Resources

Tips for Cancer Caregivers during the Holiday Season

December 18, 2024

Being a cancer caregiver during the holidays can be emotionally, mentally, and physically taxing, as the holiday season often brings added stress and expectations. It’s crucial to remember that while your loved one is battling a serious disease, it’s still important to prioritize your own comfort, manage your stress levels, and accept help and support from others to navigate the holiday season effectively.

Below are tips from the Cancer Support Community to help cancer caregivers during the most wonderful time of the year.

1) Find YOUR Support System
Sometimes it’s difficult to talk with your loved one about your feelings because you both have so much going on. Many find one of the best ways to cope with stress, uncertainty, and loneliness is to talk to others who share similar experiences.

2) Gather Information
Being armed with knowledge may help you accommodate your loved one’s needs, however, and put you at ease because you know what to expect.

3) Recognize a “New Normal”
Patients and caregivers alike report feeling a loss of control after a cancer diagnosis. Many caregivers are asked for advice about medical decisions or managing family finances and/or the need to take on new day-to-day chores. It is likely that your tasks as a caregiver will create new routines – after all, you’re taking on a new role in the patient’s life as well as your own.

4) Relieve Your Mind, Recharge Your Body
It can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the tasks of caregiving. Mini-breaks are an easy way to replenish your energy and lower your stress. Try simple activities like taking a walk around the block or closing your eyes for 10 minutes in a comfortable chair. Taking time for yourself is not selfish – it’s necessary.

5) Take Comfort in Others
Caregiving can sometimes take a great deal of time. Many caregivers feel a loss of personal time over the course of their loved one’s illness. Keep in mind that while you are taking on new and additional responsibilities, you are still allowed a life of your own.

6) Plan for the Future
A common feeling among caregivers and people with cancer is uncertainty. While planning may be difficult, it can help. Try to schedule fun activities on days when your loved one is not feeling the side effects of treatment. You can also give yourselves something to look forward to by planning together how you will celebrate the end of treatment or a portion of treatment. Planning for a future in the long-term is also important and can be increasingly stressful for a caregiver when sometimes, two futures are being planned – one based on survival and the other based on the possibility of losing your loved one. All of us, whether we have been diagnosed with cancer or not, should have in place the necessary paperwork such as a healthcare agent, power of attorney, and a will.

7) Accept a Helping Hand
It’s okay to have “helpers.” In fact, you may find that learning to let go and to say “YES!” will ease your anxiety and lift your spirits.

8) Be Mindful of YOUR Health
In order to be strong for your loved one, you need to take care of yourself. Be sure to tend to any physical ailments of your own that arise – this includes scheduling regular checkups and screenings. And just like your mother told you: eat well and get enough sleep.

9) Consider Exploring Stress-Management Techniques
Even if you’ve never practiced mind-body exercises before, you may find that meditation, yoga, listening to music or simply breathing deeply will relieve your stress. Research shows that these practices can enhance the immune system as well as the mind’s ability to influence bodily function and relieve symptoms.

10) Do What You Can, Admit What You Can’t
Even seasoned caregivers find themselves caught up in the whirlwind of appointments, daily errands, and medicine doses. No one can do everything. It’s okay to acknowledge your limits.

Supporting a loved one diagnosed with cancer can be hard. Reno CyberKnife is here to help. If you have any questions about cancer or cancer treatment, please contact our center today. Happy holidays from our team to you!