Cancer anxiety nearly destroyed me, but I have learned to put it in its place - and keep it there.
I seem to come back to the subject of anxiety a lot. I very easily fall into a state of anxiety when certain examinations are coming up, such as the CT scans every three months. Lately, it has also become a problem when it comes to the insertion of a venous catheter. For me, anxiety is quite different from the usual feeling of worry. If I don't pay attention, anxiety can knock me to the ground - and keep me there.
In my life and in the context of my diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer, anxiety is one of those emotions that is inevitable. It is not a question of conquering it or “getting rid” of it. I know that I have to learn to live with it - preferably in peace and acceptance.
Over the last 18 months, I have practised a lot, finding ways to acknowledge my anxiety but not let it break me. Here's what I've learned:
Don't deny it. Anxiety has a sneaky way of taking over my life. Maybe you have felt it too? Like other emotions, anxiety is not healthy to deny or hide - from yourself or from others. I have found that if I simply say: “I feel really anxious today”, for example to a nurse holding a catheter tube or to a friend asking how I am doing, I immediately feel better. Not necessarily less anxious, but just naming the emotion helps. Saying it out loud means giving an explanation for the pounding or physical tension that occurs when anxiety tries to take over. It doesn't make it go away, but it allows me to see: this is not a new feeling - I know what it is and I know how to deal with it.
Engage the body. It's no secret that exercise makes you feel better (and experts believe it can also improve the effectiveness of cancer treatment), but for me it's a mental health necessity. Increasing the heart rate for at least 30 minutes a day is a sure way to control treatment-related anxiety. Because movement triggers the release of a range of feel-good hormones, physical activity helps manage the negative emotions that come with any serious diagnosis. When I couldn't exercise for two months because of radiotherapy-induced pain and a crowded schedule, anxiety quickly took control of every health-related visit. It took someone else who saw that I was losing the battle with anxiety to point out, “You're not exercising. Maybe a gradual return to something that might help?”
Choose mindfulness. Those who know me know that I am not a big fan of metaphysics. But people change. I have discovered a meditation practice called “Body scan”, which especially helps me calm down when I feel anxiety approaching. It is a simple method of slowly and non-judgementally paying attention to every part of my body. It can take as little as three minutes, so I find it useful when I'm waiting for a scan or when the nurses have difficulty finding a vein to insert a catheter. I find it easiest to use this technique when someone is guiding me - so I have found several videos that I can play from my phone. I always have small headphones in my bag so I can listen to it privately in the hospital.
Combining the physical with the spiritual. I have become a regular practitioner of Cigun, an oriental exercise similar to the more widely known Tai Chi. It doesn't get my pulse racing like a treadmill, but the combination of specific movements and focusing on specific parts of the body creates a strange sense of calming and relaxation. It is in Cigun that I have learnt that it is perfectly normal to feel something very strongly - and just let it be, without trying to change anything. And that is exactly the secret when it comes to cancer anxiety. I have found that even one or two repetitions of this exercise, combined with slow breathing while I wait for the oncologist, helps me to feel more calm.
I know that living with anxiety in the context of cancer is an ongoing process. What works for me now may not work in six months' time. But if I'm lucky, I'll find something new that will work. In the meantime, I will get on the treadmill and practice what I preach.
“Body scans” can be conveniently accompanied by an audio recording using other techniques. Access audio recordings and video demonstrations developed by the IDARTO Centre via Psychological techniques in the “Psychologist in your pocket” video library”. And you can learn how to help yourself and your peers to cope with the experience of oncology 5 sessions in the Mind Over Matter (MOM) series.
Source:
Carlson, M. (2016, July 9). Four Tips for Living With Cancer Anxiety. The Cure. Retrieved August 26, 2025, from https://www.curetoday.com/view/four-tips-for-living-with-anxiety