Build a consistent daily routine
Having a regular daily routine can make a big difference when you’re dealing with illness. Sticking to a schedule for meals, school, work, activities, and sleep helps reduce stress, gives your day structure, and makes things feel a little more normal.
- Set a daily schedule that works for you. Try to follow it most days. But it’s also OK if some days look different.
- Create consistent daily routines and habits, such as meals, physical activity, and sleep schedules. Try to keep these routines as much as possible, even if you are in the hospital.
- Review your daily schedule for medicines, clinic visits, or other medical care. Then set times for other activities such as school or work, time with friends, rest, or exercise.
Get healthy sleep
Sleep is important for physical and mental health. Create a healthy sleep environment, schedule, and routine.
- Go to bed around the same time each night and wake up around the same time each morning (even on weekends).
- Turn off screens at least 1 hour before bedtime. Bright light and stimulation from devices can keep you awake.
- Use your bed for sleeping only. Don’t use your bed as a place to play video games, do homework, or hang out during the day.
- Get sunlight during the day. Spend time outside during the day and open the blinds or curtains for light. This helps reset your body to sleep better at night.
- Limit caffeine in energy drinks, coffee, or soft drinks, especially in the afternoon and evening.
- Avoid intense exercise within 2–3 hours before bedtime.
Find healthy ways to manage emotions
You may have a range of emotions—shock, fear, uncertainty, guilt, grief, jealousy, anger, sadness, and worry. These are all normal. You might feel several things at once—even feelings that contradict each other. That’s valid.
Try to name what you are feeling and allow yourself to feel that emotion. Then, use coping strategies to help you manage that specific feeling.
- Express your emotions in creative ways such as writing, drawing, photography, or music.
- Be honest about any struggles you’re having with your diagnosis or treatment, including changes in how you feel, how your body looks, or how you cope with balancing life and medical needs.
- Share your thoughts and feelings with people you trust. Look to family members, friends, your health care team, or other patients for support.
- Do activities you enjoy. Hobbies, sports, music, art, and being with friends can help take your mind off treatment and help you feel more like yourself.
- Use humor. Try to find something to make you laugh each day.
- Stay active. Go for a walk, practice yoga, or do other physical activities regularly.
- Use healthy coping strategies that have helped you in the past.
Maintain relationships and find support
It’s important to have a support system to help you through the ups and downs. Know that relationships may change. Some friends may show up in surprising ways, while others may not know what to say. That’s about them—not about you. You may feel closer to certain people or have trouble staying connected with others. Your interest in dating may also change after diagnosis and during or after treatment.
- Be honest with your friends and family about what you need and how they can help.
- Try connecting with other patients who are going through something similar.
- Let your friends and family know whether you want to talk about your illness. Tell them what you want them to know.
- Ask your friends to keep texting, messaging, and connecting with you on social media, even if you don’t respond right away.
- Talk about normal things and spend time hanging out with friends when possible.
- If you’re in a romantic relationship, find ways to do something special for each other or plan time to be together.
Communicate with your care team
You may have a lot of questions about your illness, treatment, and how this will affect you now and in the future. It’s important to have open, honest communication with your care team.
It’s your body and your health care. You get to ask questions and ask for things to be explained in ways that make sense to you.
- Keep a list of questions and things you want to discuss with your care team. Write down their answers.
- It’s OK to ask if you can speak to your health care providers privately. Speak to care team members with whom you feel most comfortable.
- Don’t be afraid to ask people to repeat information or to explain things in a different way to make sure that you understand.
- Let your care team know if you need any additional resources or support. A variety of care team members and support services are available to support you including psychologists, chaplains, child life specialists, and social workers.
Follow your treatment plan and take medicines as directed
Keeping track of medicines and treatments can be a lot, especially when you already have a lot going on.
- Ask questions and make sure you understand instructions. You can ask for written instructions if needed. It helps to know what to expect, how medicines and treatments might make you feel, and any side effects you might have.
- Be sure you take medicines at the correct dose and at the right time.
- Use a pill box to help manage your medications.
- Use written or electronic calendars and reminders for appointments, medications, and other medical tasks. Set reminders in your phone or use an app. Examples of apps to manage medicines include My Med Schedule, Med Coach Medication Reminder, Mango Health, MediSafe Meds, and Pill Reminder.
- If a friend or family member helps you with your medical care, decide who will help you and what tasks they will do. For example, ask a parent to call in your refills, help you fill your pill box, or write down appointment notes.
- Identify anything that might make you miss or get in the way of medicines or treatments. Talk to your care team about how to prevent or deal with these issues.
- If you notice any new symptoms or possible side effects, keep notes so you can talk to your care team and let them know about any problems.
Manage pain
You may have pain and discomfort during your illness. There are several things you can do to reduce pain and be more comfortable. Always let your care team know about new or worsening pain.
- Use distraction to shift your mind away from the pain and onto something more pleasant.
- Try deep breathing and other relaxation strategies to reduce tension and lessen pain.
- Quiet the mind and body using mindfulness exercises or meditation.
- Use positive self-satements, such as “I can do this to help me feel better” or “I know this pain won’t last forever”.
If your pain gets worse, lasts longer than usual, or interferes with your sleep or daily activities, ask your care team about pain management options.
