There are many hard days throughout the brain tumor journey. Sometimes they are more frequent, and sometimes spread far apart.

Recently, I have been in a serious of hard days again, completely unrelated to my experience with an Acoustic Neuroma. Unfortunately, that has not been my only health struggle (though really it seems like after a brain tumor, you should have met your medical drama quota for your life). I have had three abdominal surgeries in less than a year, and it is looking highly likely that I will shortly have surgery number four. As I sit in that place of receiving the bad news scan but waiting to hear from the doctor, I am reflecting on all my best methods to cope with hard days. One thing a brain tumor diagnosis does is give you ample opportunity to practice your resilience.

My top coping mechanisms for the hard days:

1. Going outside. I find that even 10 minutes of fresh air and sunshine can help my day. I often try to have my breakfast on my patio to know I have built in time outdoors.
2. Talking to people who are close to me. I am very fortunate in having a great support system of people, and I lean on them during the tough times. I video chat, text, send gifs, etc. Whatever I need to feel connected and like I have people in my corner.
3. Exercise. I have found exercise to be one of my best tools for processing my emotions. Plus, I feel better knowing I am taking the best care of my body that I can.
4. Music. I have my special jams for hard days that either express how I am feeling, maybe lighten the mood, or pump me up. A favorite hard day track: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZkd91HXng4
5. Enjoying good food. I find that planning out food that is healthy and enjoyable can be a nice highlight to look forward to in the course of the day.
6. Escapism. I love a good book to escape thinking about the situation and focus on someone  else’s fictional life and struggles. When things are especially stressful, I enjoy genres like romance or fantasy, where I know the problems won’t be like mine and I will feel good.
7. Hugs. This may be particular to me as I am someone who really responds well to physical affection, but humans, in general, really like pressure. I ask for extra hugs to help on the hard days.
8. Cathartic cry. At times when things just feel very heavy, I will plan in a good cry, maybe using a book or movie to bring it on. Sometimes a release is really important and helps make things easier.
9. Staying Present (Mindfulness). I know this can be a buzzword, but I do find it important to refocus on now and not get caught in an anxiety spiral about how horrid the future may be. It is so easy to stew in tomorrow’s anticipated problems, and miss out that now is actually a good moment. I try to recognize the good moments as they are here and let go my worries about the future (as much as I can).
10. Staying busy. While I frequently struggle with overdoing, in general, I find keeping moving very helpful. It can help me with staying present and focused, as well as give me feelings of accomplishment at the end of the day.
11. Planning out something to look forward each day. Before going to sleep, I plan out one thing to look forward to tomorrow. It is often something small, like drinking my coffee and watching the birds, or taking time to read a chapter of a book. But I make a promise to myself, and I do not break it. I make sure to include something that adds a small dose of sparkle to my day.

Please always remember that seeing a professional to help in the hard times is a wonderful and brave choice. This is just a list of my “home remedies.”

I would love to hear your best hacks for getting through challenging days.