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Adjusting to the new normal

The cancer experience doesn’t stop when treatment ends. Give yourself time to adjust to life after treatment. It can be helpful to take each day as it comes and accept that you may have both good and bad days. Everyone is different, but you may find some of the following suggestions useful.

	Reflect on your life Think about your goals and priorities. It may be helpful to write down how you’re feeling in a journal or to ask yourself: What makes me feel fulfilled? What makes me feel happy? What gives my life meaning? What is most important?
	Look after yourself Take the time you need to get used to any changes in your body. Do things at your own pace and rest between activities. Remember, your body is still healing. If you are worried about going out, ask someone to go with you.
	Take time for yourself Make time each day to do something you find relaxing or enjoyable. This could be reading, listening to music, spending time in nature or taking a bath.
	Talk about your emotions Acknowledge your feelings. It may help to share any concerns or worries with your family and friends, your doctor, a psychologist or counsellor.
	Manage your wellness Think about ways you can manage your own wellness and make changes to improve your quality of life. Eating healthy food and being physically active can help your body cope with physical and emotional stress, and make you feel as though you are doing something practical to help yourself.
	Clear your mind Complementary therapies, such as relaxation, yoga, mindfulness meditation and visualisation, may increase your sense of control, relieve stress and anxiety, and improve mood.
	Seek support Connecting with others who have been through a similar experience may be helpful. Join a support group, attend a survivorship program, listen to survivorship webinars or read stories from other survivors.
	Manage side effects You may have ongoing side effects after treatment. Talk to your health care team about ways to improve or manage any symptoms.

Podcast: Finding Calm During Cancer

Listen to more of our meditation and relaxation podcast.

Watch this video to see why eating well is so important after a cancer diagnosis, and what you can do to maintain a healthy diet.

Watch to learn about our exercise video series and how they can help guide you through all the exercises outlined in this section.

Key resource

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Living Well After Cancer

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Emotions and Cancer Download PDF643kB

This information was clinically reviewed in November 2021, and was fully reviewed in November 2024. View who reviewed this content.

Prof Michael Jefford, Medical Oncologist and Director, Australian Cancer Survivorship Centre, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, VIC (clinical review); Lucy Bailey, Nurse Counsellor, Cancer Council Queensland; Philip Bullas, Consumer; Dr Kate Gunn, Clinical Psychologist and Senior Research Fellow, Department of Rural Health, University of South Australia, SA; Rosemerry Hodgkin, 13 11 20 Consultant, Cancer Council WA; Prof David Joske, Clinical Haematologist, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and Clinical Professor of Medicine, The University of Western Australia, WA; Kim Kerin-Ayres, Clinical Nurse Consultant, Cancer Survivorship, Concord Hospital, NSW; Sally Littlewood, Physiotherapist, Seymour Health, VIC; Georgina Lohse, Social Worker, GV Health, VIC; Melanie Moore, Exercise Physiologist and Clinical Supervisor, University of Canberra Cancer Wellness Clinic, ACT; June Savva, Senior Clinician Dietitian, Nutrition and Dietetics, Monash Cancer Centre, Monash Health, VIC; Dr Elysia Thornton-Benko, Specialist General Practitioner and Research Fellow, University of New South Wales, NSW; Prof Janette Vardy, Medical Oncologist, Concord Cancer Centre and Professor of Cancer Medicine, The University of Sydney, NSW; Lyndell Wills, Consumer.

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