8 hacks to manage your life when you’re helping your loved one battle cancer.

Cancer changes everything…  but with these quick hacks to manage your life, things will start to feel a little more in control! We’ve all been there… you wake up and the morning is hectic and crazy.  You’re rushing around, late, stressed and praying to God that if you can just make it on time, you’ll do better next time…

Update:  If you have no idea how to deal with all this cancer business, we can help you formulate a plan to tackle the immediate issues… finding the best care, talking with your insurance company, finding resources that will actually help, and dealing with the fear, anxiety and overwhelm of this whole situation.

We can’t control the cancer, but we CAN show you how to manage this crisis.   And it’s 100% Free. 

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Caring for a loved one who has cancer, changes your whole life too.  Things get hectic, and overwhelming really quickly.  Be prepared for your daily schedule to change tremendously.  It takes a while to get everything situated and you can start to acclimate to all of the changes.

My favorite hacks to manage your life and start to get things a little more under control…

1.      Don’t over commit

Things are different now, and if they’re not they will be.

You’ll need tips and hacks to manage your life, your schedule, your time and your responsibilities…  Things are about to change drastically for you and your loved one.   Stress, anxiety, depression, treatment, symptoms and doctors’ appointments are going to start dominating your day-to-day activities.

So, things you’ve been doing your whole life… like jumping in the car and driving 8 hours to visit your sister, enjoying 3-4 days and then driving home, is now going to be much different and will probably be way too much.  In fact, sometimes driving to work and making it through the day is too much.

And trying to continue on as if nothing is different is a huge mistake.

Here’s the deal…

 This journey could last years.  This isn’t going to be a short sprint and then life as you knew it will resume.  And honestly you are going to be praying with all your might that the journey continues for a long time.  Long term requires strength and stamina…And you’ll have neither if you burn yourself out in the first quarter.

2.      Pace yourself

One of the things I have really been noticing lately is how much all of this stuff really drains you.  The stress, the anxiety, the constant trips back and forth to the City deplete your energy, but they’re also not the only things you have going on.  You have work, families to spend time with (and they probably want to be fed once in a while), houses to care for and a thousand other things that also need your attention.

You can’t do it all today.

3.      Make a quick list

• Identify the non-negotiables (This stuff has to be done, no matter what).
• Identify the important tasks (These are the next in line).
• Identify the things you would like to do. (These get done if you have extra time.)

Once you’ve made and prioritized the list, you’ll have a clear direction to get you started.  After that, you can re-evaluate as things are changing.

4.      Leave enough time.

One of the best hacks to manage your life is pretty short and sweet.  You need extra time. Everything is different!  So, you can’t expect to jump out of bed and leave 10 minutes later anymore.  You certainly shouldn’t expect your loved one to do that.

We used to hit the road within 15 minutes and now we need an hour or more to get on the road.  We can’t rush anymore.  It just takes more time.  You’re going to have to factor that in when you’re figuring out your day.

5.      Increase your productivity

This is one of my favorite hacks to manage your life.  You don’t need to become a powerhouse (although if you can, consider it!) By making yourself as efficient as possible, you’ll be able to manage your time better, identify your priorities (which is harder than it looks) and get more done.

Things are probably getting really complicated, already.  And you’re going to be managing a ton of new stuff and still need to keep up with the regular stuff too.

If you don’t have a plan, you won’t make it. 

The key here is efficiency.  By figuring out and focusing on what’s important and what really needs to get done… you’ll be able to make a solid plan for getting the important stuff done.

When are you going to have time to take a productivity training?

You are going to spend a ton of time in waiting rooms and doctors’ offices and you can find a ton of information while you are waiting…

Check out… James Clear to get started.

And then you can start implementing the strategies you learn one at a time.

6.      Automate grocery shopping as much as you can

Today, almost anyone can get groceries delivered right to their door.  I however, I live on a mountain top and no one except Amazon will deliver to me.

But I can still automate my groceries.

I can order ahead and pick it up at the arranged time!  This is one of the best hacks for managing your life and it saves me HOURS of shopping and a huge amount of money as I’m not randomly tossing items in the cart when they catch my eye.

I would be thrilled if I could have everything delivered right to my door but in truth, I like to pick out my own produce and meat.  This gives you the option to do that.  I order everything automatically except fresh veggies and meat.

I order snacks, drinks, side dishes, marinades, freezer items, condiments… and then I run in and grab my salad items, fruits, fresh veggies , and meat.  Then I pay for it and I’m out.  My grocery store is set up, so I hit the meat as soon as I leave the veggies so basically an aisle and a half later and I am out of there.

7.      Plan 15-minute Meals for Dinner

You don’t have to go crazy to make an awesome dinner.  In fact, some of our favorite meals are quick, easy and can be completely done in 15 minutes.  I live with 2 teenagers and “I’m hungry” is probably the most frequent phrase in my house.  10 minutes after dinner, they’re hungry, again.

I used to make these huge elaborate dinners until I realized that I could make a FANTASTIC dinner that was quick easy and tossed together in the same amount of time that it takes me to shower.  The benefit to this is it saves me a ton of time in the long run.  And anything that saves you time is a serious win right now.

8.      Consider working from home

This is not going to be an option for everyone.  If it’s an option for you, you might really want to consider it.  Hands down this is one of those hacks to manage your life that is going to change everything for you and your family.

Working from home allows you to get more done.  For example, you can wash laundry or load the dishwasher while you’re working, and you completely eliminate your commute, gaining you extra time.

Working from home can also offer you a more flexible schedule, allowing you the ability to attend appointments for your loved one.  A flexible schedule is tremendously helpful when you’re helping a loved one battle cancer.

The ability to work from anywhere… waiting rooms, hospitals, different cities is a complete game changer.  As long as there is internet (and you should invest in a VPN to keep your network secure), you can pack your entire job into a backpack or laptop bag and head out.  And it takes 2 seconds to load everything.

Not sure where to get started working finding jobs, check out Flex Jobs…

There are a few things to consider before working from home…  but all in all, if this could be for you, I strongly urge you to consider it…

P.S.  If you’re drowning in all this cancer business, and you have no idea where to start…  The Cancer Combat Plan is a step by step guide from someone who has struggled through this and found ways to manage the chaos, the stress and the overwhelm.   

Things feel better, and more in control when you have a plan.  So if you’re looking for action steps, resources, and strategies that will help you manage this crisis, we’ve got you covered. And it’s totally free… 

You can get the Cancer Combat Plan for free here…

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