Feel Like Quitting?

Ever feel fed up with trying to do ALL the things that are good for you? Or like you’ve tapped out your resilience? Is it sometimes hard to keep going? Are you challenged to honor your commitment to exercise, maintain a healthy balance, eat well, and stay positive and focused on TODAY versus “what if’s” about the future? You’re not alone. Those are perfectly normal thought processes, especially when you hear news about a celebrity who’s passed away from breast cancer. Or lose a friend to breast cancer. Or learn of yet another woman being diagnosed.

That’s when you may wonder, “What’s the point?”

You may feel unnerved. Like you’re spiraling into darkness. Your mind goes to that scary place.

How do you live with the uncertainty of breast cancer, regardless of whether you’re newly diagnosed, in active treatment, post-treatment survivorship or living with metastatic breast cancer?

How do you stop the anxiety and doubt from taking over, leaving you overwhelmed and mired in catastrophic thinking? You cultivate your RESILIENCE.

RESILIENCE. IT’S IN YOU!

Resilience isn’t reserved for a select few – it’s available to ALL of us. In fact, the reason it’s so readily available is because it’s ALREADY INSIDE YOU. And guess what else? Boosting your level of resilience is in your power.

Research shows that the number one roadblock to resilience isn’t genetics, childhood experiences, lack of opportunity or wealth. It’s the way you look at the world and interpret events. (1)

While changing how you look at the world is the key to becoming more resilient, you may wonder, “How can I possibly change the way I look at my world; the world breast cancer has infiltrated?”  It’s a reasonable question. And a great one for YOU to answer. Here’s how I’ve decided to look at the world of breast cancer:

• I don’t consider my diagnosis a gift.
• I do consider what’s come from my breast cancer experience to have a silver lining and offer lessons that continue to teach, guide and challenge my growth as a human.
• There are no guarantees.
• I can’t control the future.
• I can control my thoughts, actions, habits, behaviors, energy.
• Unless someone tells me differently, I’m fine.
• I refuse to engage in negative “what if’s”. Positive “what if’s”? I’m all over ‘em.
• There is much darkness in the world of breast cancer; there is also so much light.
• The world of breast cancer isn’t fair, and neither is life.
• My “why” – to use my professional expertise and personal experience to help post-treatment survivors of hormone-driven breast cancer rebuild their health after treatment – is the motivation behind and focus of my work.
• Everything will work out, although not always as I expect.
• Hope for future treatments and preventive measures, faith in science, and realistic optimism keep me moving forward, because there is no other choice than to keep moving forward.
• I can do much to help the breast cancer community, and it’s my purpose, passion and mission to do so.

Getting to a place where I can think about my breast cancer in this way has taken YEARS, and continues to evolve. I work on my mindset every, single day. But this thinking is the foundation. It serves me well most of the time. And when it doesn’t? I do a mindset check, challenge my thinking, and refer to this list. It centers me and helps me regain my sense of resilience.  Now, share with me in the comments below the negative thoughts you’d like to change, or the positive thoughts that serve as the foundation of your resilience. I’d love to know!

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Thanks for reading my blog post!

I help post-treatment survivors of hormone-positive breast cancer end food fear, confusion and overwhelm, eat without stress and guilt, and rebuild their health so they can do the things they enjoy with the people they love.

I’m a registered dietitian, personal trainer, nutrition therapist and coach, speaker, and survivor of hormone-positive breast cancer.

Ready for professional support to rebuild your health and gain peace of mind? 

Click this link and watch my HEALTH REBUILD video!

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Follow me on Instagram @hormone.breastcancer.dietitian

This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult your dietitian or doctor for guidance specific to your needs. 

 SOURCES

1. The Resilience Factor. Karen Reivich, Ph.D, Andre Shatte, Ph.D