Welcome to our monthly blog series: Take Charge of Your Health and Wellness! This blog expands on our A Guide to Caring for Yourself by sharing various topics covering the full circle of physical, mental, and emotional well-being. On the 10th of each month, we'll share a new topic, why it's important, and provide you with tips for taking action. No matter where you are on your journey, with those beside you, we’re here to uplift and support you.
Live Life with an Exclamation Point: Make Time for Fun!!!
At Here for the Girls, one of our founding mantras is all about Living Life with an Exclamation Point!! When you’re going through breast cancer treatment, or adjusting to life after treatment, it can feel like everything revolves around appointments, scans, medications, side effects, and trying to take care of yourself. Wellness can start to feel like another item on a very long to-do list. But here’s something we don’t talk about enough: fun is part of wellness, too. Laughing until your stomach hurts, dancing in your kitchen, taking a spontaneous road trip, going to a concert, trying a new hobby, or simply spending an afternoon with people who make you smile all count.
It’s easy to put fun on hold when life feels uncertain. You might think, I’ll do that when treatment is over or I’ll have more energy later. But your life is happening right now. Making space for things that bring you joy can be a meaningful part of caring for your whole self—not just your physical health, but your emotional and mental well-being, too. And no, fun doesn’t have to be expensive, elaborate, or Instagram-worthy. Sometimes it’s a silly movie, a coffee date with a friend, a favorite playlist, game night, or laughing at something completely ridiculous.
For younger women especially, a cancer diagnosis can interrupt so many of the things you thought you’d be doing at this stage of life: dating, building a career, raising kids, traveling, going out, or simply figuring out who you are. That can bring a lot of grief and frustration. So give yourself permission to reclaim some joy, even if it looks different than it did before cancer. You don’t have to wait until everything feels “normal” again to have a good time.
Think of fun as a small but important investment in your overall health and wellness. Ask yourself: What makes me feel like me? What makes me laugh? What have I been putting off because I thought I needed a better time? Then make a little room for it. You deserve moments that aren't about cancer. You deserve to laugh, play, explore, celebrate, and enjoy your life during treatment, after treatment, and every day in between.
We reached out to our members and staff to find out how they Make Time for Fun:
“I look for small moments of joy in each day and I am intentional about scheduling time for experiences that bring joy.”
“I have a magnetic whiteboard calendar on my refrigerator and I color code our activities for each month. The color coding is a visual que for me if we have too many chores or responsibility-based events. I try to balance work and play especially on the weekends.”
“Scheduling time to experience new things. Recently we went to the fine art museum in Richmond.”
“Making time to connect with friends through music, dancing, and outdoor adventures!”
“Finding time for fun can be challenging, especially given my family’s recent circumstances. However, I’ve started to embrace those small moments of laughter and lightness more fully. Recently, I even took a cooking class, which turned out to be both enjoyable and therapeutic.”
Share how you plan to Make Time for Fun over the next few weeks and remember to savor even the smallest moments of joy as they happen. And most importantly, never forget that you DESERVE to Live Life with an Exclamation Point!