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Support for Mind and Body

• Anxiety: Progressive Muscle Relaxation and Guided Imagery
  

  These skills take practice, and the more you practice them, the more helpful they are. Some people find it useful to make a tape to listen to as they practice. A soothing tape of music may help.

• Art Therapy, Dance Therapy, Music Therapy, and Imagery
  

  Art, dance, music—all are examples of mind-body therapy. Although these therapies do not cure cancer, they provide an outlet for emotions and can improve mental and physical well-being.

• Distraction as Alternative Therapy for Cancer
  

  Distraction does not cure cancer, but it helps push patients’ minds away from unpleasant thoughts, procedures, and pain.

• Yoga as Alternative Therapy for Cancer
  

  Yoga means "union"—a union of the mind, body, and spirit—and uses slow movement, precise posture, meditation, and breathing exercises to reach a state of relaxation.

• Physical Exercise for Cancer
  

  Exercise is an effective activity for many people with cancer. Scientists are still learning about how physical activity helps cancer patients and what impact it has on the immune system.

• Maintaining Quality of Life When You Have Cancer
  

  To help you make the transition back to your pre-cancer lifestyle, ask your doctor and other specialists to design a rehabilitation program for you. Its goal should be to strengthen you both physically and mentally.

• Can Optimism Make a Difference in Your Life?
  

  A growing number of scientific studies indicate that optimistic people tend to live longer and have better physical and mental health than pessimistic people.