Cancer therapy can be a very emotionally testing time for people. There are so many thoughts that keep going around in your mind about whether you will be cured or how the treatment will affect your life. There is a lot of stress involved in dealing with the side effects of chemo therapy. People undergoing cancer treatment can face several emotional distresses like depression, stress, anxiety, loneliness, anger, fear and helplessness. While these are not direct eating disorders, such emotions do affect your appetite and your interest in food. Not eating enough can impact your energy levels and slow down your recovery so you need to try and keep your outlook positive. Here are a few tips on how you can keep your spirits and your appetite high during cancer treatment:
1. On the days you are not lined up for treatment, try and have foods that you like. This will help you build up reserves to make up for treatment days when you may not feel like having food.
2. The more relaxed you are, the more likely you are to eat healthy. So take some relaxing activities like meditation and yoga to keep you calm. If you are feeling particularly stressed out, try a long bath in a tub with soothing aroma therapy oils to calm your nerves.
3. It always helps to talk about your emotions and feelings to someone you know and you can trust. Family and friends are always there to support you so don’t hesitate to vent out your trapped emotions.
4. There are several cancer support groups that are made up of people going through the exact same situation as you. It helps to be around people who you know will understand what you are going through. You should join such a group and use it as a resource not only to share your experiences but to also gain valuable advice on how to cope with negative emotions.