Three Steps Towards Cancer Wellness

As you sit, reading this I know you may be wondering if cancer wellness is even possible.

Silently questioning whether the words cancer and wellness go hand in hand, or not? You may or may not know, and I’d like to invite you to feel into the possibility, because maybe it’s time to reframe the narratives we hold around cancer.

I’ve seen time and time again that cancer wellness is not only possible – it can be life transforming in the most profoundly positive ways. Whether you are navigating treatment, adjusting to life beyond cancer, focusing on prevention or exploring how to reduce the risk of recurrence, there is always something that you can do yourself to make a difference.

Cancer wellness and healing is so much more than getting through your medical cancer treatments – it’s about building a foundation for a healthier, stronger, nourished and revitalised you.

The cancer wellness path is often a gradual shift from the overwhelm, stress and anxiety towards feeling calm, centred and in control of your cancer wellness. I’d love to share a few of my top tips to help you begin, wherever you are on your path.

1. Be the CEO of your wellness

The moment you regain some control, no matter how big or small, is the moment your cancer wellness journey begins. There are a few truths I find myself repeating to almost every client I work with – and this is one of them. “If you are booking a holiday, you research, don’t you? If you are planning to have your eyebrows micro-bladed – you research.”

Yet what I’ve witnessed over my 30 years in clinical cancer care is that, after a cancer diagnosis, there’s often a rush – a sense of urgency and even panic over how quickly treatment can begin. And here’s another truth: cancer doesn’t happen overnight. My biggest piece of advice is to gift yourself permission to breathe, to pause, to ask questions, and to choose a team that truly aligns with you.

You may feel drawn to hand over the outcome of your health entirely to your medical team, or you may want to be involved in every decision and choice – there’s no right or wrong. If you were my friend asking for advice, my answer would always be the same - be the CEO of your wellness, in some shape or form.

2. Seek support in exploring your metabolic terrain

This means supporting your body’s systems so they can function at their best, creating an internal environment that is less hospitable to cancer and more supportive of healing and wellness. Metabolic health is closely linked to lifestyle, which is great, because now you have something related to your health that you can control.

Metabolic health and lifestyle plays a big part in cancer wellness. Metabolic health touches every part of your wellbeing – from balanced blood sugar and hormone regulation, to healthy stress and inflammation responses and more. When these systems are working in balance and harmony, the body is going to be better equipped to heal, repair and protect itself.

I like to think of optimising your metabolic health as your internal metabolic ‘terrain’ – the ‘soil’ of your body where cancer is able to take root and grow. Whilst your medical team treat your cancer itself – with treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy and targeted treatments – you can be optimising the ‘soil’ of your body, changing your own internal environment so that it no longer supports cancer growth.

Your metabolic terrain is unique to you, and so this aspect of your cancer care needs to be personalised to you. It is not a one size fits all approach. Once you have had the right testing and know which part of your terrain needs your attention first, you can step back into being CEO of your wellness - gently integrating lifestyle, holistic therapies and dietary shifts alongside your clinical care.

A piece of general advice I offer to everyone is to become deeply self-aware about stress and sleep hygiene. Here’s another truth: living in a constant state of stress, in fight or flight mode, offers no benefit to your wellness path – because it quietly dials down your immune system. Learning how to manage stress, creating a nourishing evening routine, and intentionally stepping away from screens and blue light at night can support your immune system in the most positive way. The question is – how can you start prioritising these simple and powerful habits in the same way you prioritise your medicine?

3. Get to know your mind-body connection

Your mind-body connection may be one of the most powerful healing tools you hold. It’s always there, waiting to be tapped into - free, limitless and entirely within your control.

Every thought you think, every word you speak, the beliefs you carry – both the ones that lift you up and the ones that quietly limit you – along with the emotions you feel, all ripple through your body and influence your health.

You don’t have to navigate this alone. Sometimes the most empowering choice is to seek support – someone to help you untangle old patterns, gently challenge limiting beliefs, and guide you back to the calm, resilient centre of yourself.

If you are not sure where to start, then I am here to help. You’re welcome to get in touch, and I’ll send you a free tool to help you explore which of the ten areas of your metabolic terrain may need your focus first.

Or you may feel that 1:1 support would be beneficial. By combining clinical oncology expertise, holistic healthcare, wellness coaching and integrative oncology approaches with a focus on metabolic health, I can support you as a whole – walking alongside you and your medical team.

www.simonegrove.com or email - hello@simonegrove.com