Coping techniques
Sometimes, our minds tell us things that are unkind or unhelpful. It may be helpful to take some time out and reflect on what you are thinking and how this might be affecting you. It may be useful to think about your life, what is happening and what you truly value and want from life. By thinking what it is you value, you can take the actions that reflect what you think is important.
You can try the following four steps to help manage your feelings and emotions:
- Connect with the present moment. Stay with the present and be aware of your body and the world around you. Remain connected physically and emotionally.
- Be open to your thoughts. Notice them and try to identify the various thoughts you might be having and whether they are helpful or unhelpful. Rather than struggle against your mind, notice your thoughts as thoughts that may come and go.
- Notice what it is you value right now. In this moment, is there one small thing you can do that will connect you with something or someone important? It could be messaging a friend, taking a walk in nature, reading about something you are passionate about, or doing something else that connects you with a sense of purpose.
- Take action. What are the things you can do that reflect your values? Accept the things you cannot change and, if you need to, try to change the things you can.
Things change in our lives and we have to respond flexibly to changing situations. Keep steps 1 – 4 in mind and use them in your daily life as different events occur. You may need to return to them, adapt them and apply them again as new events affect your feelings.
If you found this page helpful, you can skip through to specific techniques that will help achieve steps 1 – 4. Click here to access them. Alternatively, you can continue exploring this section.
If your emotional and psychological difficulties are severe or last more than two to four weeks, your GP, cancer nurse or other member of your health care team may recommend Talking Therapies or medication. Click on the boxes below to find out more.
Talking Therapies
If your emotional difficulties last more than 2 – 4 weeks or get in the way of your daily life, your GP or health professional may refer you to counselling services, often called Talking Therapies. All services provide a confidential, safe space to talk through emotional issues. Services and professionals include:
- Counsellors – provide talking therapy to help people with a range of emotional and psychological difficulties. In cancer services, counsellors often meet people experiencing mild-to-moderate distress and work with emotional reactions to cancer, including feelings of anxiety, low mood, loss or grief. They may work with a person diagnosed with cancer or with the person’s family members.
- Psychologists – work with people experiencing a range of difficulties with their physical or mental health. This includes direct therapeutic work with people experiencing anxiety, trauma, depression or mental health problems, working with painful emotions such as shame or guilt, and helping people to manage and adjust to physical health problems and serious illness. In cancer services, psychologists often meet people experiencing more severe levels of distress and work to prevent psychological difficulties from developing or getting worse. They may work with individuals and families, or they may help the wider clinical team to recognise, understand and meet a person’s psychological and emotional needs.
- Psychiatrists – are medical doctors who specialise in working with mental health conditions including anxiety, depression, psychosis and other mental health diagnoses. Psychiatrists often use medications to help treat these difficulties, although some psychiatrists are also trained to provide talking therapies. In cancer services, psychiatrists tend to be involved in supporting people with more severe mental health difficulties. They may work as part of a team with other mental health specialists such as registered mental health nurses.
- Mental health nurses – professionals trained to help people live with different types of emotional and mental health problems.
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy therapists - professionals who are trained to help people manage problems by changing the way they think and behave.
- Psychological wellbeing practitioners - professionals trained to assess people's psychological and emotional health problems and support their recovery.
You can refer yourself to Talking Therapies. For more information, visit this nhs.uk website: Find an NHS psychological therapies service.
Medication
- Counsellors – provide talk therapy, helping people identify things important to them, deal with practical problems and find new ways of coping.
- Psychologists – help with emotional and personal matters, help address confusing and distressing emotions and help people make decisions.
- Psychiatrists – specialise in preventing, identifying or managing disorders, such as depression.
- Mental health nurses – professionals trained to help people live with different types of emotional and mental health problems.
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy therapists - professionals who are trained to help people manage problems by changing the way they think and behave.
- Psychological wellbeing practitioners - professionals trained to assess people's psychological and emotional health problems and support their recovery.