While breast cancer awareness and emotional wellness seem like widely different topics, understanding key facets of signs, symptoms, prevention, and treatment can alleviate outcomes for both. Those who encounter the effects of either breast cancer or emotional unrest need our support and encouragement.
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month. The National Breast Cancer Foundation says one in every eight women will be diagnosed with some stage of breast cancer. While you can’t prevent cancer, it is important to be proactive about your health and become educated on signs, symptoms, and treatments to help with early detection. This annual awareness month is intended to educate people about the importance of early breast cancer screening, testing, and more. Learn more about breast cancer by visiting the National Breast Cancer Foundation as well as talking with your doctor about any concerns. The key is to know you are not alone in this fight. A whole community awaits you to show support after diagnoses, during treatment, and as a survivor. Schedule your mammogram now! #BreastCancer #wearpink #cancerawareness
ComPsych, the administrator for the System Office Employee Assistance Program (EAP), offers many valuable resources to help understand breast cancer signs and symptoms; how to move through the emotions after a family, friend, or personal diagnosis; and how to navigate being a survivor. This program can also assist with identifying and conquering emotional wellness. Please visit www.GuidanceResources.com to connect with various articles and podcasts to help become better educated on the disease impacting so many daily lives as well as the emotional aspects of self and others.
October is also Emotional Wellness month. Did you know that your emotional well-being has powerful effects on your overall health? If operating at a low level, your emotional wellness can contribute to unwanted stress, ailments, and a weakened immune system.
According to the National Wellness Institute (NWI), wellness is “an active process through which people become aware of, and make choices toward, a more successful existence.” They further outline six dimensions of wellness:
1). Occupational Wellness: Choose a career path that complies with your personal values, interest, and beliefs versus one that is unrewarding. It’s also better to develop purposeful, transportable skills than to remain sedentary and uninvolved.
2). Physical Wellness: Aim to consume foods/beverages that boost good health and make efforts to be physically fit.
3). Social Wellness: Contribute to the community and live in synchronization with others and the environment, versus choosing selfishness and conflict.
4). Intellectual Wellness: Actively challenge your intellect, pursue creativity, and discover corrective actions to problems versus becoming self-satisfied and engaging in worry and procrastination.
5). Spiritual Wellness: Live each day in a way that compliments your values and beliefs, and remain true to yourself.
6). Emotional Wellness: Accept your feelings, be optimistic and reject pessimism.
A 2011 Harvard study revealed “meditation and mindfulness can create new grey matter in the brain which improves memory, learning abilities, compassion and self-awareness.” Therefore, this month, take control of your emotional wellness, discover calming activities that work for you, and most of all, breathe!