Cancer: When in Doubt, Rest

It can be so hard to let go of all the things we think we should do, and to prioritise rest… but resting is the most important thing we can do during treatment for cancer and other medical issues. This meditation gives you permission to leave the To Do list for later (or someone else!) and to put your feet up.

Music is "Organic Meditations One" by Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License | Photography by Linda Holman 2022

Transcript

Objects and Take a moment to settle in.

Take a deep breath and let it out slowly.

This is a quick meditation to help you build a practice of rest into your daily life.

Any medical diagnosis or treatment can be difficult to navigate.

There can be hard decisions to make,

Unpleasant situations to get through,

And fatigue makes all of this worse.

So your main job right now is to rest.

We don't get extra points for pushing through and being superheroes during treatment,

And the more we rest the better chance our bodies have to recuperate and rebuild.

Eating well,

Gentle exercise,

Reducing stress,

These things are all important too,

But the best advice I can give you right now is to go take a nap.

Or lay down on the couch and watch something soothing,

Or do more guided meditations.

Take a bath,

Read a book,

Whatever it is that you like to do to relax,

Now is the time to do it,

And do it often.

You have permission to rest,

Not that you need it from me,

But sometimes it helps to be told that by someone else.

It's more important though to give yourself permission,

Permission to stop pushing and hustling and take some time to sit and stare out a window.

Permission to sleep in the middle of the day if you feel tired,

To watch a movie if you want to,

To forget about the to-do list and just be.

Work can wait,

The dishes can wait,

Others can step in and help you.

You can't see a messy house when you've got your eyes closed anyway,

So go take a nap.

The time during treatment can feel like it's endless,

But it will eventually pass,

And the best way to maximize the benefits of your treatment is to give your body the tools it needs.

In my opinion,

The most important tool is napping,

Sleeping,

Resting.

Go on,

Ask your doctor,

I bet they agree.

So if you don't know what to do next,

Rest.

Put your feet up,

Take a deep breath or two,

And chill.

Breathe deeply into your belly and feel relaxation sweep through your body.

Breathe in,

Breathe out,

Let the relaxation sweep down from your head to your toes.

Pay attention to the colours or the darkness you see when you close your eyes.

Tune in to the noises around you,

Things outside.

Things very close,

And now your breath.

Move your head gently from side to side,

Wriggle your fingers and your toes.

Simply open your eyes,

Take a look around,

Or keep them closed and keep napping.

Thank you for spending this time with me.

Reviews

I love this – your words were exactly what I needed to hear today. On days I feel less battered by chemo I tend to feel I have to make up for lost time and push through as many tasks as I can manage. Thank you for reminding me I have permission to stop and rest – whatever form that rest takes.

Perfect guidance for the healing process. Letting go is one of the hardest acts to embody when cancer is lurking on our doorstep. Thank you . This was exactly what I needed for my overdrive in self healing.

I find your voice so relaxing, these have been so wonderful during my chemo as reminders to look after myself. Thank you.

Thank you!