What are you doing for your mental health?

Good question, @iserbrown ... Whilst not having been thru as much as many on the forum (surgery, rads & tabs) I HAVE found that  the emotional toll is much greater than I ever anticipated - and I think others would agree with this.  The whole thing 'mucks with your brain' - and just leaves you a bit 'vulnerable' at times.  It is a feeling that family & friends don't always 'get' (especially the very real fear of recurrence) - or if they DO realise you are 'fragile' - they don't always know how to deal with it!

SO - for my Mental Health ... I just try to keep myself busy for as much of the day as I can.  When you are concentrating on things - you don't tend to ponder your problems as much as if you are alone & not busy.

Running my Uke Group  keeps me REALLY busy - as we have 2 practise session a week & perform at 4-6 Nursing Homes every 6 weeks, as well as requests to perform at other gigs (like Legacy, Probus & others.)  We perform at Fund Raisers as well (our Breast Cancer FR was cancelled back in April when the heavens opened & the fields flooded!  :( )   We currently have 3 more fund raisers on our books over the next 4-6 weeks, on top of our regular stuff!

Also - I just LOVE getting out in my kayak & going kayak fishing too!   2-3 times a week would be wonderful, even once a week, to get my 'fix'!  Out in nature, you are just 100% concentrating on everything going on around you .... watching the Sea Eagles, watching the fish swimming around the shallows & leases, just trying to work out which lure to work where, to hook a fish ...... sometimes I even bring one home for a feed!! 

I know that not everyone is able to get out & do physical things - but just getting together with buddies for a coffee & a chat, or a knitting/craft circle - going to the movies - just try & make sure that you are having SOME sort of social interaction at least once a week!   Even going to the Library to read the daily papers can be fun - just try to get into some sort of new routine - join the local craft centre & try new things!  ;)   There are SO many things out there just now that we can try, see if there is something that interests YOU & give it a go!  ;)  

All the best to everyone doing it tough just now ..... hoping it gets better for you xxx

I go back to my breathing meditation when my mind is whirring too much for me to sleep. Sometimes it takes an hour or so of just lying there, bringing my mind back to the breath over and over, but usually it works eventually.

I’m trying to craft more crochet and knitting and just trying to breathe and slow down. I’m a huge stress head and can’t help but feel that may have added to where I currently am so really trying to work on that

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Exercise is my go to! 

A bit of a crappy week, last week with other family members' problems and moods.  I could feel my stress and anxiety levels building, much as they had for so long pre-diagnosis (I've had anxiety this year but it's been about me and feels completely different).  On a couple of occasions when things got really bad, I actually visualised pushing the mass of stress out of me.  It didn't work completely but it did calm me down somewhat.  As I'm firmly convinced, with no scientific evidence whatsoever, that nearly 4 years of major stress and anxiety brought this cancer on, I WILL NOT allow it to happen again.

I firmly believe that stress brought my cancer on and reading your post @sister it would seem that is a common denominator for some of us.

Deep breath, pat yourself down.  

I started this thread as I thought the question was relevant to us all.  We find our tolerance levels vary and we can crack it over something minute. For some the parental role reverses and becomes a pressure that is difficult to bare; recognise that as we have been through, we sailed through but one of my sister-in-laws couldn't cope.  Sadly of our four parents we only have one left.

Time out, whether it be a cuppa on the verandah, a walk around the garden at home or further afield, if time and energy permits, or a hobby that has sat in the background as we spend all our energy on others.

My brother went through unresolved trauma and was encouraged to find his hobby and it has worked a treat as it is something he looks forward to, last Sunday of the month and prep work in between.

Take care and find time for yourselves

Sending a virtual hug, even though one of my Ex-med cancer buddies has said the one thing she can't cope with is the desire of people that she hardly knows wanting to give her a hug!

For my mental health I come on this bnca forum of course! Stuff never seems so bad when its shared with cyber friends.
I avoid stress as much as possible now and try to enjoy mother nature more. 
A good laugh with someone, even a complete stranger does wonders.

Little story, the other day I was looking for my hubby in the shopping center where I misplaced him and thought maybe he was out in the car park in the car. Well, remembering where he had parked the car ended up with me walking up and down aisles of cars. A lady about my age came up to me and said, "you look like you've lost your car too. Nice to see someone else has the same trouble." We walked along together and eventually I found our car but hubby wasn't in it. She was elated one of us had found our cars. When I said, "now all I have to do is find where my hubby has gone off to." She burst out laughing, which was infectious. She said she just needed a good laugh and continued on her car searching journey. 

Exercise is my go to as well, plus my embroidery, gardening, walking our dog. If the thought gremlins get too much i envisage a dark room with an open box in front of a window and pile all the those thoughts in that box, close it, tape it shut and kick it it out the window. It works for me and the gremlins really only happen at night or on long drives.

hahahaha  I can SO relate to your story, @Brenda5 .... some years back, after leaving work, I actually reported to the police that my car had been stolen as I couldn't find it!   What I'd forgotten was that I'd arrived at work late & didn't get my 'usual spot' ..... and the car was actually parked in the next street - which I finally remembered!!  HOW EMBARRASSING!

Re getting lost - Hubby & I have a 'secret whistle' if we are separated at airports, train stations or shopping centres .... I do the loud whistle & put my hand in the air .... if he hears it - he looks for the hand in the air .... It works a treat!  ;)