The evidence for maintaining a healthy lifestyle and how this affects mood
Many people living with cancer experience varying physical, psychological and emotional changes that affect their quality of life. Evidence shows that engaging in physical activity, eating a healthy diet, managing alcohol consumption by staying within safe limits, and stopping smoking, can be beneficial before and during treatment and after it has ended.
Regular physical activity stimulates positive psychological functioning and can be used as a method for coping with side effects of cancer and its treatment, such as feelings of depression, anxiety, sleep difficulties, cancer related fatigue, and cognitive confusion or impairment that can persist after cancer treatment (1-7).
Participating in exercise groups has also been found to be beneficial to physical and psychological health, enabling a sense of shared experience, social connectedness and serving as a coping tool to help manage feelings and stress (8).
Diet and nutrition affect emotional wellbeing and healthy eating patterns, such as the Mediterranean diet, are associated with better psychological health than ‘unhealthy’ eating patterns, such as a more Western diet (9).
‘Coping’ is a significant motivation to drink for many experiencing low psychological well-being (mood). However, those drinking in harmful ways are statistically more likely to have low well-being compared to less harmful drinkers. In the UK adult population, there is a clear association between poor psychological well-being and harmful drinking (10).
Some people who smoke believe that smoking helps reduce stress and other psychological health symptoms, like depression and anxiety. They worry that stopping smoking may make psychological health symptoms worse. However, studies have shown that smoking may have a negative impact on people’s psychological health, and stopping smoking could reduce anxiety and depression. People who smoke can be reassured that stopping smoking can help improve their mood by reducing anxiety, depression and stress, and it is unlikely to worsen their social relationships (11, 12).
What this evidence shows is that small changes can make a difference. Introducing some low-level physical activity and making some modifications to diet can help boost mood. Modifying alcohol consumption and giving up smoking can also help and, while these changes may present some challenges at first, seeking support and guidance will help. You don’t have to make lots of changes at the same time as this could be overwhelming. Why not discuss any lifestyle changes you are considering with your health care providers to formulate your ideas and create a Lifestyle Plan.
References
- Segal R, Zwaal C, Green E, Tomasone JR, Loblaw A, Petrella T. The Exercise for People with Cancer Guideline Development Group. Exercise for people with cancer: a systematic review. Curr Oncol. 2017;24(4):e290. doi: 10.3747/co.24.3619
- McDonough MH, Sabiston CM, Crocker PR. An interpretative phenomenological examination of psychosocial changes among breast cancer survivors in their first season of dragon boating. J Appl Sport Psychol. 2008;20(4):425–440. doi: 10.1080/10413200802241857
- Adams SC, DeLorey DS, Davenport MH, Fairey AS, North S, Courneya KS. Effects of high-intensity interval training on fatigue and quality of life in testicular cancer survivors. Brit J Cancer. 2018;118(10):1313–1321. doi: 10.1038/s41416-018-0044-7
- Brown JC, Huedo-Medina TB, Pescatello LS, Ryan SM, Pescatello SM, Moker E, et al. The efficacy of exercise in reducing depressive symptoms among cancer survivors: A meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2012;7:1.
- Mustian KM, Alfano CM, Heckler C, Kleckner AS, Kleckner IR, Leach CR, et al. Comparison of pharmaceutical, psychological, and exercise treatments for cancer-related fatigue: a meta-analysis. JAMA Oncol. 2017;3(7):961–968. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2016.6914
- Wood SK. Transition to cancer survivorship. Adv Nurs Sci. 2018;41(2):145–160. doi: 10.1097/ans.0000000000000190
- Zeng Y, Huang M, Cheng AS, Zhou Y, So WK. Meta-analysis of the effects of exercise intervention on quality of life in breast cancer survivors. Breast Canc. 2014;21(3):262–274. doi: 10.1007/s12282-014-0521-7.
- Martin E, Bulsara C, Battaglini C, Hands B, Naumann FL. Breast and prostate cancer survivor responses to group exercise and supportive group psychotherapy. J Psychosoc Oncol. 2015;33(6):620–634. doi: 10.1080/07347332.2015.1082166
- Firth J, Gangwisch J, Borsini A, Wootton R, Mayer E. Food and mood: how do diet and nutrition affect mental wellbeing? BMJ 2020;369:m2382 http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmj.m2382
- Appleton A, James R, Larsen J. The Association between Mental Wellbeing, Levels of Harmful Drinking, and Drinking Motivations: A Cross-Sectional Study of the UK Adult Population Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2018, 15(7), 1333; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15071333
- Taylor GMJ, Lindson N, Farley A, Leinberger-Jabari A, Swayer K, Water-Naude R, Theodoulou A, King N, Burke C, Aveyard, P. Smoking cessation for improving mental health. Version published: 09 March 2021 https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD013522.pub2
- Difeng Wu A, Gao M, Aveyard P, Taylor G. Smoking Cessation and Changes in Anxiety and Depression in Adults With and Without Psychiatric Disorders JAMA Network Open. 2023;6(5):e2316111. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.16111