DLC note: the following guest post is written by Carolyn Colleen, Ph.D., author of F.I.E.R.C.E.: Transform your life in the face of adversity, 5 minutes at a time! Out of sheer necessity, Carolyn developed the F.I.E.R.C.E. 5 method, which helped her grow from a downtrodden, scared and ragged victim, standing in a food line at the Salvation Army, to the confident and successful person she is today, living a happy life she never realized she deserved.
When I wrote F.I.E.R.C.E.: Transform Your Life in the Face of Adversity, 5 Minutes at a Time!, it was aimed at helping people escape the clutches of abuse and live the lives they deserved. While I knew that the Breathe, Focus, FIERCE Action component of the FIERCE process could help anyone dealing with anxiety, I never envisaged that it would help cancer patients navigate their treatments. That's why I was incredibly humbled to receive this note from a breast cancer patient:
"Sometimes all you need is a reminder to breathe - not only breathe, but also move forward. Moving forward starting with one small goal, helped me get through the rest of my treatments. Practicing these FIERCE steps gave me permission to think about what was in front of me in smaller, more manageable pieces with the reminder to be courageous and take action for myself." - Laura*
Since the launch of my book, I have had the privilege to work with many cancer patients through my Ph.D. research, and many of them have testified to the fact that the process has helped them acquire coping skills. By using the Breathe, Focus, FIERCE Action element during times when they have been overwhelmed by their situations, they were able to summon the grit to push forward with incredible courage. I'm so honored to have been invited to share this process with you here on Don't Let Cancer Steal Your Joy, and hopefully, it will help you find the FIERCE warrior inside of you.
FIERCE: F for Focused Breath
The F in FIERCE stands for focused breath, and the process involves taking a deep breath, facing fear, finding the fire and focusing on the way forward.
In her article Stress and Cancer on PsychologyToday, Lucy O'Donnell explains the link between stress and cancer. It is not uncommon for a healthy person to come down with a viral infection after a period of intense stress, so it is only understandable that there is no benefit to exposing a cancer-afflicted body to prolonged stress.
A 2013 study showed that stress reduces the effectiveness of cancer drugs while another study found that a group of breast cancer patients who received ongoing psychological interventions, relaxation training, and advice on minimizing stress, were 45% less likely to experience a recurrence of their breast cancer than those who received no psychological interventions. The same study found that of those who did experience recurrent breast cancer, those in the intervention group were 59% less likely to die from breast cancer.
“Make BREATHING your best friend ALWAYS.”
Step #1: BREATHE
Breathe in for a count of 7
Breathe out for a count of 11
Deep breathing aids relaxation and blood pressure reduction. With stress reduction, your mind is cleared to reallocate your energy for positive action such as clearly focusing on the goal at hand.
Set small, simple, achievable goals, even if it's just to get through your next treatment procedure.
Step #2: Focus
What is your immediate goal?
Focus on your immediate goals to avoid being overwhelmed by the road ahead.
Step #3: FIERCE Action
What are the steps you need to take to achieve your goal? Indeed, your immediate goal might be a small stepping stone in the path to beating cancer. That's alright, too!
Choose an action you can take right now that will propel you in the right direction.
This is the tool Laura used to combat debilitating fatigue from chemotherapy and muster up the courage - although exhausted - to push forward through the next steps of surgery and radiation therapy. I encourage you to take a moment to stop and breathe. For just five minutes, stop thinking about the 'what ifs' and the 'maybes,' and just take some time for focused breathing. Do it daily for best results.
Carolyn's Joy Tip
Sometimes the greatest limitations are the ones placed upon us by our own minds. Carolyn's message inspires us to face our fears and push past the things challenging our well-being using small increments of 5 minutes at a time. Despite the circumstances, Carolyn shows how to ignite your inner ferocity and create the life you deserve!
Carolyn Colleen was born and raised in the Midwestern United States. She describes herself as a F.I.E.R.C.E. mother, daughter, sister, and friend. Encouraged to write a book about her experiences, Carolyn took up the challenge. Now, with it completed, she hopes that by sharing her story she will provide others with the hope, resources, and willpower needed so that they too can live the life they deserve.
Send us Your Joy Tip
What is your Joy Tip? We’d love to hear from you! Send along a brief story and joy tip, and we may highlight it in an upcoming blog. Email us today at hello@dontletcancer.com