Guest Blog: 5 Ways to Cope After Being Diagnosed with Cancer....compliments of WhatNext.com

GUEST BLOG:
Today's blog is from Greg Pierce is a 3x cancer survivor and community manager for WhatNext.com

A cancer diagnosis may take a toll on all areas of your life. It can affect your emotions, your physical body, your daily routine, and even your mind. Here are five firsthand insights on positive ways that you can begin your journey in each of those areas of your life.

1. Emotional - It’s likely that you will experience a whirlwind of emotions after you hear that you are diagnosed with cancer. It may include shock, fear, anxiety, and even denial. Embrace your emotions; let them sink in; do not push them away. If you deal with emotions head-on then you might find it easier to move on. If you feel overwhelmed you can seek the help of a counselor or support group.

2. Physical - (Are you reading closely? This one is important.) Take care of you. You just became your number #1 priority. This means making all those “cliche” healthy decisions. Get more sleep, exercise regularly, and keep a healthy diet. This may be taking a daily walk, going to bed a little earlier, or eliminating processed foods from your diet. Whatever it is - take care of yourself. Have confidence that these seemingly simple things will contribute to your physical health while you’re fighting cancer.

3. Practical - Often it is the little things that can make a big difference. In the past, cancer patients have recommended bringing a friend or family member to doctor appointments, asking as many questions to get the answers you need, doing research on trusted medical sites, and keeping track of all insurance and medical information.

4. Psychological - You may have heard the expression “mind over matter;” some people affected by cancer agree that a positive outlook and can-do attitude through their diagnosis starts in their mind. It might be difficult at first, but it could be helpful to find new perspectives so that you can accept your diagnosis and move forward.

5. Humor - A lot of people with cancer have simply tried to find humor in their everyday lives. Maybe there were certain things that made them uncomfortable before, but now they just find reasons to laugh about them. Finding humor in your life may give you a better perspective on your diagnosis.

Now that we’ve given you these five insights on how to cope emotionally, physically, practically, and psychologically, try to implement at least one of these tips today. You can work on it for a few days, and then try the next. Even if you feel you are moving at turtle speed, you are making progress and that is what is important!