Three Things That Can Get in the Way of Self-Care When Recovering From Breast Cancer

You might not of heard much talk about aftercare as you are recovering from breast cancer. Maybe they refer to it as past tense...recovered. And yet, you still have pain, tightness that keeps you up at night, and those thoughts of reoccurrence shadow the happiest of moments. You also might be at the helm of your recovery and reading up on all the things that you can do to heal. Whether you are still in treatment or you are five years out (or ten and even twenty) knowing that scar release is helpful and actually adding it to your day is another. Loving baths and actually getting in the tub are two different things. Later is always later until you make it a now. It's not your fault or a character flaw that keeps you from taking better care of yourself. I can teach you all the things; the scar release, the breastwork, how to get out of fight or flight so you can really rest and heal, how to catch those thoughts and reframe, and how to identify your one thing and get closer to your wins, all to help you find your new favorite self...AND one of the most important things I work with my clients on is what gets in the way and how to side-step those roadblocks and move forward in your recovery; body, mind, and spirit, cuz as you know it is more than just tight scars.

Today I'm gonna share the three main things that get in the way of self-care...time, energy, and those sneaky expectations whether they are yours or those around you. 

TIME

It's one thing to know that you could be doing your scar release more consistently, that to stretch helps you feel better, to get those hours of sleep in can make or break your next day...but how do you find the time? Most women I work with talk about the lack of time. You are already overwhelmed with "all the things". How do you find the time to add all that self-care?

 ENERGY 

If ya weren't already tired as it is without adding "more"! I hear ya and similar to time, when you add in your self-care on a  regular basis, you are gonna get more energy! When you have that straight-jacket of tightness it takes more energy to move throughout the day. It's as if you were walking around in your high school jeans! When you have pain, you are using more energy, more bandwidth, and more spoons just to do your day. Your nervous system is firing off all day and night keeping you on edge with adrenaline and cortisol flowing when you are really just trying to sleep.

Getting consistent on your self-care, your scar release, and the other tools and techniques I teach, creates more space and more sense of ease within yourself and your body...creates more energy.

EXPECTATIONS 

Many women hear from their doctors whether word for word or through the lack of response, that "this is as good as it gets". Your partner might think you are all back to normal because you got the "all clear" from your doctor. You've been through a lot and your family and partner have done so much for you that it's hard to ask for help or feel like you are a burden so when your bestie asks how you're doing you might reply fine. Isolation, self-judgment, and the sense that there is something wrong with the way you and your body heal from breast cancer can shadow any women's day and over time starts to feel like your new normal.  They don't talk about the lingering side-effect in that brochure. And they don't talk about aftercare.

It's ok that you need more physical therapy, that you need more time to recover, AND that you are still looking for solutions. You can be grateful AND...all of these and more. Integrating a new way of being is hard but adding some self-care to yourself throughout the week might be just the thing that your body needs to soften those scars, get out of pain, and get back to doing. Adding more time dedicated to yourself can be just the thing that helps you process your experience, lets your nervous system settle, and for you to feel more at ease in your world while you recover from those breast cancer surgeries and treatments. Checking in with those thoughts around how you should heal vs how you feel today can help you find more grace with your journey, more compassion for yourself and all you've been through and your week will have dedicated moments and blocks of time for just you. Aftercare is an important step to integrating your experience, healing, and stepping into your new favorite self. Reclaim Your Body After Breast Cancer!

What gets in the way of you adding more self-care to your world? Hit reply and let me know..is it time, energy, or expectations for you? I would love to hear from you:-)