Some days, the wind is at our back, and others, it is fighting against us. Life after cancer is all about finding pace.
PUBLISHED August 23, 2018
Tamera Anderson-Hanna is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Certified Addiction Professional, Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and became a Registered Yoga Teacher while coping with breast cancer in 2015. She owns Wellness, Therapy, & Yoga in Florida where she provides personal wellness services and coaching and she is a public speaker on wellness-related topics. You can connect with her at www.wellnesstherapyyoga.com.
Long-distance running skills can carry over to managing cancer. Many of us have heard the story of the tortoise and the hare. The moral of the story is that slow and steady wins the race. Most of us want to get on with our life, but slow and steady is one approach we might want to consider when managing our cancer care long term. Sometimes it is not about how quickly we become cancer free or no evidence of disease (NED), but it is about remaining cancer free and managing overall wellbeing through survivorship. Strategies of a long-distance runner can help when facing difficult obstacles, learning to set a pace for care management and assist in recognizing moments which will help us become more resilient and appreciative of what life has to offer.
I initially hated long distance running, but I learned that if you lean into the hills and face the obstacles in your path, the run was not as difficult. There are times when you’re running into the wind, but there are also moments of gratitude when the wind is at your back and helping you along. This magical force can also come from the positive spirits of the oncology staff and peers who help to push us up on days when we are struggling, just as we might hear the cheers of the crowd when running competitively. Our own internal voice is also important to remember.
I initially hated long distance running, but I learned that if you lean into the hills and face the obstacles in your path, the run was not as difficult. There are times when you’re running into the wind, but there are also moments of gratitude when the wind is at your back and helping you along. This magical force can also come from the positive spirits of the oncology staff and peers who help to push us up on days when we are struggling, just as we might hear the cheers of the crowd when running competitively. Our own internal voice is also important to remember.
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