Vim & Vigor - Summer 2014 - Community Healthcare - 15

the

Help for
Cancer
Patients

rtime
"It's unbelievable how many people who
are depressed have no breakfast," Schaub
says. After you've fasted all night, blood sugar
levels are low, and your body and brain need
food to function. Physiologically, eating breakfast helps to maintain your blood sugar levels.
Blood sugar levels that spike and crash can
wreak havoc on your mood.

sEt a routinE.

Going on vacation, having the kids at
home and changing your work schedule throw off your routine. For some people,
that means feeling a loss of control, spurring
depressive symptoms. Fight back by establishing a new routine: The kids can sleep in,
but you still set bedtimes.

takE CarE of YoursELf.

"Having a self-care routine is very
important, especially when you're
anxious or depressed," Schaub says. "When
you feel like everything is about taking care
of the kids, it's important to bring your focus
back to yourself."

run awaY from
dEprEssion.

photo by thinkstock

Exercise can be like a drug-reducing
levels of the stress hormone cortisol and
releasing
mood-elevating
endorphins.
Doctors are even prescribing exercise as a
treatment for depression. Studies show that
exercise can reduce depression as effectively
as medication can for some people. Start your
day with a morning jog, take a walk during
your lunch break or do yoga on your patio.

LEan on Your friEnds.

"The greatest buffer against depression is your social support network,"
says Shawn Achor, a co-founder of the
Institute for Applied Positive Research and

the author of Before Happiness. "The depth
and breadth of your relationships is the
greatest buffer against depression."

fEnd off faCEbook.

A study in the Public Library of
Science in 2013 suggested that heavy
Facebook users were more likely to be unsatisfied with life. If you find yourself struggling with all those photos of happy people or
feeling disappointed when you compare your
achievements with those of others, Schaub
says, close down Facebook.

GEt Your ZZZ s .

People with insomnia are 10 times
more likely to develop depression
than those who sleep well, according to the
National Sleep Foundation. But, the organization acknowledges, the relationship is
complex: Sleep problems can lead to depression, and depression can lead to sleep problems. Examine your sleep pattern, and think
about changing your bedtime or installing
light-blocking blackout shades.

foCus on thE positivE.

It's important to concentrate on the
good, Achor says. Make a list of things
in your life that you feel fortunate about: success at work, people you love. "You have a lot
to be grateful for," he says.

Online

Eat brEakfast.

Cancer patients will
find free services
including mind-body
programs, a lending
library and support
groups at the Cancer
Resource Centre.
A support group for
depression called Mind
Over Matter offers
patients a way to better identify the negative elements in their
lives and adapt coping
skills, says James Bovan,
PsyD, HSPP, licensed
clinical psychologist and
group facilitator.
"Depression can
express itself in
many ways," he says.
"Someone can have low
energy; no motivation
to act; lose focus; feel
that everything is meaningless and futile. Mind
Over Matter offers
a way to explore and
identify the impact of
mood on one's life and
disease," Bovan says.

The Support You Need

At the Cancer Resource Centre located at 926 Ridge Road in
Munster, cancer patients and their family members will find a
community of people who truly understand what you're going
through. Call 219-836-3349 for more information or visit
www.cancerresourcecentre.com.

SUM MER 2014

http://www.cancerresourcecentre.com

Vim & Vigor - Summer 2014 - Community Healthcare

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