“Stay positive and everything will be fine!” Easier said than done. During cancer treatment, even the biggest optimists have their rough moments. They, too, have to find a way to deal with their fears and frustrations. One tip: try to phrase things positively and avoid negative words. It helps you look at things from a different angle! How do you do that? Try it yourself with these 7 examples.
Say no longer… > But try saying…
- I feel less sick. > I’m feeling better every day.
- I’m tired, I don’t feel like going out. > I’m tired, I would love it if you came by.
- Three more chemo sessions. > Only three more chemo sessions.
- Why am I sick? > What can I learn from what I’m going through?
- I am a cancer patient. > I have cancer at the moment.
- I have no stress. > I feel relaxed.
- That won’t work. > Let’s see if this works.
More positive thinking: try looking at your hair loss differently too
Admittedly, we’ve yet to meet the first woman who enjoys losing her hair on top of the discomforts of chemotherapy. Hair loss affects how you see yourself. And it makes your illness more visible to the outside world. It’s perfectly normal to be completely fed up with it sometimes. But also try looking at it from a positive angle. We dug into our own memories and made a list of 5 advantages of being bald. Because sometimes you just need a little wink of humour, right? Discover the ‘5 advantages’ of being bald >>
It's okay if you struggle
to stay positive all the time
(Source: “Mijn borsten. Mijn boek. Leven met borstkanker, een ondersteunend parcours.” Published as part of the Pink Ribbon Campaign 2013)
