Today is the start of Men's Health Week. In this blog, one of our editors Sofiane explores some of the causes of stress, as well as things that can help you cope.
Stress. We’ve all experienced it. If you type “stress” into Google, you’ll get a daunting 611,000,000 results. This figure is somewhat reassuring if you’re stressed and feeling alone, but also quite concerning. It seems that stress plays a huge part in all our lives, affecting our mental and physical wellbeing and impacting our ability to enjoy life.
Stress is the theme for this year’s Men’s Health Week, and the question being asked is: what do you do about it?
In a 2016 survey of 1,112 employed men in the UK, 34% said that they were “constantly feeling stressed or under pressure”. One of the reasons for this could be cancer, whether diagnosed themselves or if a loved one has been affected.
Cancer can be one of the most stressful periods of your life but, for some people, understanding more about the cancer can help. We have detailed information on cancers that affect men, including testicular and prostate, and the main cancer types including lung, bladder and bowel.
If you’re worried about getting cancer but are not sure what to look out for, our signs and symptoms card gives the signs and symptoms of the main cancers for men, and advice on cancer prevention.
Cancer and stress
For someone affected by cancer, stress can become a daily occurrence. It can be easy to fall into a state of anxiety, with negative feelings becoming the new ‘normal’.
If you’ve recently been diagnosed or had treatment, you may have many different thoughts and feelings racing through your mind.
If you’re on your way to recovery, the obvious signs of being a ‘cancer patient’ are beginning to fade: you’re slowly getting back into your daily routine and any physical signs may not be visible. So, you assume that life will return to normal straight away. But the transition from ‘cancer patient’ to ‘cancer survivor’ is hard.
The end of treatment can be unexpectedly difficult and stressful. You may start coming to terms with what you’ve been through emotionally. You may be:
It’s natural to feel many emotions if you’ve been affected by cancer. There is no right way for you to feel. There are many ways to manage emotions like stress, some of which we mention below.
What can I do?
Talk about it
Sharing your thoughts and feelings is often a good place to start. Our online community is a safe place to share your experiences and find others in a similar situation to you. Or, you could talk with someone close to you. Speak to your family, a friend or your healthcare team if you are struggling to cope. Remember, help is always available if you need it.
In the video below, Alfie, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer, talks about coping with depression and the importance of talking and asking for help.
If you are a family member or friend reading this, let the person know that you are available to listen to them when they want to talk. If they want to talk, ask them how they are feeling and be ready to hear what they tell you, even if it’s not all positive.
Being able to express and accept feelings can be the first step in coping with stress.
Be more physically active
Being more physically active can also help you cope with stress. Apart from having many health benefits, being active can also improve your mood. Regular walking, cycling or swimming can be enough.
Mind-body therapies
Mind-body therapies are based on the belief that what we think and feel can affect our well-being. Mind-body therapies are available in many conventional cancer treatment centres. They may help you feel less anxious, improve your mood and help you sleep.
Talk to us
There are many things we can do to beat stress. But if feel like you need more help or support dealing with your emotions, you can always talk to us on 0808 808 00 00.
And, we would love to know what you do to beat stress. Let us know in the comment section below!
To see what else Macmillan's cancer information team has been blogging about, please visit our blog home page! You can subscribe to receive our blogs by email or RSS too.
We're with you every step of the way
The Macmillan team is here to help. Our cancer support specialists can answer your questions, offer support, or simply listen if you need a chat. Call us free on 0808 808 00 00.
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