Emotions Posts - How do our emotions impact our well being?

When Anxiety Wakes You Up at 5 AM: A Lesson in Zooming Out

Jennifer Douglas — Wed, 20 May 2026 19:53:56 +0000

When anxiety pulls you into everyone else's world, how do you find your way back to yourself? One early morning lesson in zooming out — and why it changed everything.

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Grief Is Part of the Breast Cancer Community

Jennifer Douglas — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 19:28:55 +0000

After breast cancer takes someone we love, we’re left to carry both grief and gratitude. In this reflection, I remember a friend, honor her life, and sit with the reality of loss within the breast cancer community.

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Protecting and Preserving Your Well-Being

Jennifer Douglas — Fri, 27 Jun 2025 18:37:55 +0000

How do we protect and preserve our well-being during seasons of uncertainty and challenge? Sharing some helpful strategies and reflections in this post.

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Medical Anxiety

Jennifer Douglas — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 18:10:40 +0000

Medical anxiety doesn’t always end when treatment does. Sometimes it sneaks in during follow-up appointments, scan results, or even when supporting a loved one. In this post, I’m sharing how it showed up for me—and the tools I reach for when it does.

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When Good Results Don’t Feel Good

Jennifer Douglas — Sat, 29 Mar 2025 23:10:28 +0000

The scan results were in, and they were good. So why didn’t we feel the joy? We were overwhelmed, exhausted, and still had questions. This was supposed to be the finish line. Or was it?

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Managing Anxiety Before Breast Cancer Doctor’s Appointments: What I’ve Learned

Jennifer Douglas — Fri, 05 Apr 2024 12:41:05 +0000

I feel anxiety every time I have a breast cancer doctor’s appointment on the calendar. It doesn’t matter what kind of appointment it is— I can count on the scanxiety. In this sponsored post with HealthGrades, I share how I manage my anxiety as the appointments approach.

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Persisting Through Our Breast Cancer Storms

Jennifer Douglas — Fri, 09 Feb 2024 23:22:36 +0000

Breast cancer can often feel like a torrential rainstorm. How do we persist through the storm of treatment and recovery?

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2023: My Four-year Cancerversary. 4 Things I’ve Learned

Jennifer Douglas — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 00:01:38 +0000

Four years have passed since I heard, “You have breast cancer.” In honor of my cancerversary this year, I decided to share four things I’ve learned about cancer since my diagnosis.

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Biopsies and Anxiety: Acknowledging and Accepting Our Emotions

Jennifer Douglas — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 00:14:15 +0000

Breast biopsies can be an anxiety-provoking procedure for us. If thinking about a biopsy makes you feel anxious, you’re not alone.

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Living in the Pause: In-Between Journeys

Jennifer Douglas — Thu, 27 Jul 2023 22:13:22 +0000

What is it like to live in the pause? What if we are in-between journeys? Why does it feel so uncomfortable? Aren't we supposed to celebrate the end and then ride that emotional wave to the next journey?

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It’s Not “Just” DCIS: Stage Zero doesn’t mean Zero Challenges

Jennifer Douglas — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 14:00:00 +0000

It’s’ just DCIS. It’s just Stage Zero. Just Stop it! Stage zero breast cancer doesn’t mean zero challenges.

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Just Stop It! Eliminating the word “Just” in Patient Communications

Jennifer Douglas — Fri, 07 Jul 2023 18:07:21 +0000

Just is a four-letter word that ought to be eliminated from patient-practitioner communications. Completely. Just minimizes our lived experiences, implies our emotions aren’t valid, and makes it easier for the speaker but harder for the receiver.

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It’s Not All Sunshine and Roses in Breast Cancerland

Jennifer Douglas — Fri, 24 Mar 2023 18:22:37 +0000

It’s not all sunshine, ribbons, and thorn-free roses in the cancer community. The losses are real, and they have a profound impact on us.

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Scanxiety Supports: Before, During, and After

Jennifer Douglas — Fri, 17 Feb 2023 19:07:54 +0000

If you are facing imaging and feeling anxious- you are not alone! Many of us contend with scanxiety, whether we are heading into imaging or another doctor’s appointment. As I approach my mammograms, I do some things to plan for and live with the scanxiety. I’ve been through these anxious times before, so I wanted to be proactive rather than reactive.

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Owning My Lumpectomy Decision, Again

Jennifer Douglas — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 16:02:48 +0000

After choosing a lumpectomy in 2019, I hoped I made the "right choice." I had an opportunity to re-evaluate my decisions as I faced another lumpectomy in 2022. I needed to own my lumpectomy choice in 2019 once again.

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HealthGrades Post: Finishing Breast Cancer Treatment Doesn’t Mean You’re Done

Jennifer Douglas — Mon, 03 Oct 2022 16:30:00 +0000

When I walked out of the radiation center in December 2019, I was relieved to be finished with breast cancer treatment. I was finally done. Little did I know at the time that finishing breast cancer treatment doesn’t mean you’re done.

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Confessions of an Anxious Traveler: Is It Possible to Avoid the Pre-Vacation Panic?

Jennifer Douglas — Fri, 19 Aug 2022 14:00:00 +0000

I have a confession to make. I am an anxious traveler. There, I said it. Beneath the smiling faces I share in the photos, there can be an undercurrent of panic and anxiety. Sometimes I think I like the idea of traveling rather than the actual traveling part. I’m especially prone to pre-vacation panic.

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Cancer Survivorship: Living in the In-Between

Jennifer Douglas — Tue, 05 Jul 2022 14:00:00 +0000

When I finished breast cancer treatment, I eagerly awaited the time that I could move back into the normal phase of my life. Treatment was done, and now everything could fall back into place. But, it turns out, there isn’t a back to normal. Cancer survivorship, for me, means learning to live in the in-between.

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Specialized Walks for Creativity, Connection, and Cooling Off

Jennifer Douglas — Tue, 14 Jun 2022 14:30:00 +0000

Specialized walks for inspiring creativity, building connection, or cooling off emotionally are important to have in our well-being toolbox.

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Four Feeling Books: Understanding and Voicing Our Emotions

Jennifer Douglas — Fri, 01 Apr 2022 23:57:07 +0000

These four feeling books will help us understand and voice our emotions, especially as we navigate the emotional challenges of cancer.

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Decision-Making During Breast Cancer Treatment: Solving A Puzzle I Never Wanted To Do

Jennifer Douglas — Thu, 27 Jan 2022 19:55:10 +0000

Decision-making was so difficult, especially at the beginning. I was just learning about the language of breast cancer, and I needed to make treatment choices without feeling like I had all the answers. There was a weight to the choices. What if I made the wrong one?

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A Cancer Diagnosis is Shocking- It is Okay to Have Strong Feelings

Jennifer Douglas — Tue, 14 Sep 2021 15:07:50 +0000

A cancer diagnosis of any stage or type is shocking. In one split second, we go from getting some routine scans to being a cancer patient. Strong feelings come with the territory.

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Recognizing Anxiety and Returning to Calm

Jennifer Douglas — Fri, 02 Apr 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Over the last several weeks, I’ve recognized that my anxiety has resurfaced. My mental well-being has been challenged of late through a combination of personal habits and circumstances. I want to share what I’m doing to be more aware of the presence of anxiety and how I’m addressing it.

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Ten Tools I Used To Walk Through Cancer Anxiety

Jennifer Douglas — Tue, 16 Mar 2021 11:00:00 +0000

Cancer anxiety can come up during all parts of our diagnosis and treatment journey. Here are ten tools that helped me walk through the anxiety.

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AppleWatch and Breast Cancer- How I Used my AppleWatch to Monitor my Recovery

Jennifer Douglas — Fri, 08 Jan 2021 12:00:00 +0000

Throughout my breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, I used my AppleWatch to keep an eye on my physical and mental well-being.

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Post-Surgical Swirl: Emotions During Recovery

Jennifer Douglas — Tue, 29 Dec 2020 12:00:00 +0000

There can be a surprising amount of emotions that we feel during our post-surgical recovery. As we walk through this time of physical recovery, we also need to recover emotionally from breast cancer surgery.

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Christmas Reflection : Release, Reconsider, Renew

Jennifer Douglas — Fri, 25 Dec 2020 12:00:00 +0000

Merry Christmas! This 2020 Holiday season has been unlike any other. The pandemic has changed the way we can celebrate. As this year draws to a close, I reflect on how we have needed to release our expectations and reconsider meaning in our lives. It is my hope that we can take this Christmas and Holiday season and find a way to renew our spirits even through the dark days.

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Scanxiety Over My One-Year Imaging

Jennifer Douglas — Tue, 15 Dec 2020 12:00:00 +0000

I experienced my share of scanxiety as I approached my one-year imaging this December. Scanxiety is a term used in the cancer community to describe the feelings we are experiencing as we face the imaging associated with diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up.

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Virtual Schooling: Surviving The Bad Days

Jennifer Douglas — Fri, 25 Sep 2020 11:00:00 +0000

Bad days in Virtual Schooling happen, to all of us! How do we get through the bad days and find a way to move forward?

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Anxiety and Cancer

Jennifer Douglas — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 11:00:00 +0000

Anxiety and Cancer seem to go hand in hand. It is certainly possible to have anxiety without cancer, but I would guess that no one has cancer without some form of anxiety.

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