Training the Mind and Body Through Cancer
With the new year finally upon us, it’s really dawned on me how important it is to be intentional with how I spend my time. I’ve come to believe that training both the body and the mind is essential to living your best life—even in the midst of the chaos that comes with cancer.
In my case, having cancer in my brain and undergoing multiple rounds of radiation has made me think more deeply about how I can support my brain health moving forward. I want to continue learning new things to help my brain form new connections and keep those synapses firing as best they can.
There are many forms of mental exercise that have been recommended to me—learning a new language, reading, crosswords, Sudoku, puzzles—anything that gets your brain actively thinking. Recently, I decided to return to playing the guitar and finally pursue something I’ve always wanted to do: learning how to code in Python. Along with that, I continue to read and write on a near-daily basis.
Learning Python has been a long-time dream of mine. I’ve always found that side of computer science fascinating, and now that I have more time, I want to take advantage of it in a productive way. The reality, though, is that my energy comes in spurts. I tire easily. But instead of fighting that, I’ve learned to work with it. When those bursts of energy show up—why not use them?
The new year has also pushed me to think more intentionally about structure and routine. I tend to stick to the same basic habits, and after a while, that can feel monotonous. So I’m trying to mix things up by adding new elements into my day-to-day life.
Beyond mental exercise, I truly believe that physical, emotional, and spiritual health are deeply connected.
On the physical side, daily stretching and walking at least 15 minutes after meals has become a priority for me. Walking helps keep my blood sugar stable, but it also gives me space to think and process. That physical movement directly fuels my mental clarity.
Spiritually and emotionally, I believe daily meditation is essential. Spending 10 to 15 minutes each day in stillness helps set the tone for my day. It grounds me in gratitude and shifts my perspective from a “glass half empty” mindset to a “glass half full” one. That mindset carries over into how I show up emotionally—with friends, loved ones, and even during quiet moments alone.
Emotionally, journaling has become one of my most important practices. Every single day, I write something down—sometimes it’s just one or two sentences, other times it’s a page or more. It doesn’t matter how long it is. What matters is getting those thoughts—both positive and negative—out of my head and onto paper. It’s a brain dump. It relieves mental strain and has become an incredibly healthy habit over the last several months.
That’s really all I have to say on this topic. It may be easier said than done, but if I could offer one piece of advice to anyone looking to build more positive practices into their life, it would be this: start small. Try journaling for just 5 to 10 minutes a day, and make sure you’re incorporating a little bit of walking into your routine.
Those two simple practices alone can make a powerful difference in how we experience our day-to-day lives.
