Tips to Nurture Psychological Well-Being During Cancer Care

When you’re working with cancer patients and their family members, keep in mind the following tips for nurturing their psychological well-being. Help them: 

• Find a new outlook. Encourage them to figure out how cancer fits into their life. This can be a very challenging task. However, if they’re able to accept the situation and focus on what they can change (not on what they can’t change), it will help them move forward and focus on living. Another way to say this is help them think through “a new normal.”
• Try not to generalize. Cancer means something different to each individual. While some individuals may share similar feelings, everyone experiences cancer differently and that experience is unique.
• Talk about their feelings. Help them communicate how they feel to others to take the pressure off themselves. If they’re not up to talking on the phone or having visitors, appoint a family member to be a point of contact.
• Build a support system. A support network allows a cancer patient and the family members to talk about their concerns, evaluate the decisions they need to make, and help them feel less isolated. Encourage them to reach out to family and friends, other cancer survivors, a spiritual leader, etc.
• Maintain a healthy lifestyle. Caring for their psychological well-being helps them care for their physical well-being and vice versa. Share with them that they need to pay attention to their needs for rest, nutrition, exercise and private time. Suggest they with their doctor about making healthy lifestyle choices.
• Understand they shouldn’t be reluctant to seek professional counseling. Psychological care is normal and necessary and is an integral part of cancer care. Suggest they ask their health care provider for a referral to a psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker, pastoral counselor, local support group, etc.