It can be hard to motivate yourself when you are going through cancer and that’s not unusual.
Cancer is zapping and sapping and requires plenty of inner-strength and perseverance to keep going.
The side-effects of treatment can make it especially difficult to keep interested in the things you would normally be fired up about.
Keeping self-motivated is important though so we don’t start feeling sorry for ourselves 24/7 as this can be toxic and self-destructive.
Treatment can cut you off from the world and you can easily suffer in a bit of a silo unless you keep yourself in the game.
If we aren’t careful, we end up thinking pooey thoughts and as Michelle Andres so graphically reminds us,
A mind full of dung generates steaming, fetid, heaping piles of shit. Yeah, I said that.
Bravo Michelle, you said what I wanted to say!
Willpower is an inside job but we can get help from outside our selves.
To mentally subtract unhealthy thinking I try to fertilise my mental soil with gratitude, exercise, books, podcasts, films, escape rooms and other distractions. I especially draw strength from immersing myself in different environments.
What works for one won’t work for someone else. But there comes a point where what worked for you also, at some point, doesn’t work for you either! So, the motivation game is about editing and doing new things and drawing on a rainbow of experiences.
Maintaining physical and mental well-being is important for us all but particularly for cancer survivors because it gives us the energy and the fight we desperately need.
From an incurable cancer point of view, being a conscious ‘mind gardener’ and having an active sense of motivation helps me feel in control and keeps thoughts of death at a safe distance.
Fertilising your mind through positive action also allows you to do some negative weeding and uprooting thoughts and behaviours that aren’t doing you any good.
Taking part in activities which nurture the mind, body and soul is what will make you flower even during the tough times.
Being more motivated can help your treatment and contribute towards your ‘comeback’ and your natural desire to survive.
We also have to accept that self-management is key and we have to support ourselves and take an active role in managing the long-term physical and psychosocial consequences of cancer and its treatment.
Our job as patients is to actively manage the emotional aspects of cancer, adjust to everyday life the best we can and carefully navigate the healthcare system.
Cancer patients are prone to anxiety, depression, stress, fear, and other psychological problems which is why self-motivation and a spirit of optimism are key.
Within the chaos, there lies an untapped wellspring of energy that will keep you going, inspire and uplift you.
The great news is that when it comes to motivation, you can self-medicate.
There is no secret formula either. It’s basically about finding incentives and creating an environment that fosters autonomy, confidence and happiness.