Lisa Williams is a physiotherapist from Belfast. In this blog, she talks about the often hidden challenges facing women recovering from cervical cancer and its treatments, and what physios can do to help.

Diane is a therapist and registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. In this blog, she explains what anxiety is and how you can manage it, as well as demonstrating some grounding techniques. 

What is anxiety?

Anxiety is the feeling we have when we are worried or afriad, often about things that could happen in the future. It is a natural human response and most of us will feel anxious at some point in our lives.

Self-isolation and social distancing were terms many of us couldn’t define a few weeks ago, now they’re our way of life– a ‘new normal’. Staying in and avoiding other people is the best thing we can do to slow down the spread of Covid-19, but for many people getting used to it is really tough. It can be harder to look after your mental health if your usual coping strategies are no longer available to you. 

Your world might have changed, but we haven’t. In this series, we talk about the impact coronavirus might have on your life and how to manage it.

The sudden changes to how we are living our lives can be hard to comprehend. Advice and restrictions change daily as we learn more about coronavirus. It can feel all-consuming at times. Keeping up, as well as trying to interpret what it means for us, can be extremely difficult.

Today is World Cancer Day. This year, we’ve decided to talk about the importance of friendships, talking and support. 

How you go through a cancer diagnosis and treatment can be a very personal experience, it can also be isolating at times. It can be hard to find others who can relate to what you’re going through and how you’re feeling. 

To mark this World Cancer Day, we want to say you’re not alone and are sharing stories from our volunteers. We hear from Mandy, diagnosed with stage 1b1 in 2015 , Laura, diagnosed with stage 3 in 2017 and Hayley, diagnosed in 2017. 

We know that a cancer diagnosis can put a strain on your mental health whether it took place a month ago or a year ago. Our support services hear from people who are dealing with difficult emotions, with relationships which have become more stressful since a diagnosis, or from friends or family who just don’t know what to say.