We held out first Balancing Work & Cancer webinar of 2024 last week when we were joined by longtime CAC collaborator Julie Larson. Julie led a session on Managing Long-Term Stress and had some useful tips and techniques to help mitigate stress that can easily accumulate when trying to navigate work after a cancer diagnosis.
I wanted to pull out one technique that I loved (and have already used this week). Julie explained that your body only exists in the present, but your mind can time travel. You can think about things in the future (A deadline coming up, a big project you need to complete, a presentation you have to give, etc.) or rehash moments from your past (Why did I say that? I wish I had handled that differently, etc.). This can all create stress, but grounding yourself in the present with your body can help.
For this, Julie explains what she calls the 5-4-3-2-1 Method, and it goes like this. When you feel overwhelmed, take a minute and list the following:
- Five things I can see (I see my computer, my window, the fan on my desk, my cup of tea, my notebook)
- Four things I can hear (I hear my upstairs neighbor walking around, a car driving past on the street, an airplane overhead, the rain outside)
- Three things I can feel (I feel the keyboard on my fingertips as I type, my sweatshirt sleeves rolled up around my elbows, the floor under my feet)
- Two things I can smell (I can smell my cup of tea in front of me, the laundry detergent on my clothes)
- One thing I can taste (I can taste the toothpaste from when I brushed my teeth a few minutes ago)
Try this yourself and you'll notice that the first one is pretty easy. As you go down the list you'll notice it's harder and harder to come up with answers. This forces your brain to focus on your present, and by the end you may notice your heart rate has slowed and you may feel more relaxed and centered.
To hear more from Julie and other techniques at managing stress, you can view the archived recording of the webinar here. For all upcoming webinars, click here!