Dealing with cancer is not easy. There are moments when someone diagnosed with the disease is on the verge of giving up, and times when family members are overwhelmed by the major adjustments needs—managing health concerns, treatment schedules, and making their loved one feel as comfortable as possible during special events like Christmas.
For families having cancer, the holiday celebration can be a mixed experience that can vary from meaningful to sorrowful, a combination of hope and despair, stress, joys, and loss.
In this blog, we’ll share tips on how to create meaningful moments for families affected by cancer, how to cope with loss and grief both physically and emotionally, how to find resources for cancer patients, and how to maintain strong connections within the family while facing cancer during this holiday season.
Coping with Cancer During the Holidays: Finding Joy in Small Moments
Dealing with cancer is not easy. There are moments when someone diagnosed with the disease feels on the verge of giving up, and times when family members are overwhelmed by the major adjustments needed—managing health concerns, treatment schedules, and making their loved one feel as comfortable as possible during special events like Christmas.
For families affected by cancer, holiday celebrations can be a mixed experience that varies from meaningful to sorrowful, weaving together hope and despair, stress, joy, and loss.
In this blog, we’ll share tips on how to create meaningful moments for families affected by cancer, how to cope with loss and grief both physically and emotionally, how to find resources for cancer patients, and how to maintain strong connections within the family while facing cancer during this holiday season.
Managing Treatment During Christmas
They say Christmas “is the most wonderful time of the year”. However, for families dealing with cancer, it can be either wonderful or dreadful, especially if their loved one struggles to cope with treatment.
To help you and your family enjoy the celebration without compromising your cancer treatment, we recommend these key steps. While they may not offer a 100% guarantee, they can still provide valuable support during your treatment.
TIP #1: Plan Ahead of Time
Planning ahead helps families coping with cancer during the holidays manage their schedules with greater ease and joy. To set or manage the right expectations, it’s best to talk to your healthcare provider about your ongoing treatment and schedule any necessary adjustments ahead of time. Plan your holiday activities carefully and incorporate your treatment schedule into the itinerary so you can still enjoy the festivities without overwhelming yourself and your family. After all…
Planning ahead is the key to turning uncertainty into confidence.
By anticipating challenges and preparing in advance, you create a roadmap that guides you through both the expected and the unexpected with greater ease and resilience. Staying mindful and connected makes coping with cancer during the holidays more manageable, allowing for moments of joy and reflection.
TIP #2: Make Christmas Activities Meaningful
Undergoing treatment and coping with cancer is quite challenging, and the Christmas celebration can be quite busy as well. This is why family members should consider aligning holiday activities with goals that bring joy and facilitate recovery. Whether spending time with loved ones or enjoying quiet moments, taking breaks and focusing only on moments that truly matter can reduce stress and pressure during the celebration.
Before diving into holiday planning and celebrations, take some time to sit down with your family and reflect on what you want the holiday to feel like. Focusing on joy and meaningful moments can make holiday celebrations memorable even when facing the challenges of cancer. Remember…
For cancer patients and their families, finding joy in the “little things” can make the Christmas celebration truly meaningful.
While making holiday activities meaningful to uplift spirits, maintaining a healthy routine is equally important to support treatment and well-being.
TIP #3: Maintain a Healthy Routine
Christmas meals can be tempting; with all that delicious food on the table, you can’t help but taste everything. However, it’s important to stick to your healthy diet to support your treatment. Ask your family members to prepare a special holiday menu that is safe for you to eat. If you or your family will attend a gathering, be sure to take or choose nutritious food that complements your health needs. You may also consult your healthcare provider ahead of time to avoid any risks.
Stick to your healthy diet to support your treatment.
A healthy routine supports not just physical health but emotional well-being, making the holiday season smoother for families coping with cancer.
TIP 4: Stay Connected for Full Support
If you find yourself stressed and struggling with treatment during the holiday season, it’s always best to reach out to organisations that offer support for cancer patients even during the holidays.
Here are a few organisations that can help support you:
- Cancer Council, a leading cancer support organisation in Australia, provides a wide range of services, including financial assistance, treatment support, and emotional counselling, year-round including holidays.
- Lifeline Australia, a group that offers 24/7 crisis support and counselling, including emotional support for cancer patients. They are available even during the holiday season.
- Look Good Feel Better, a group that offers free workshops for cancer patients undergoing treatment, focusing on boosting self-esteem and emotional well-being through beauty and grooming.
- Redkite, a group that offers support to children and young people with cancer and their families. They also offer financial and emotional assistance during treatment. They have holiday programs and services to make holidays a little easier for families facing cancer.
- CanTeen, a group that offers support to young people aged 12 to 15 either diagnosed with cancer or families having members with cancer. They offer counselling services and peer support, even during holidays.
Spend time and energy connecting with groups and people that can give you support during the holiday.
Staying connected to friends, family, and support organisations is key to maintaining emotional strength while coping with cancer during the holidays.
TIP 5: Practise Mindfulness
To manage your expectations, be mindful of your emotions and always acknowledge any feeling of loss or stress. Allow yourself to feel whatever you feel without judgement. This can reduce expectations about having a perfect holiday celebration.
Practising mindfulness helps patients and families find joy and cherish meaningful moments during the holidays.
Navigating Losses and Grief during Holidays
While the holiday season is known for joy and celebration, it can bring feelings of sadness for those who have lost loved ones to cancer, whether the loss is recent or from years past.
During this time, emotions run high and may feel uncontrollable as individuals reflect on past holidays spent with their departed loved ones.
TIP #6: Validate Your Emotions
When coping with loss, choosing whether to continue holiday traditions is a personal decision. Maintaining these traditions may provide comfort or, alternatively, may feel too painful to uphold.
It’s essential to acknowledge your emotions and allow yourself to feel and express grief. It’s important to know that it’s normal to experience mixed emotions during this time, as there is no right or wrong way to feel about such unwanted losses.
Denying or suppressing your feelings won’t help you overcome loneliness and may only prolong your pain.
Always validate your feelings.
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre experts discuss how to deal with grief at a time when the merriness of the season can be challenging.
Melissa Steward, an MSK clinical social worker, suggests that if following your usual holiday routine brings comfort, it’s worth continuing. This might include having the same meal, displaying the loved one’s favourite flowers, or playing songs they cherished. However, if traditional family activities feel too painful, it can be a chance to change things up and revise traditions you didn’t truly enjoy but kept out of habit.
Whatever you decide, let the spirit of the holiday season be present in your life and let your family members know that it’s okay to reminisce about your departed loved ones.
TIP #7: Seek Support
While it can be challenging to be in a group where no one talks about your departed loved one’s name, keeping their memory alive fosters a sense of closeness with friends and family and encourages them to share more difficult emotions with you.
If a cancer patient needs to seek support, so do you.
Seeking support during a time of grief can greatly aid in coping with sadness. Staying connected to a supportive network—whether through friends, family members, or support groups—can make a significant difference. Engaging with others who have experienced similar losses can help reduce feelings of isolation and offer a sense of comfort and understanding.
TIP #8: Stop Blaming Yourself
Avoid dwelling on negative “what if” thoughts. Remember, cancer is an unpredictable disease, and the loss of a loved one is not your fault. Be gentle with yourself; it’s natural to have regrets, but don’t place blame on yourself for what happened.
If the holiday season stirs these feelings, remind yourself that no one wishes to lose someone they love, and those who passed did their utmost to fight this devastating illness.
TIP #9: Honour Loss, Create New Memories
Finally, look for ways to honour your losses while creating new memories with family and friends during the holiday season. Seek opportunities to channel grief into creative activities.
If you know someone struggling to cope with the loss and grief from cancer, it’s essential to create a safe space where they can express their feelings without fear of judgement or pressure to change. Let them know you’re there to listen and support them unconditionally.
Encourage them to seek professional help from cancer social workers, join support groups, or access mental health resources to guide them through their grief journey.
Embracing the Holiday with Hope and Resilience
The holiday season can be a time of mixed emotions for families coping with cancer, balancing moments of joy with times of reflection and grief. By planning ahead, making meaningful connections, and seeking support, it’s possible to create special memories that honour both the challenges and the cherished moments. Remember, it’s okay to embrace the complexity of the season and find your unique way of celebrating with hope and resilience.
Need support during this challenging time? Contact the Tasman Healthcare hotline for expert guidance and assistance. You may call 07 5613 2480.
