Cancer may certainly make it tough to be present and be a part of what is going on in the world around you. Moreover, for patients who have been diagnosed with advanced cancer or who are dealing with end-of-life difficulties, their minds can become so cluttered with anxiety and stress that they find it difficult to be present and aware of the time they have right now.

Recent improvements in cancer therapy and care are making people more inclined towards alternative methods of coping with the physical and mental obstacles that come with the disease. Treatments such as mindfulness meditation for cancer patients have significantly improved multiple health aspects. Emotional well-being, physical health, and psychological balance are some of the improvements that are addressed through mindfulness meditation.

Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation For Cancer Patients

Over the last few years, a great number of people have come to realize the true value and essence of mindfulness meditation. They now understand the benefits of mindful meditation for cancer parents in terms of stress reduction and improved psychological functioning.

Improved Physical Health

The findings of a 2011 study on ‘Experiences of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Cancer Patients’ revealed that individuals who practised mindfulness meditation for cancer patients reported numerous positive impacts on their physical and mental health. Impacts included increased calmness, improved sleep quality, more energy, reduced physical pain, and increased wellbeing. The study convinced that mindfulness meditation for cancer patients helps them cope with the pressures of everyday life that interfere with the body’s ability to heal.

Accelerated Healing

According to the Cancer council, mindfulness meditation for cancer patients can help lower the levels of stress hormones in one’s body which enhances the process of healing and boosts immunity. Mindfulness meditation for cancer patients has also increased coping mechanisms in individuals along with pain and nausea reduction, relieving anxiety and depression.

Elevated Mindful Living

Multiple mindfulness therapists have portrayed that mindfulness meditation has let cancer patients live life as though it mattered, paying attention to every moment, no matter how sophisticated.

In other places, cancer patients practising mindfulness meditation say that it helps them appreciate the beautiful life they have been given, one moment at a time.

Mindfulness meditation brings the ability to repair one’s body and mind. It has also helped them find their sense of serenity by regulating their emotions and helping them cope with their physical discomfort. Even though mindfulness meditation does not cure cancer, it does have a role to play in a person’s overall health.

Relieving Negative Sentiments

The mere use of the word cancer might provoke distressing ideas and feelings but the word “mindfulness meditation” is calming like a blanket.

Many cancer patients have ideas of agony, loss, and even the shortening of their life in their minds when they are diagnosed with this disease. This kind of thinking can be debilitating both physically and psychologically. But it is the emotional response to the concept of cancer that is stressful. For instance, it is possible when a thought arises, a person may believe the negative notion, try to push it away, or blame oneself for it, which leads to more emotional and physical pain. But mindfulness meditation for cancer patients allows one to become more aware of the thoughts rather than deny or change them.

Increased Compassion Towards Oneself

Mindfulness meditation for cancer patients lets individuals learn to become more aware of their thoughts and feelings which allows them to discover new ways of responding. Responses such as finding out that thought isn’t always true, developing compassion for oneself, and letting ideas and feelings be present without battling them.

Reduced Pain Intensity

A significant number of cancer patients face pain whether they are at the initial or terminal stages. Nevertheless, mindfulness meditation for cancer patients has statistically reduced pain intensity.

Lowered Cancer-Related Fatigue

Many cancer survivors are found to face Cancer-Related Fatigue (CRF) which results in major distresses. Studies have shown that mindfulness meditation for cancer patients significantly improves the Attentional Function Index (AFI) resulting in reduced CRF.

Improved Cachexia

Cancer-related cachexia is the syndrome of continuous loss of skeletal muscle mass that leads to functional impairment. When cancer patients go through weight loss greater than five percent it means they suffer from cancer cachexia. Various studies have revealed that mindfulness meditation for cancer patients has improved emotional and observational function and relieves fatigue along with digestive disorders.

Better Sleep Quality

The majority of cancer patients go through sleep disorders such as problems in falling asleep, staying asleep, staying awake during the day, and having restless sleep. Mindfulness meditation for cancer patients improved the quality of sleep addressing all sleep concerns such as sleep latency, awakenings, and excessive daytime sleep.

Tips for Mindfulness meditation for cancer patients

Regularly practice the art of being present in the moment.
Take a few moments to notice your breathing and mental activity when you are doing your everyday tasks such as answering a phone, going up and down a stair or taking a sip of water.
Choose one everyday activity to practice thoughtfully, whether taking a walk or brushing your teeth.
Try to be kind and non-judgmental to yourself when you are reminded of your limitations whether physical or mental.
Acknowledging difficult times and realizing that no time stays the same. Asking questions from oneself to be more compassionate when facing challenges.
Experiment with embracing your feelings rather than shoving them under the rug.

In a Nutshell

When cancer patients practice mindfulness meditation, they’ll be able to observe the ever-changing experience of their character and a constant flux of bodily sensations, ideas, and emotions. Mindfulness meditation enables cancer patients to be ‘present in the moment’ more easily and be conscious of its impermanence. Noticing impermanence can let individuals treasure their life even amidst the chaos to regulate their thoughts and emotions.