What is it?
Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present and engaged in the moment — free from distraction or judgement. Common mindfulness practices can include focusing on the breath and observing each rise and fall, body scan meditations, and mindful walking. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is a 6–8 week course designed to help you cope better and feel more at ease in your life.
Why use it
People practise mindfulness to change the way they think about experiences. By becoming aware of thoughts and feelings, you can choose how to handle them in the moment. This can improve attention and awareness, and strengthen wellbeing.
What to expect
Mindfulness can be practised sitting, standing or lying down. An instructor will support you to focus attention in a mindful way. This could be through following a series of exercises that focus on breathwork and calming the mind.
What is the evidence?
There is good evidence to show that MBSR can lower the levels of stress hormones in your body, which can assist in healing and improve immune function. Clinical practice guidelines include MBSR as an option for managing cancer-related fatigue.
Studies on mindfulness show it helps improve the quality of life of people with cancer, increases coping, and can reduce pain, anxiety, depression and nausea.
Check whether your cancer centre runs mindfulness programs. There are also online programs and smartphone apps you can download.
Even 13 years after I was treated for prostate cancer, in the back of my mind I still worry that it will come back. I did a mindfulness course to help me deal with this fear and found it really helpful.
John
Meditation and Relaxation Podcast
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Key resource
Download a PDF booklet on this topic.
More resources
A/Prof Geraldine McDonald, Director Patient Experience and Wellbeing, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC; Laura Carman, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council Victoria; A/Prof Christine Carrington, Senior Consultant Pharmacist Cancer Services, Princess Alexandra Hospital and Metro South Health and The University of Queensland, QLD; Kellie Giannarelli, Consumer; Dr Suzanne Grant, Senior Research Fellow, Integrative Oncology, NICM Health Research Institute, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, NSW; Vivienne Hansen, Bush and Western Herbal Medicine Practitioner, WA; Karla Jaji, Administration Officer, Nepean Cancer and Wellness Centre, NSW; Dr Laura Kirsten, Senior Clinical Psychologist, Nepean Cancer Services, Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, NSW; A/Prof Judith Lacey, Director of Supportive Care and Integrative Oncology, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, NSW; Adjunct Professor Danforn Lim, Western Sydney University and University of Technology Sydney, NSW; Dr David Mizrahi, Senior Research Fellow and Accredited Exercise Physiologist, The Daffodil Centre, University of Sydney and Cancer Council NSW; Professor Avni Sali AM, Founder and Director, National Institute of Integrative Medicine, VIC; Gillian Thompson, Consumer; A/Prof Kate Webber, Medical Oncologist, Monash Health, VIC; Tanya Wells, Integrative Oncology Consultant and Naturopath, Melbourne Integrative Oncology Group, VIC; Prof Kate White, Professor Cancer Nursing, Cancer Care Research Unit, The Daffodil Centre, University of Sydney and Cancer Council NSW.
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