How Meditation and Mindfulness Can Help People Living With Cancer

Getting a cancer diagnosis can have an enormous impact on a person’s mental health, causing major stress, anxiety, and depression. Over one-third of people treated for cancer in hospitals have a mental health condition, and the rate of major depressive disorders are three times higher in people living with cancer than that of the general population, according to Mental Health America. Children, teens, and young adults with cancer are at an even greater risk for depression and other conditions compared to adults with cancer.

Mindfulness and meditation have proven to be effective for people living with cancer to help improve their mental health. According to the National Institute of Health, here are some of the benefits gained from a regular practice of meditation and mindfulness:

• Blood Pressure: Meditation can lower blood pressure when combined with standard medical treatment.
• Anxiety and Depression: Meditation can help lessen anxiety, depression, and pain. In women experiencing menopause, meditation has been found to reduce related symptoms like hot flashes, sleep and mood disturbances, stress, and muscle and joint pain.
• Stress: Medical experts report that meditation can lessen stress, fatigue, and also improve sleep, when used along with standard medical treatment.

To start off your meditation practice, try these tips from the National Institute of Health:

• Find a quiet place with few or no distractions.
• Establish a specific position or movement, such as a way of sitting, lying down, or walking.
• Focus your attention on a word, an object, or breathing.
• Clear your mind and have an open attitude that allows for thoughts and distractions to come and go without judgment.

Gilda’s Club Westchester is currently offering a weekly meditation class on Mondays at 2pm, as well as a host of free support activities and resources for people of all ages living with cancer, as well as their family and friends. For more information and to register for events, workshops, and activities, please visit https://gcw.gnosishosting.net/Events/Calendar.