Coping with stress

[Free]

Hi, My Mum has had cancer for several years. I am not actively involved every day, but have been there for her as much as possible with appointments, visits, help, etc. Surgery, chemo, radiation, brain surgery, whole brain radiation and now more tumours plus side effects of treatments. She has endured so much and I feel I have no right to complain. But even tho I seem calm on the outside, as we go thru this next round of investigations,my body seems to have gone into stress overload with tight chest, rashes and exhaustion. Want to stay well for me, for my kids, for dad, for work, for my sisters, for her friends and am so, so grateful to have her in my life and to be there for her, just would love some ideas how to stay strong.

[little_stitcher]

'Staying strong' is such a tricky concept. I think the definition of it needs to be adapted to the time scale involved. By the sound of it,given what you've been dealing with for several years, you are strong. I think, given your time frame, what you're experiencing is not a sign of not being strong, just a sign that you need to look after yourself a bit (I know that can sound like an impossible task at times.) Your body won't be cheated- if you need to rest your body will force you to rest, even if it has to collapse to make it happen. It's best to listen to your body before it gets to that stage. Do you have any constructive stress outlets you can use (ie. boxercise, not alcohol)? Or any things you find really relaxing? See if you can work them into your life regularly. Even if it's just 10 minutes every few days, it might make all the difference. Be kind to yourself. love and hugs, Emily

[Free]

Thank you so much Emily. Your kind reply helped me through a tough day in a tough week.

[Free]

Thank you so much Emily. Your kind reply helped me through a tough day in a tough week.

[little_stitcher]

Anytime, sweetie, feel free to message me any time you want. Hope today is a good day. x