Having a Safe Space

For me, cancer is the pink and polka-dotted elephant in every room. This is my saying that I use to try to explain what does on in my head and why I sometimes want to talk about cancer. It is always on my mind. If this is also you, I can tell from experience that this is not healthy. I have learned after a few years of being in the cancer world that it is best to have somewhere where you do not have to talk about cancer. Right not, it is work but there are other places that you can use and get the same great mindset results.

Work can be a safe space from cancer

I started working full-time again in 2019. To give you perspective, I was diagnosed in 2014. The lung cancer diagnosis put me almost six years behind in my career, but that is a story for another blog. I am not a fan of interviewing because I am typically a quiet person, and I do not like talking about myself in a professional type of conversation. I lucked into an interview at a company where a friend's husband worked. The interview when well and I was offered a position about a month later. I have been there for three years. When I started I was working in the office with no talk of ever working from home. The pandemic changed that and now I work a hybrid schedule. One thing that I chose to do was to not make a "big deal" about cancer. When I spoke with people in the lunchroom, it was never a topic of conversation. At one point, a co-worker was talking about cigarette use and another was talking about how they donated to someone with cancer. For me, I went along with the conversation keeping my diagnosis out of it. More people know now that I have cancer but it still is not a topic that comes up often. Of course, the leadership team and human resources department are aware.

Findings new hobbies

Finding a hobby is also a way to avoid “cancer talk”. I have adopted a few habits over the years. Recently, I have started making junk journals. I am able to do this as a solo activity or with my mom and sister.

Another thing that I have adopted is that I made a list of friends and I make it a point to do something with them on a regular basis. This could be making a trip to Costco, a lunch date, or having drinks after work. The third thing that I make sure to do is to always have a trip planned. Sometimes planning a trip can be just as fun as going on the trip!

Don't hesitate to reach out for support

There are times when you need to talk about your cancer diagnosis. It is always helpful to have your people in the know. However, to keep a healthy mindset cancer does not always need to be at the forefront of every conversation. A healthy balance is key.