer beauty with make-up tips, post-surgical attire and healthy living.
This class is only offered in person. Email BlossomWithin@bmhcc.org to sign up or learn more.
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Cancer and Your Self‑Image
This workshop addresses the physical and emotional changes that cancer can bring and helps you work through and manage feelings associated with these changes.
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CBT and Mindfulness
This seminar will discuss cognitive behavioral therapy used for coping with depression, anxiety and other issues. It will help you focus on how you feel and think and show you how your thoughts and feelings affect your behavior—and recognize negative thought patterns. We will also discuss mindfulness to improve your awareness of what is happening in the present moment without judgement and what exercises can help. This class is part of a three-part series.
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Coping With Cancer
This seminar will discuss positive and helpful coping strategies and techniques that anyone can learn. These strategies are shown to decrease overall stress and enhance mental health while undergoing cancer treatment and dealing with your diagnosis. The seminar is led by a master’s level social worker. This class is part of a three-part series.
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Emotional Health and Wellbeing During Your Cancer Journey
This seminar takes a deep dive into the relationship between emotional health and cancer treatment. You’ll learn the difference between anxiety, depression and distress, as well as how to manage your feelings. This class is part of a three-part series.
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Mindfulness Based Cancer Recovery
This group program, based on a stress-reduction approach created by mindfulness expert Jon Kabat-Zinn, helps you cope with cancer treatment through intentional thinking and stretching exercises. This is a closed group, and participants must register for all four sessions.
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Sexuality and Intimacy After Cancer Treatment for Women
Geared to women, this seminar can help you better understand changes you may experience after cancer, how to discuss intimacy concerns with your provider and get support from other women who have had cancer.
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