Being told to “calm down” is the last thing anyone needs to hear in any situation, let alone someone who’s dealing with breast cancer. However, we know meditation does help – research says so. Six weeks of meditation significantly reduced depression symptoms after breast cancer treatment, and the benefits continued for at least six months after stopping meditation. It’s key to know when and how to take a pause.
Stress takes up a lot of real estate in our mind and body, and meditation can be a time of escrow to release those feelings. Even if only for a few minutes.
Life after breast cancer treatment.
Why is meditation so hard for those with breast cancer?
Breast cancer diagnosis, treatment and physical changes can have a deep impact on one’s mental wellness. Annie Amirault, MSW, RSW, and relearninghuman.com’s psychotherapist and social worker, says finding small joys is hard. But a traumatic or stressful event like breast cancer can make it more difficult. “Your whole life is completely different,” she says, “because we’re confronted by the reality that we are mortal.” So, yeah, it’s tough to just think about “nothing.”
“It is a struggle,” says Amirault. “You’re going to be more anxious and body focused. There’s no shame in that.” But where it gets complicated is dealing with the triggers, like driving past the hospital, and flashbacks, like the first time seeing new scars. Many patients get frustrated when they feel they can’t get past it, questioning themselves and their emotional strength. “You don’t feel ‘normal’,” she says, adding that we should banish the word “normal.” Transform your thoughts from “what’s wrong with me?” to “I think differently.” Not just mentally, but physically, too. “Your neural pathways have changed, and so your brain is different.”
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Finding everyday joy when life’s hard
If you’re using meditation to find joy, Amirault says to stop. Joy is fleeting but “baseline contentment” could be a more achievable goal. “You know how you feel when you sit by that window, and you stare up at the sun. Or when you feel the mist from the rain on your face, or when you’re doing yoga or stretching.” Connect to your body and how it feels in that moment.
Scent is another powerful tool. Amirault uses sage and peppermint during grounding exercises. “Grab something you like to smell and smell it ‘outside of your body,’ so you’re not focusing on phantom pain, that twinge in your chest or scar.”
She says to feel the sensation of scent, the coolness it brings in the nose. Note the details: how your muscles feel, how safe you feel, what you see when your eyes are closed, and what you hear and taste because of what you’re smelling.
“The human brain will just kick in,” so be kind to yourself.
A lot of meditation and breathwork use parts of the body that were affected by cancer treatment, she says, which can affect how safe you feel within the practice. Instead, look at meditation as creating “micro-moments” in your routine.
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Meditation pairs with acceptance – yes, you need both
Amirault points to sadness as a cycle. It can come in waves, and it can be triggered by something simple and unexpected. IYKYK. And it can happen to anyone dealing with any kind of trauma, says Amirault. “One of the issues we have with mental wellness literature, blogs and magazines, is that it’s a one-size-fits-all treatment.”
If you try it and it works for you, that’s great. But if it doesn’t, that’s OK, too, says Amirault. Try another grounding exercise, like strategic breath, body scan or even walking, according to Royal Roads University.
“I took meditation classes and yoga classes, some reflection classes, creative classes; everything that [a local cancer wellness program] offered, I took advantage of,” says Jaclyn Carter, who went through breast cancer treatment two years ago. “At the time, those things helped a little bit. But keeping up any kind of consistent practice felt like this gargantuan task,” she admits.
Be flexible and kind. Amirault works with her patients for multiple sessions to figure out what will work and she says it can take multiple sessions with ongoing support. She recommends creating a list of supportive exercises you can use when experiencing difficult and distressing memories, emotions or thoughts. It’s not about one solution, but a toolbox.
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