Self-Care
As a parent or caregiver, there’s nothing more gut wrenching than watching your child struggle with a cancer diagnosis. And of course, you want to do everything you can to help them. Thankfully, in addition to medical care, there are many valuable tools parents can use to help their children cope with cancer. And among them is a self-care plan.
Creating a plan with self-care strategies is a good way to help children feel emotionally and physically stronger. These strategies are particularly helpful for children when they are dealing with challenging situations like medical procedures or difficult treatments. A self-care plan empowers them to continue to be resilient and better able to handle future stressors. In fact, even practicing small self-care acts like deep breathing exercises can promote body and mind wellness and decrease stress.
So, What Exactly is Self-Care?
Self-care is about setting aside time to care for our mind, body, and spirit. It comes in many different forms and looks different for each person. And the goal is to foster personal health, wellbeing, and happiness. It includes physical, social, spiritual, mental, and emotional self-care.
For children this means encouraging them to become mindful of their physical and emotional needs. It’s especially important to create routines that are maintainable for them. This includes exercising, making healthy food choices, identifying feelings, and getting enough rest. This is especially important during treatment or in times of stress. In general, the goal is to maintain energy, a positive mindset, and the best possible health under the circumstances.
Developing the Plan
To begin with, developing a self-care plan starts with a conversation between you and your child. This is the time to identify and prioritize activities which support their wellbeing and improve their mood. In other words, chose activities that make them happy as well as those which help them physically. These include healthy eating, going to bed on time, and setting aside enough time for enjoyable activities. Be sure to carve time out each day for these activities. Above all, keep in mind that the plan is fluid and will certainly change over time.
Physical Self-Care
Physical self-care means doing things to maintain or improve your child’s health and wellbeing. Common examples include eating a well-balance diet, getting enough sleep, exercising, and taking a break when they need it. Stretching, walking, or exercising fall into this category, too. Even a haircut or wearing clothes they like wearing can be considered physical self-care!
Talk to your child’s doctor about exercises that will help your child maintain an appropriate physical activity level during treatment. And speaking with a nutritionist may be very helpful, too.
Emotional and Mental Self-Care
Emotional and mental self-care is about practicing self-compassion. It’s just as important for your child to take care of their mental and emotional health as it is for them to take care of their physical health. These are activities that can help you child process their emotions by reacting to them in a healthy way. They are activities that your child enjoys doing and helps them feel grounded.
Examples of emotional self-care include journaling, mindfulness, spending time in nature or doing enjoyable hobbies. Reading, coloring, listening to music, baking or playing an instrument are also self-care activities. As well as physical activities like exercise, playing sports, hiking, or fishing. Even personal care activities that comfort your child like taking long baths, or getting a manicure fall into this category. Essentially, emotional and mental self-care activities are those that help keep your child grounded and clear headed. And including some of these activities in your child’s daily life should be a priority.
Social Self-Care
Social self-care means setting aside time to maintain healthy relationships and spending time with friends and family. When your child is hospitalized or in treatment this may mean staying connected electronically either through a laptop or tablet like the ones Mikey’s Way distributes.
Spiritual Self-Care
Spiritual self-care means nurturing your child’s spirit. This doesn’t have to involve religion. Rather, it’s about doing things that fuel their soul. For example, it could be meditation, yoga, or if applicable attending worship services. It can also include practicing gratitude, or random acts of kindness like giving your child’s favorite nurse a thank you note.
Identifying Coping Strategies
It’s also important to identify coping strategies that your child can use when they are feeling sad or anxious. These calming strategies are particularly important when your child is stressed or having an especially difficult time. Think about what recharges their battery when they are stressed. These strategies might include breathing exercises, mindfulness, talking to a friend, taking a walk, or listening to music. Maybe it’s escaping into a video game or journaling on a laptop like the ones Mikey’s Way distributes. Or connecting with friends on the phone or on-line.
Positive Self-Care
By learning to identify activities and practices that support their wellbeing, and happiness, your child will be able to sustain positive self-care during their cancer journey and throughout their lives.
As always, first check with your child’s medical team before trying something new.