How to foster a positive mindset and build resilience when going through breast cancer
This breast cancer awareness month, we uncover insight from a two-times breast cancer survivor and Cancer Coach
Text: Isabel Galiano
Breast Cancer Survivor - Isabel Galiano (Credits: Isabel Galiano)
The beginning of my breast cancer journey
In 2006 my life changed dramatically with these four words: you have breast cancer. I was 32 years old. My career in the media was riding high. I had just returned from my honeymoon and we were planning to start a family. My life had never felt happier.
Five years before my diagnosis, my mother passed away from colon cancer at 53. I was by her side throughout her battle, so I fully understood the scary and painful journey ahead. I was diagnosed with Stage 2, triple-positive breast cancer. My doctor explained that because of my young age, the cancer was particularly aggressive. Multiple surgeries, chemotherapy, radiotherapy - all the things from my mother’s past were now awaiting me.
Almost instantly, my survival instincts kicked in. Every cell in my body screamed, “You are strong, and you will get through this!”. There was no doubt in my mind that I would heal.
After multiple surgeries, six months of chemotherapy, and three months of daily radiotherapy, I was convinced that I was healed and that cancer would never be part of my life again.
Building resilience when going through breast cancer (Credits: Isabel Galiano)
Surviving breast cancer a second time
In 2008, on a routine check-up, my doctor announced that a new tumour was growing in the scar tissue of my first breast surgery. A biopsy confirmed that my cancer was back. I needed more extensive surgery and additional treatment. After the shock and disbelief, I knew I had to find the strength to keep a positive mindset. I pledged to take a more active role in my healing journey and that in addition to medical treatments, I would explore other ways to enhance my body’s ability to heal and remain healthy. I learned about the mind-body connection by becoming qualified in yoga, breathing techniques, meditation, Reiki and studying visualisation techniques.
A positive mindset is a skill that can be learned
Without a doubt, personality plays an important role; I always considered myself extremely lucky to have a natural tendency to see the glass half full, where others might tend to have a more negative outlook. However, through my own experiences and having worked with hundreds of cancer patients, I have witnessed that it is not only a matter of “luck” or “personality”; instead, resilience and positive mindset is a skill that can be learned. With the right tools and strategy, it is almost like a muscle that you can build up.
Fostering a positive mindset (Credits: Isabel Galiano)
Here are my 12 tips to build resilience and a positive mindset:
1) Get exposed to natural daylight, ideally first thing in the morning
Get exposed to outdoor light, whenever possible, I always suggest going for a morning walk, which I try to practise daily myself. 10-15 minutes can be enough. If going for a walk is not an option, opening your blinds, sitting on your balcony or close to a window is also helpful to enhance mood and energy levels.
2) Be super protective of your sleep
Being sleep deprived exacerbates feelings of depression and anxiety. We have all experienced how having a bad night impacts our mood, we are less patient, more irritable and more negative. Sleep is not only a powerful tool to boost the immune system, but also to regulate mood.
3) Spend time in nature
Being in nature reduces anger, fear, stress and increases pleasant feelings. Exposure to nature not only makes you feel better emotionally, it also contributes to your physical wellbeing, reducing blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension and the production of stress hormones.
4) Bring nature inside your home
Looking or listening to sounds of nature has benefits in terms of mood and mindset; have plants, flowers and images of nature or even listen to sounds of nature.
5) Use positive affirmations
Spending time in a hospital can be intimidating and even scary; using positive affirmations can make you feel more confident and reduce stress levels. “My treatment is working and I am healing”, “I believe in my body’s ability to heal and restore”, “Cancer is leaving my body”.
Create your own to ensure you’re choosing affirmations that will help you most.
6) Write a daily gratitude journal, ideally just before sleeping
The very moment you evoke the emotion of gratitude, negative emotions are evaporated, even if only for a short period of time.
I usually suggest coming up with five things you are grateful for just before sleep, as it can also promote better sleep and a better mood when waking up.
7) Stay away from people who deplete your energy
There are times, where you need to be brutally selfish; going through cancer is definitely one of those times. This is a time where you don’t have the luxury to allow negative people to sap your energy away.
8) You have the right to choose with whom you share your diagnosis and with whom not
Telling your story over and over again is exhausting and frankly quite depressing. You do not have an obligation to talk about it to everybody. I always recommend to have a polite but firm response ready if you are confronted with intrusive questions - “Thank you for your concern, but I’d rather not talk about my health right now”.
9) Laugh every day
Laughter is a powerful antidote against negative feelings; make sure to plan fun moments in your agenda. Try to laugh daily, even if it’s watching funny videos on YouTube.
10) Avoid reading negative stories about other cancer patients
It is understandable that you want to learn more about other peoples’ experiences, but reading negative stories will only bring you down.
11) Be kind to yourself
Don’t blame yourself if you had a bad day. It’s not realistic to be positive all the time.
12) Be forgiving to yourself
As much as I always encourage working on a healthy lifestyle, it should never come from a place of guilt or self-shaming but rather done in a constructive spirit of looking into the future and focusing on what you can control from now on.
If you, or if you know anyone in need of support in their cancer journey, please visit www.isabelgaliano.com or contact Isabel directly via isabel@isabelgaliano.com to schedule an introduction call and learn more about her services.
