Alphabet of Hope 2021 – #MindAndBody

Sharing feelings and talking over troubles with a trusted friend can offer new perspective, ease worries and give reassurance that people care and we are not alone. Whether it be a conversation in person, a live-chat over Facetime or Skype, real-time text messaging or back-and-forth messages over several days, take time to find the friends you need to share your burdens and help lift you up. And be ready to do the same for them.

It can be especially valuable to share our worries with someone who understands the experience.  For example, talking with others who understand how the pandemic may impact you as a parent or survivor affected by retinoblastoma.  Several minds working together usually find solutions faster to overcome challenges, and may be more able to offer reassurance to ease stress.

But recognise that worry, gossip and catastrophizing from other people may amplify your own fears.  Choose your support system carefully so it builds you up and gives you hope.

Further Reaing: Retinoblastoma Support Organizations

Further Reaing – Blog: The Retinoblastoma Rollercoaster

Further Reaing – Blog: Friendships Through Retinoblastoma

Further Reaing – Blog: Reflections of Camp Sunshine by Rb Moms

Further Reaing – Blog: Enucleation, Life and Support: Parent and Survivor Perspective

10 Ways to Have a Better Conversation

Check that your contacts list is up-to-date with phone numbers, social links, emails and postal addresses for family members, neighbours, friends, and other people you care about. Find out how people prefer to connect, and record that information.  For example, some people are not comfortable with video chats, but welcome internet audio calls. They may prefer a particular platform for chat communication.  Plan regular check-ins with one another, but leave space for spontaneity too.

Building Connections: How to be a Relationship Ninja

5 Ways to Create Stronger Connections

Remember that the people you communicate with will also be relying on connection with you for support just now, as much as you rely on them.  Surprise one another, be creative with your communication, have fun with it.  Here are some suggestions:

• Plan with friends to watch a film or TV show, or read a book separately at the same time, so you can discuss it together on a group call or video meet-up.
• Set up a tandem baking session with a friend, or with your child and their grandparent (or other significant person), in which you all follow the same recipe, connected by a video call.
• With your friends, listen to the same positive radio show, and chat back and forth about its features. Note one thing you’d all like to follow up on that arose from the program or your conversation.  A breakfast show is ideal as they are usually 3-4 hours long with multiple features and upbeat music, and even opportunities to interact with the show – perhaps you could message in with a greeting to your friend or relative who is listening along with you.
• Send voice memos to one another. The audio recording of our voice brings us closer to one another.  You can also enliven the memo further with singing, music, or several members of your family on the same recording.
• Send surprise items in the mail.  Perhaps you have a collection of postcards from past holidays, or gifted writing sets you thought you’d ever use in this digital age. Now may be just the time to dust them off, show them some love and send them out with a smile.  Receiving an unexpected handwritten letter or card in the post is always a delight, just now more than ever.

How to Connect with Depressed Friends

Pet therapy is enormously soothing to both body and mind.  The rhythmic motion of stroking a furry animal helps to regulate breathing and calm racing thoughts.  Active play helps draw our mind away from troubling thoughts into the action of the present moment.  The physical activity and shift in perspective helps to release tension.

Animals are very attuned to the emotions of their human companions, and can present themselves at opportune moments for a little respite.  Take advantage of those moments, rather than shooing your pet away in frustration.

Harvard Report: Dogs Reduce Stress

Fitness: 5 Things That Make Exercise Enjoyable

If I Go With You, Will You Be Less Scared?

4 Simple Steps to Start the Exercise Habit

How to Make Exercise a Daily Habi

The 1-Minute Secret to Forming a New Habit

Yoga originated in India about 5,000 years ago, and has evolved around the world into many styles of practice with different philosophies and exercises. Each can be applied in a range of situations for both physical and mental health benefits.

Yoga is now commonplace in health clubs, hospitals and other health care facilities, community centres, schools and retirement homes.

Yoga poses (asanas) involve a series of movements, holds, and controlled breathing. They help to calm and purify the body and mind while also developing physical strength and stamina.

Medical research shows that regular yoga practice helps ease high blood pressure, pain, depression, stress and symptoms in a wide range` of other medical conditions.

Some styles of yoga are more vigorous than others.  Some place more emphasis on posture, and others on the breath.  Many yoga teachers develop their individual practice by studying and combining elements from multiple styles.  No style has proven to be more effective or beneficial to stress relief than another.  The important thing is to choose a teacher, approach and class that suits you.

If your child is still in/recently-past treatment, consider asking if the hospital, hospitality housing like Ronald McDonald House or another support service offers yoga classes for parents.  If you are a survivor living near a cancer centre, you could ask if the hospital has a program you can join.  For example, survivors living in the UK can benefit from yoga, tai chi or qigong classes run by Maggie’s Centres across the country (you do not need to be an active patient at the hospital to benefit from this service).

There are many yoga practice possibilities online, for complete beginners and more experienced yogis.  From full length classes to routines as short as five minutes.

A quick Youtube search will bring up a vast array of routines with which to start or end the day.  You can also find routines for office breaks when you have limited space and you are dressed for work, or to address a wide range of physical and mental health situations.

This is a good routine for complete beginners. The presenter takes her time to explain each breath, movement and pose.

Even if medical circumstances, a global pandemic or other challenges keep you home or close to home, there are still many ways to exercise.  With a little thought, you can weave fun physical activity into your daily routine at home.  Try these tips to get going:

• Schedule a daily workout, and ask fellow family members to support you by respecting that time. You may even want them to join in.
• Prepare a specific routine, or follow an online workout video.  When you don’t have to think about what to do next, you’re more likely to complete the session and gain more from it.
• Do PE with Joe – during the COVID pandemic lockdown in 2019, Joe Wicks live-streamed a free daily workout for families around the world. Past sessions are available at The Body Coach TV YouTube channel. Joe is donating all advertising revenue from these videos to the NHS Charities Together, COVID-19 Appeal.
• Learn to dance. Step by Step Dance School are live streaming virtual dance classes during the COVID-19 pandemic. They conform to social distancing guidelines, and teach steps with awareness that people will be unable to dance with a partner. Videos are also audio described, including blind and vision impaired participants.   If you’ve always wanted to learn to dance but worried about dancing with another person during classes, this is an ideal time to learn.  Find past sessions under the Videos tab.
• Join an online Zumba or yoga class.  If you were previously part of a face-to-face class, find out if the coach has sessions available online, or what recommendations they have for other remote classes.
• When you are watching TV, stand up and jog on the spot whenever something specific is happening on screen – for example, when a scene involves an animal or takes place outside.  Children may find this particularly fun.
• Pace while talking on the phone.
• Dance to music while cleaning – create your best playlist and get moving!  It’s hard to worry about germs when you’re grooving to your favourite sounds.

Take a family friendly Taskmaster challenge: A new task was set every Monday and Wednesday during the first COVID-19 lockdown in 2019, and  #HomeTasking challenges continue.  A video montage of the best contributions are available on the Taskmaster YouTube channel.  Create your own videos for current or past Taskmaster challenges.  Here’s one fun example!

Small fears and anxieties can compound into marauding emotions if we don’t learn to respect and properly manage them.  We often can’t remove the uncertainties and challenges of life, but we can work from within to manage our emotions and feel less overwhelmed by them.  Try this simple ABCDEF teqhnique: Acknowledge, Breathe, Counsel, Defuse, Exchange, Feelings.

Acknowledge: Bring your awareness to your feelings, and accept that they are there. So often we allow thoughts to sit in our mind without paying good attention to what they really are, or we simply push away uncomfortable feelings. Try naming your emotions and the sensations your body feels in response – for example, “I feel anxious because I don’t know what will happen. My shoulders are tense and my heart is racing.”  Strong emotions control us when we don’t give them close attention.  Actively focusing on them, and how they make you think and feel, reduces their power.

Breathe: Give your emotions space by taking some calming deep breaths. Sit or stand up straight, drop your shoulders to help release physical tension throughout your body.  Breathe in for at least a count of 3, then hold and breathe out for another count of 3.  There’s no need to modify your thoughts or feelings, just continue to acknowledge them for what they are, without any judgement.

Counsel: Remind yourself that negative thoughts and feelings are the voice of fear, that craving and endlessly seeking impossible certainty is unhelpful, and that fear is not a statement of fact. Remember the FEAR acronym: False Evidence Appearing Real.

Defuse: Emotions are not who we are. Think of them as waves of experience we can choose to surf. When we consciously release it, the troubling thought or feeling flows away.  When you notice an emotion or thought process pulling you down, disrupt it by saying something like “this is making me unhappy. I am not doing this anymore. I deserve to treat myself more kindly”.

Exchange: How can you view the situation more positively and relieve your tension in this moment? Take active steps to replace the negative emotion with positive ones.  For example, using gratitude, or a deep breathing exercise, listening to an uplifting playlist, or a funny recording of your children, friends or a favourite comedian.  Laughter, smiles and singing aloud create some of the best emotional healing.  Do you have to continue with the task at hand, or can you take a brief mental reset break, and return later with a clearer, calmer mind?

Feelings: What are you thinking and saying to yourself now? How do you feel, physically and emotionally?  Name those sensations and feelings, for example “I feel calm”, “my muscles are relaxed”. Paying close attention will reinforce the value of this approach, and help you adjust your action responses as you go along, to discover what works best for you.

You will need to practice over and over again before managing your emotions in this way becomes natural, but doing so will be worthwhile.

Our thoughts are incredibly powerful. A single thought can quickly leach colour away, and the gathering grey mood separates us from potential to experience joy.  We generate a sprawl of negativity every day, its rotten energy crackling through the space in which we live and breathe. Yet we can filter the toxic air around us with daily gratitude practice.

We can fundamentally shift our outlook by simply appreciating what we have in the present moment.  Gratitude disciplines us to stop wishing for something else, to value the blessings we have right now, and the experiences we have already received.  Gratitude helps us to be more content.

This seems ridiculously simple.  But research shows that genuine gratitude has transformational impact on almost every aspect of our lives. Daily practice can reduce symptoms of or risk for depression, improve sleep, physical health, well-being, outlook and relationships, boost concentration and productivity.

In times of busyness and intense stress, daily gratitude can greatly improve quality of life.  Yet we tend to give the least mind to gratitude at these times.  We’re so caught up in our thoughts that we fail to recognise the gifts blessing us right now.

When we regularly focus on gratitude, we train our minds to look for the positive rather than focusing on the challenges, frustrations, and slights we encounter. Mindful gratitude practice means becoming immersed in the emotion so that we feel deeply and profoundly thankful.

3 Reasons Why It Is Hard to Cultivate Gratitude and What to Do About It

8 Tremendously Important Ways Gratitude Can Change Your Life

12 Little Known Laws of Gratitude

The Science of Gratitude

Robert Emmons: The Power of Gratitude

Robert Emmons: Benefits of Gratitude

Katia Sol: The Transformative Power of Gratitude

Shawn Achor: The happy secret to better work

There are many ways you can practice daily gratitude.  One of the simplest is to keep a gratitude journal.  Try this super simple gratitude practice every evening for a week before you go to bed, and observe how you feel as a result.

Write down three things that went well during the day, how they happened, what you experienced, and a brief explanation of how they impacted your day.  For example, meeting with a friend, receiving a compliment, and experiencing a refreshing moment in nature.  Taking time to record these small gifts aids personal growth and boosts contentment and daily happiness, even in the toughest times.

When a day is especially hard and you can’t identify anything that went well, take a few minutes to look back through your reflections.  You’ll probably find some inroads to gratitude for the day, and reflecting on previous gratitude will draw your mind away from a trap of negative thinking into a more positive mind-set, ready for the next morning.

One Daily Gratitude Ritual that Will Change the Way You Think

Make Your Life Better By Saying Thank You In These 7 Situations

Oprah’s Gratitude Journal

The Gratitude Experiment

Long Story Shortz – My Gratitude Jar (great for kids)

Gratitude: The Most Powerful Practice You’re Not Doing

Hailey Bartholomew’s 365 Grateful Project

How to Create Daily Habits of Gratitude and Appreciation

Gratitude: The Short Film by Louie Schwartzberg

Louie Schwartzberg: Nature. Beauty. Gratitude

Guided Meditation For Gratitude

An Experiment in Gratitude | The Science of Happiness

Robert Biswas-Diener: Your Happiest days are behind you

David Steindl-Rast: Want to be happy? Be grateful

Jane Ransom: Discover the Three Keys of Gratitude to Unlock Your Happiest Life!

The Four A’s for Expressing Gratitude

Chaotic, uncertain times also create opportunity to focus on the things you value in your partner, to show them tenderness, respect, love, and appreciation.  Gestures of reassurance and love go a long way when circumstances raise insecurity and stress.  Here are a few suggestions to get started.

• Make a conscious effort to recognise when your partner does or says something that eases your day and makes you feel good, and show that you appreciate their words and actions.
• If this is challenging to do in the busyness of the day, take time in the evening to share at least one thing that was appreciated during the day.
• Perhaps ask your partner what you can do tomorrow to support them and help them feel loved, and share one thing that could help you.
• If spoken word isn’t easy, consider placing a bedtime gratitude note on your partner’s pillow – those notes may become precious keepsakes.
• Create a Treasure Box: Decorate and fill a box with mementos of your life together – photos, letters, souvenirs – anything that has special meaning for you about your partner.  Prepare a special time for only you and your partner when you are both relaxed, perhaps after a meal, and share the treasure box.  Ask them if they would like to look through the contents together now, or on their own later – respect their choice. The goal of the box is not to spend time looking through the objects together, but to convey to your partner how much they are treasured, especially at this time.

Drinking water is something we all need to do to stay physically and mentally well. But most adults and children are chronically under-hydrated.  We don’t drink enough, and what we do drink, we don’t consume steadily enough throughout the day to be of real value.

When we are dehydrated, we can feel drained and tired, we may have headaches, muscle aches and cramps, mood swings, and find it more difficult to manage our thoughts and emotions.  That’s an especially toxic combination of impacts in times of crisis like retinoblastoma and a global pandemic!

Put a glass or bottle of water beside your bed, so you can drink it first thing in the morning, before you get up.  Take a few quiet moments to drink slowly, so your brain has time to make the connection that you are drinking and reap the full benefit. Pay attention to it, and set the intention to drink regularly throughout the day.  You will be more aware of the need to drink water in the busy hours ahead, and respond.

TED Ed lesson: What would happen if you didn’t drink water?

See video notes for the full lesson link and further resources.

Body Hydration: The Key to Improved Performance, Health, and Life

Aim for at least 2 litres (8 glasses) of water per day.  Remember that caffeinated drinks (coffee, tea, sports drinks, sodas etc.) are dehydrating. Water, whether plain or flavoured, is best. You also get a lot of water from fruit, veg, soups, smoothies etc.  Be mindful though that fruit smoothies can be high in calories due to the natural sugars in fruit, and the density of fruit in the smoothie.

Here are some simple ways to add more water to your day!

10 Ways to Drink More Water

6 Water-Rich Foods That Help You Stay Hydrated

WE C Hope works with families around the world who must think carefully about where to find safe water while caring for their child with eye cancer.  Globally, our planet suffers from our high consumption of single-use plastics, including water bottles.

If you have the blessing of clean water flowing from your taps, please use them!  Please refill your own drinking bottle rather than buying plastic from the store, and recycle whenever possible.  Please help protect our planet while also looking after your own health and wellbeing!  Thank you so much.

TED Ed, What really happens to the plastic you throw away

See video notes for the full lesson link and further resources.

How to make filthy water drinkable

Learn more about and purchase Michael Pritchard’s Lifesaver Bottle, featured in this TED Talk.

The neuroscience of imagination

How would you finish the sentence, “Imagine if…”?

Guided imagery allows us to create an alternative reality in our mind, rich in calming experiences. For example, we may imagine we are playing on a beautiful beach, warmed and strengthened by the sunshine, and calmed by the gentle ebb and flow of the waves.

By mentally entering that different world, touching, seeing, smelling, hearing and tasting it, we transport our attention away from present physical or emotional pain to a place of comfort and peace.  The power of imagination soothes both mental stress and physical sensations of pain.

Using this simple visualization practice, pause for a mental vacation. By visualizing your perfect relaxation spot, you can put yourself in a calm, restful, and elevated state of mind.  You can do this as you sit for a few minutes between tasks, waiting for the bus, anywhere that creates space between…  Please never use this tool while driving or in any situation where you need to remain alert to your surroundings.

Here are two brief guided visualisations to help you take a mental vacation. Many longer guided meditations are available on youtube, or for purchase on Audible, iTunes and elsewhere.

2 minutes

7 minutes

How does it feel to be calm, free from worry and the attention-seeking thoughts of a cluttered mind?  How do you breathe in those moments of peace? How does your body rest?  Next time you’re aware of feeling particularly at peace, pay particular attention to your breathing and position.

1. How deep are your breaths – their pace, tempo, duration, in/out ratio etc.?
2. How are you positioned? Are you sitting, reclined, standing?  Does your breathing and sense of peace remain or alter when you change position?

Now try to imagine yourself calm.  Close your eyes and take a few deep, cleansing breaths.  Imagine your body and mind feeling relaxed as you navigate through a stressful situation.  Recall how you naturally breathe when you’re most relaxed. Pay attention to recreating that breathing pattern, or simply breathe slow and deep.

When you take time to create a clear mental image of what it looks and feels like to be calm in a difficult situation, you can refer back to that image when your reality begins to tense.

This can be very difficult to do when we are caught up in the stress of a situation. Daily practicing specific breathing techniques, or using a guided meditation to reduce stress and create calm, can be very beneficial.

Try this 5 minute guided meditation to reduce anxiety and increase calm. A wide variety of longer meditations are available online, but in the moments we most need the calming space, 5 minutes may be all we have – and all that is needed to restore calm.

Affirmations are positive statements you repeat to yourself, describing who and how you want to be. Affirmations are phrased in the present tense, as though the outcome is currently occurring.  Examples of affirmations:

• “I am calm and confident”
• “I don’t know what will happen, but I can control the peace I have today.”

Establishing a positive affirmation routine first thing in the morning can impact the outcome of your entire day.  Using affirmations at pressure points throughout the day, and in the evening can help relieve tension, maintain a positive focus, and set up for more restful sleep and a good start to the following day.

Affirmations are valuable for adults and children alike.  Writing affirmations together with your children and saying them together daily can create a great opportunity for communication and bonding.

When practiced deliberately and repeatedly, positive affirmations can literally rewire the brain, replacing negative thoughts with positive ones.  Daily practice reinforces chemical pathways, strengthening the connection between neurons. Over time, they are more likely to transmit the positive messages naturally, without your conscious direction.

Here is a short introduction to using positive daily affirmations.

Taking Imagination Seriously

The unexpected beauty of everyday sounds

Turning trash into toys for learning

Public art that turns cities into playgrounds of the imagination

Why Joy is a Superpower and How to Nurture Daily Joy – Even in Tough Times

from our blog, Monday April 12, 2021

Throughout the retinoblastoma journey, and all tough times, nurturing joy is vital to help mind and body release tension and nourish hope. Morgan Livingstone CCLS explains why joy is our secret superpower, and how we can nurture it in ourselves and others.

Where Joy Hides and How to Find It

Unleash Your Joy Potential

Who Cares? Becoming Your Best Friend with Compassion, Care and Love, May 24, 2021

We are quick to support family and friends in a crisis with words of comfort, encouragement, and affirmation, and practical acts to care for their wellbeing, so why are we so reluctant to give ourselves the same support?  Abby White explores the difference between self-compassion, self-care, and self-love, how they are connected, why they matter so much, and how we can cultivate them.

The Gift of Listening to Ourselves:

How compassionate self-enquiry can reduce stress and help us heal – from our April 26, 2021 blog.

We all need to be heard, but how often do we truly listen to ourselves? Living or working with retinoblastoma can be emotionally overwhelming. WE C Hope CEO and Rb survivor, Abby White, shares personal experience of some listening techniques that help her cope with daily challenging thoughts and strong emotions such as anger, fear and worry.

Increase your self-awareness with one simple fix

The importance of asking WHAT rather than WHY!

How to avoid catching prickly emotions from other people

Constantly ruminating on past events and all their related emotions, or worrying about and planning the future – even the next five minutes – prevents us from enjoying the present moment. All we ever truly have in life is this one moment, here and now. We may wake up to see tomorrow, next week or next year. But while we overwhelm our mind with thoughts of past failings or imagined things that may never be, we lose the gift of this vibrant life waiting for us right now.

Mindfulness is the deliberate act of slowing down to notice everything within and around you, without judgment.  This sounds simple, but it can be difficult in today’s fast-paced world.  Effective mindfulness requires regular practice of awareness, so it becomes a natural part of who we are and how we interact with our world.

Mindfulness can profoundly enhance mental health.  Consistent benefits can be seen after daily practice for just 4-8 weeks. Among the many benefits proven through scientific research, mindfulness can:

• Reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and worry
• Improve our ability to manage emotions and self-control.
• Improve empathy, compassion, interpersonal skills, and relationships.
• Reduce aggression, risk-taking behaviours like drinking and substance abuse, and problem behaviours like tantrums in children.
• Boost attention and focus, raising cognitive performance, academic achievement and productivity.
• Enhance resilience in both adults and children

There are many mindfulness practices we can incorporate into our daily life.  Try one or two today and see where they lead you.

;Mindfulness Meditation – 8 Quick Exercises That Easily Fit Into Your Day

The Amazing Power of Being Present

Go for a Presence Walk

Mindful Parenting, How to Respond Instead of React

How to Turn Stress Into Serenity

Anxiety can cause us to mistreat our hands without a second thought.  Wringing them in frustration, overworking at our keyboards or smart devices, or excessively cleaning and washing in efforts to stave off worry.

Show your hands a little kindness with a five minute massage. Focusing on the steps in the process, the sensations and scents of the experience can help to dramatically calm both body and mind.

Select your favourite moisturising hand cream and rub a generous portion into your palms. Use moderate pressure, and repeat each of the following strokes at least three times:

1. Use your palm to stroke from wrist to fingertips on both sides of your hand.
2. Massage each finger and thumb between your thumb and forefinger. Use a circular motion over the knuckles, before gliding thumb and forefinger along the entire digit from base to tip, giving it a gentle stretch in the process.
3. Using your fingertips, massage the base of your hand at your wrist in a circular motion. Slowly move upwards over your palm, and back along your forearm.
4. Form a loose first and gently raise it towards your elbow as you continue to massage your wrist.
5. Cradle your hand palm down in your active hand, and massage the sides of the wrist and hand.
6. Use your fingertips to massage the muscles between the finger bones on the top side of your hand.
7. Use your thumb to massage the area between your thumb and forefinger. Do not do this last step if you are pregnant as this is a pressure point not recommended in pregnancy.

Eckhart Tolle discusses how to break the habit of excessive worry and mind chatter by focusing our thoughts on the hands, and the mere sensation of their existence.

When we are anxious or angry, every muscle in our body can feel like a tightly wound spring.  Practicing progressive muscle relaxation can help to relax those stressed muscles and calm the mind.

A body scan is a very relaxing meditative practice in which you focus on each part of your body in turn, from the toes to the head, or the other way around.  The aim is to bring full attention to each specific point on your body for a few moments, and observe what and how you feel.

In stressful situations, you can gently draw your mind away from difficult thoughts with a simple body scan, breaking a negative thought spiral and restoring calm.

Below are two guided body scans of 15 and 30 minutes.  Closing your eyes during the scan is not necessary, but it does aid relaxation.  The scan is not intended as a sleep-aid, but it can be very helpful wind-down at the end of the day.

15 min scan, led by Mark Williams, director of the Oxford Mindfulness Centre at the University of Oxford.

30 min scan, led by Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of the Stress Reduction Clinic and Center for Mindfulness in Medicine at U. Mass.

Eating a regular, healthy diet helps keep blood sugar, energy levels and mood stable throughout the day.  When we are hungry or nutritionally unbalanced, we become less able to think clearly and make logical decisions that protect our mental health.  During times of high stress, when appetite may change or demands may limit the time available for organised meals, it is especially important to eat well.

Try to keep a balanced diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, pulses and wholegrains.  Good nutrition will support everyone’s mental and physical health.

If you find yourself craving snacks, check in with your body to identify whether you need a drink. Dehydration can feel like hunger pangs, and a glass of water can often settle the discomfort of endless cravings.

When you know times will be busy or stressed, prepare some healthy meals and snacks in advance.  If you’re focused on caring for a sick relative or yourself, this is the time to ask relatives and friends to donate healthy home-cooked, store-bought or restaurant delivered meals to ensure you and your family eat well.

Discover and Be Inspired with these Fabulous Five Ted Talks

Watch these five brilliant TED talks about the link between nutrition and wellbeing – curated by Nutritionists Anna and Alex at The Biting Truth.

Spending time in nature delivers a huge benefits to our mental and physical well-being.  Research shows that the natural environment generates greater happiness than the built environment.  Numerous studies have demonstrated that spending time in nature can boost our immune system, reduce levels of cortisol (the stress-hormone), relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety, and improve concentration, creativity, and memory.

As little as five minutes in green space boosts positive mood, broadens thinking and improves working memory.  The longer you spend outside in the fresh air, taking time to enjoy the beauty of the world, the greater the benefits will be.  So go into your garden, or find a green space in your community, and make time to reap the benefits of our beautiful natural world today.

Try a nature meditation, a very simple way to engage all your senses in the environment around you. This is possible whether you are walking down the street, hiking a country trail, walking the dog in your neighbourhood park, or simply sitting at an open window. Pay attention to your breath and to what exists in this moment.

Can you identify five things you can see, four things you can hear, three things you can touch, two things you can smell and one thing you can taste?  Focusing on what your senses encounter releases your mind from ongoing internal chatter, and gives more awareness to the beauty of life around and within you.

How Nature Can Make You Kinder, Happier, and More Creative

Walking for Weight Loss

Nature immersion as a first step to a healthier body and mind

Prescribing Nature for Health

Why nature is good for your mental health

(There is an advert midway through this video)

Even if you can’t go outside at all, or you can’t find any natural environments to connect with in your neighbourhood, you can bring nature into you daily life to help soothe body, mind and spirit.  Try some of the following:

• Open all curtains and blinds to get as much natural light as possible.
• Open the windows to let in fresh air and the sounds of nature.
• Spend time sitting in the garden, if you have one, or on your balcony, porch, even your doorstep will be enough.
• Create a comfortable seating space beside an open window, where you can clearly see the sky. Perhaps you can see trees and wildlife from this vantage point, or hear the song of nearby birds.
• Listen to soundscapes of nature, such as birdsong, ocean waves or rainfall.  You can find recordings like the following example on YouTube, AmazonMusic, Spotify and other streaming services, or via an app like Calm or Naturespace.

• Watch a nature documentary or natural world webcams like the one below. YouTube hosts many live stream webcams and videos from zoos, wildlife sanctuaries, national parks, marine reserves and other wildlife action spots around the world.

• Look at photos of your favourite natural spaces. If you have a large format TV with a Home image constantly displayed, change this image to display the photo that relaxes you most.
• If you can order bulbs or seeds online for home delivery, planting and tending the new life can be a wonderful way of bringing nature into your home.
• If you can safely access a garden, park or other local green space, you could gather some natural materials for an art project or decorative feature. This may be a good activity to do with children.
• Try a nature meditation, a very simple way to engage all your senses in the environment around you. This is possible whether you are sitting beside an open window or in the garden, walking down the street, or exercising the dog in your neighbourhood park. Pay attention to your breath, to what you see, hear, smell, taste, and feel around you.  Can you identify five items for each sense? Focusing on what your senses encounter releases your mind from ongoing internal chatter, and gives more awareness to the beauty of life around and within you.
• You don’t have to venture far to find nature, even in the city. Pay attention to the trees, plants, and wildlife you see, or the birds you hear.  Can you photograph the ones you don’t recognise to research later?  Can you download an app or recording of common birdsongs in your region to learn?

Don’t sit back and expect others to solve your problems, and don’t make choices based on other people’s opinions (or what you think their opinions are).  You deserve to be happy.  So do what you need to create comfort and calm within yourself.

• If you need space and silence to meditate, practice yoga or go for a run every morning, tell your family and ask for support to create that sacred space.
• If you need to take a lunchtime walk, tell the people with whom you work that you are unavailable at this time, and set your phone to airplane mode.
• If your child needs support to cope with a particular medical procedure or aspect of retinoblastoma, or the broader experience, investigate and plan the steps to make that a reality.
• If you need more support in any area of life, identify specifically what you need and who you can ask for help, then ask clearly and show your gratitude.

Take responsibility and plan the change you want to see in your life.

Procedures will run more smoothly, with less distress, when you and your child are well prepared for them. When you have a coping plan, you will both be less anxious and feel a greater sense of control over the experience. A coping plan includes when and how to tell your child about the procedure, how you will support your child and the choices your child will have before, during and after the procedure.

Make a Procedure Support Plan – Child Life Resource

Do you ever lie in bed thinking “I must remember to do X”, working through the steps involved in doing Y, or masterminding all your tasks into the jigsaw puzzle of available timeslots throughout your day?

Planning the next day before going to bed the night before saves time in the morning.  It also helps the brain to relax and sleep better.  Writing down tomorrow’s action items can free the mind of the need to remember and worry about certain things, creating more opportunity for the brain to unwind and enter sustained deep sleep.

It can be very tempting to skip nightly reviews and planning in favour of an extra 10 minutes relaxation, watching TV or chatting on social media.  But taking that time to think about tomorrow will put you ahead physically and mentally, especially on a potentially hectic and stressful morning.

The planning itself can be a mindfulness exercise, completing some of the morning’s readiness tasks the night before. Making life calmer, simpler, and more streamlined frees the mind to focus on what is most important, rather than reacting to everything.

There is no single method, no right or wrong way to plan for tomorrow – we are all different in what works for us, with widely varied lives.  Some people prepare detailed daily action lists.  Others use 3-5 simple bullet notes.  You will find a wide range of techniques shared online.

In the following video, Amy makes an important differentiation between the To Do List and the daily calendar.  She also describes Stephen Covey’s 4 quadrant planning tool, which helps prioritise tasks when there is not enough time in the day to do everything.

Taking a little time to plan in advance for busy times like treatment cycles and hospital visits, school vacations, special family or religious events, and the Holiday Season will help you avoid or reduce stress during the event itself.  You can more easily identify where you may risk over-committing yourself, make a note of your needs, brainstorm potential solutions, and quickly document follow up actions.

This simple Holiday Season Activity Tracker can be used throughout the year as a great planning tool for any family activity. Download the file as a printable PDF or an editable MS Word file.

Real magic happens in the quiet space we give ourselves.  We can rest, breathe, and notice ourselves and one another.  We can cuddle close with those we love (human or furry), savour a delicious drink and our favourite music for five refreshing minutes, take a soothing walk in nature, escape into a novel, or relax in a candlelit bath.

List 10-15 things you truly enjoy, that cleanse your body, mind and soul.  Ask your family to do the same. Identify simple activities you can easily enjoy alone and together on any regular day. For example:

• Taking a five minute coffee break
• Coffee and catch-up with a friend
• Spending time with your pets
• Reading a book or magazine
• Taking a walk in green space
• Making and enjoying a special drink / snack
• Singing and/or dancing to your favourite music
• Being creative (colouring, knitting, writing, music etc.)
• Beauty treatment like a massage, facial or hairstyling.
• A candle-lit bubble bath with great music or a book.
• Watching a movie, alone or with family / friends
• Playing a game, alone or with family / friends

Don’t fill space mindlessly.  Treat yourself to a gift from your list.  You’re more likely to do it if you’ve already thought about it and have any necessary supplies to hand.

Really focus on those activities – where you are, what you’re doing, who you’re with, and how you’re interacting, what each of your senses experiences, and how you feel.  Paying close attention helps us stay in the moment and be enriched by it, rather than letting intrusive thoughts take over.

When you’re out and about, use simple breathing techniques to ease any tension that arises, and bring your focus to sparks of light in the moment. Perhaps while queueing at a busy store, or waiting in traffic.  Let the superpower of your inner joy shine and help you reclaim that experience as a sliver of quality time to slow down.

How to gain control of your free time

The Art of Spending Time

Both green and black tea contains L-Theanine, an amino acid well known to reduce the body’s stress response and calm the mind.  It may also have a number of other health benefits, such as boosting the immune system and lowering blood pressure. The act of pausing for a few minutes to sip the hot, soothing drink can also create a mental oasis to rebalance.

As with coffee, drink tea in moderation to avoid the unpleasant effects of excessive caffeine intake, which can include nausea, upset stomach and irritability.  If you are pregnant, breastfeeding or taking chemotherapy, check with your doctor to clarify what is safe for you.

A relaxing soak in a scented bath at any time of day can be the ultimate healing balm. Warm bubbles and candles can be a wonderful way to relax as the evening draws in, and prepare for restful sleep.

Unwinding in comfortably hot water purifies body and mind.  The skin responds to the sensation of warm water by releasing endorphins, the feel-good hormone, just as it does when bathed in warm sunlight.   The heat also helps to loosen tight muscles and relieve pain.  As a result, gentle stretches are often easier in the bath.  Carefully selecting bath products with attention to their ingredients such as essential oils and salts can also significantly influence physical and mental wellness.

Every day brings new human drama from across the country and around the globe, stoking the twitch to check for updates and consume more. The remnants of fact, story and speculation seep into our consciousness like drops of acid, and when we feel anxious, our thoughts can quickly spiral out of control. Imagination often goes into overdrive as we construct worst case scenarios in our mind.

In times of crisis that directly affect us, staying in touch with current news helps ensure we have all relevant information to stay safe and follow any community guidelines.  But too much news can become overwhelming.  Even the news of a rapidly evolving global situation like the COVID19 pandemic doesn’t change much hour by hour. Frequently reading repetitive content will only raise fear and anxiety.

What Are You Consuming?

Pay attention to what you read, listen to or watch when you first wake, throughout the day, and before you go to bed.  How much coronavirus news does it contain? What is the tone of the content, and how does it make you feel?  If it doesn’t add positively to your day, and especially if it depletes energy or disrupts your sleep, stop consuming it.  Replace it with something uplifting instead.

Plan Your Daily News Check-In

Limit the number of times you check the news throughout the day.  Identify a specific time in the morning and evening when you will check in with one news app or website, and for how long – for example, checking in with the News app for 15 minutes at 9am and 6pm. Or limit yourself to a specific TV or radio news bulletin, and proactively avoid all internet based news media.

Chose Your Sources Carefully

Carefully select the news sources you visit to ensure you are consuming clear fact rather than opinion and potential misinformation that may feed your fear and anxiety.  Consider signing up to updates from government and health agency websites, rather than visiting news outlets where content is designed to grab attention.

Protect Your Anchor Hour and Sleeping Mind

The first hour when you wake up becomes the psychological anchor for your day. You can choose what to expose yourself to during that time, and influence how you feel for the rest of the day.  The same is true of the last hour as you wind down for the night.  Reading the news just before bed is more likely to fill your mind with anxiety-inducing thoughts that disrupt restorative sleep.

Changing what you listen to, watch, or read is an act of self-care. This won’t magic away the reality, but it will build up a store of emotional energy that equips us to respond with less anxiety and more hope. Every day of this global emergency brings new challenges, so it’s important we top up that internal store every day.

Here’s a great little talk on why taking a break from news consumption is a sensible decision for personal wellbeing.

From our Blog – March 2018: The Informed Parent

Google and social media play an increasingly significant role in the lives of families affected by retinoblastoma, but without careful use, they can complicate a child’s medical care and even put life at risk. Dr. Jesse Berry shares her recommendations for being a safely informed parent advocate in the modern hyper-connected age.

From our December 2013 blog: This two part article gives simple guidance that can help you effectively read and assess medical information, medical news stories and published research articles.

• Part 1: evaluating online medical information.
• Part 2: evaluating published clinical study research.

From our Blog – January 2019: Father Braille: A Wonderfully Dotty Relationship

For many individuals diagnosed with retinoblastoma, sight-loss means braille is the primary means of reading and writing. In celebration of World Braille Day on Friday January 4^th, Rb survivor Ffion Miles introduces us to a very special relationship she has with six tiny dots, and the marvellous adventures they’ve shared together.

Why reading matters | Rita Carter

The healing power of reading | Michelle Kuo

Self-Care: What It Really Is | Susannah Winters

From our Blog – May 2021: Who Cares? Becoming Your Best Friend with Compassion, Care and Love

We are quick to support family and friends in a crisis with words of comfort, encouragement, and affirmation, and practical acts to care for their wellbeing, so why are we so reluctant to give ourselves the same support?  Abby White explores the difference between self-compassion, self-care, and self-love, how they are connected, why they matter so much, and how we can cultivate them.

From our January 2021 blog: Breathing for Wellness: Why Breath Matters, and 8 Ways to Breathe Out Stress

When we are anxious or angry, we tense up and hold our breath, or breathe fast and shallow, further increasing stress. Slow, deep breathing almost instantly diffuses tension, helping us feel calm, clear-headed and in control. Abby White explores why our bodies react this way, and how we can use our breath to restore calm fast.