Distractions From Cancer Treatments

Going through cancer can be exhausting. Not just physically but mentally too. To rest physically you can get into comfortable clothes, sit in your favorite chair, and… rest.

But how do you rest mentally? Invasive thoughts can prevent you from concentrating or getting the rest you need.

So, what are some distractions from cancer treatments you can engage in to help you rest mentally? Read on for tips on engaging in distractions from cancer treatments.

Where are you in your cancer journey? Are you just finding out about your diagnosis with your mind spinning out of control with so many questions and fears?

Or are you well into treatments and physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted?

Or perhaps you are finished with treatments but still dealing with fatigue from the mental and emotional effects of your treatments.

No matter where you are on your cancer journey, here are some suggestions of ways you and your supporters can mentally relax, even if only for a short time.

Here are some ways to distract yourself from cancer thoughts that will also help you burn off some excess energy.

Go for a hike or a long walk. Better yet, take one of your cancer supporters with you for even more of a distraction.

Go to a museum, festival, or art show.

When my friend Amanda (Read: The Day Cancer Turned Pink…Again) was going through breast cancer treatments, my husband and I took her with us to an art show. This event was held at multiple artists' studios in the area. Each artist also hosted other local artists in their studios where the public came to look at and buy their crafts.

One benefit of this kind of art show was that she could rest in the car as we traveled from one studio to the next.

Take a drive.

Go out with friends.

Go shopping. Low on funds? Go shopping but don’t buy anything. See what new fashions are being sold at your favorite store. Are the new clothes your style?

Clean out your closet.

Follow a DIY video. Try making something that you wouldn’t normally make. This requires more concentration on the project you are working on and helps keep your mind off troubling thoughts.

Bake a batch of cookies from scratch. This has many benefits. Firstly, it requires concentration to make sure you measure the ingredients properly. Secondly, you get the sensory stimulation of mixing the dough with your hands. Thirdly, the smell of baking cookies literally makes your mouth water. And lastly, the reward of eating the cookies makes it well worth the effort you will have to put in to clean up the mess you made while preparing the cookie dough.

Upcycle something you buy at the local discount store or charity store. Perhaps you will discover a skill you didn’t know you possessed.

Volunteer. Focusing your attention on someone who needs your help is a good distraction from your cancer treatments or an effective way to give back once you finish your treatments.

Go for a bike ride. Safety first though. Be sure to wear your helmet and brightly colored clothing.

Do something from your childhood. Swing on a swing in the park.

Perhaps where you are in your cancer treatments does not leave you with as much energy as you wish you had.

What are some distractions from cancer treatments that don’t require so much energy?

Take a virtual tour. Where have you always wanted to go but have not made it to yet? Go there virtually.

Call a friend or family member.

Draw.

Do a silly dance.

Practice yoga or do some stretching.

Take a short walk or a stroll in the park.

Take photos with your phone.

Work a jigsaw puzzle.

Write in your journal.

Meditate.

Relax in a hammock.

Return to your childhood and make something with plastic building blocks. Have your building skills improved since you were a young child?

Grab a pair of binoculars. Look at things in your near surrounding in a new way. Go outside and look at things close up, like an ant crawling across the ground or clouds floating by.

But what are some distractions from cancer treatments you can do when you have very little energy?

Binge-watch your favorite TV show, a movie you have been wanting to see, or a YouTube video.

Sing. It doesn’t matter if you can’t sing well or don’t remember all the words to the song. Singing is a good way to force you to take deep breaths.

Do some sensory activities. Run your hands through uncooked rice, beans, buttons, or sand. Concentrate on the sensation of the objects as they pass through your fingers. Listen to the sound as the objects fall back into the container.

Play a game on your phone. If you have a bit more energy, play a game on a gaming console. Not that much energy? Perhaps a board game, dominoes, or a game of Solitaire is more your speed.

Make a gratitude collage. Look through magazines for words or pictures to cut out to make a collage with. The act of looking through magazines itself can be meditative.

Listen to a podcast, music, or audiobook.

Sit outside and listen to the sounds of nature. Be sure to take sunburn precautions.

Take a nap or a bubble bath.

Read your Bible.

Read a book.

Pray.

Meditate.

Do word search puzzles. This was one of my mom’s favorite pastimes. (Read: The Day Cancer Turned Pink)

Color.

Paint with water pictures or watercolor paints.

Do word jumble puzzles.

Journal about what is bothering you.

Take a trip down memory lane by looking through a photo album.

Close your eyes and draw something, like a flower. Open your eyes. How close did you come to what you were imagining? Who does your drawing mimic, Thomas Kinkaid, or Picasso?

Watch an aquarium video if you don’t have an aquarium of your own.

Play with Play-Doh. Feel it squish through your fingers.

This is a small list of distractions from cancer treatments. Which thing will you try first?

 Click here for a free gift of distractions from cancer treatment.

Comment below on how your best distractions from cancer treatments.

Wishing you all the best,

Kelly

 Are your cancer screenings up to date?

Yes, I am a nurse. No, I am not your nurse. The medical topics discussed in this, or any article on this site, are intended to be issues for you to discuss with your medical team if you feel they apply to you. None of the information you are about to read in this article is treatment advice for you from me. I do not have that authority.