The secret to relaxation is right under your nose.

Highlights Breathwork is one of many complementary therapies that can help cancer patients cope with treatment and side effects. For a discussion of other such therapies, click here. For a quick overview of some other coping techniques, click here.

As a caregiver of someone with cancer, you know just how much effort is spent on care and treatment of your loved one’s physical health. That, of course, must be the priority. The trouble is that, sometimes, a person’s emotional health can get neglected – and that’s not good. As a caregiver, you can help your loved one better cope with treatment and its side effects by encouraging him or her to try some of these breathing and relaxation exercises. You could benefit from them, too. After all, everyone experiences stress and anxiety from time to time.

In previous issues, we’ve dealt with a number of ways to cope with emotions; however, most of these involve group activities, such as support groups and special coping “classes.” We wholeheartedly recommend these group activities, but we also encourage some emotional coping techniques, ones you can do on your own – every day. There’s something empowering about being able to reduce your stress and anxiousness all by yourself. What’s more, these methods can be used long after treatment has ended. The methods can be summed up in three words: inhale, exhale, and relax.

Breathe:

• Get in a comfortable position, sitting or lying down.
• Close your eyes or focus them on a distant object.
• Breathe in and out slowly through your nose.
• Establish a steady rhythm by saying to yourself: “In, 1, 2; Out 1, 2.”
• Feel yourself relax and go limp each time you exhale.
• Continue for just a few seconds or for up to 10 minutes.

Tense and Release:

• Lie down in a quiet room.
• Take a slow, deep breath in – as you do, tense a specific muscle or muscle group. (For example, clench your teeth or stiffen your arms or legs.)
• Retain the tension and hold your breath for 1 or 2 seconds.
• Breathe out, releasing the tension and relaxing your body completely.
• Repeat with another muscle or muscle group.

Imagine:

• Close your eyes, breathe slowly, and feel yourself relax.
• Create a mental picture that represents healing energy, such as a ball of white light or a healing hand or a bolt of lightning.
• Slowly breathe in – as you do, imagine you are drawing your healing icon to the part of your body where you feel pain, tension, or discomfort.
• When you breathe out, imagine your healing icon moving away from your body and taking with it your pain and tension.
• Continue to imagine your healing icon moving toward you and away from you as you breathe in and out.

The American Cancer Society is in your corner to guide you and your patient through every step of the cancer experience, so your loved one can focus on getting well. There are a number of other ways to help your loved one reduce stress and anxiety and to cope with treatment. Click here for a fuller discussion.