5 New Year’s Resolutions to Stay Strong & Carry On
As we ring in 2025, we want to share a few possible New Year’s resolutions for everyone affected by cancer. They might not all apply to you, depending on where you are in your experience. But we hope they offer a reminder that you are not alone on your journey.
Resolution 1: Become a strong self-advocate.
Navigating a cancer diagnosis or supporting a loved one throughout the experience can be overwhelming if you have no medical background. At CSC, we provide several resources to help bridge this divide. Here are a few resources you may want to explore:
- If you’ve been newly diagnosed with cancer, you may be wondering where to start. Kim Thiboldeaux, author of Your Cancer Road Map: Navigating Life with Resilience, shares tips to help you feel empowered in your cancer experience. Here are 10 things you can do when facing a cancer diagnosis.
- You are the expert in your cancer experience. Together, you and your cancer care team can work to get the best care for you. Knowing who is on your care team will make it easier to manage your treatment and find the resources you need. Get key tips on choosing and communicating with your cancer care team.
- If you’re stepping into the role of caregiver or care partner, you play an important support role in your loved one’s cancer experience. Caregiving may seem scary or overwhelming, but there’s a growing understanding that caregivers need support. Learn more about caregiver resources and tips that can help you in your role.
Resolution 2: Help others by sharing your story.
If you have been touched by cancer, chances are you have a story to tell. Sharing your story can be a powerful way to uplift and inspire others who are navigating a diagnosis. It can also be a great way to raise awareness about concerns in the cancer community that need attention and action.
Discover Storytelling Tips to Inspire Action & Drive Change
Coping & Healing Through Writing
If you’re looking for ways to cope with cancer, have you thought about writing? Learn how expressive writing helped one cancer survivor find self-healing after his diagnosis, and get tips to start writing about your cancer experience. Read Brad's story.
Resolution 3: Stay as healthy as you can.
Whether you’re receiving treatment now or in recovery, nutrition and physical activity are important ways to stay as strong as possible. Staying in shape can help minimize side effects of treatment and may even help prevent recurrence. Explore our Virtual Kitchen, where you’ll find cooking videos and healthy recipes specifically created to support the nutritional needs of people impacted by cancer.
Exercise can also play a vital role in your overall well-being — and it doesn’t need to be strenuous. Taking a walk, bicycling, or practicing yoga are all great ways to achieve the physical and mental benefits of exercise. Visit our Mind Body Studio for yoga lessons, gentle exercises, and meditation videos.
Resolution 4: Connect with others.
Sometimes the hardest part of one’s cancer journey can be trying to do it all alone. Our free digital support community, MyLifeLine, exists to easily connect cancer patients and caregivers with friends, family members, and others like them. Members can build a personal support network and create genuine connections with others impacted by cancer to reduce stress, anxiety, and isolation.
Build Your Online Community Now
Connecting with others through a cancer support group can also help you feel less alone. Support groups offer a way to talk about what you are experiencing and make meaningful connections with others who understand. Learn more about the ways support groups can help after a cancer diagnosis.
Resolution 5: Participate in research that improves the lives of others with cancer.
CSC conducts surveys, studies, and focus groups to gather valuable insights from patients and caregivers. In turn, we apply and communicate this feedback to inform policies, create educational programs, and provide support for everyone impacted by cancer. Whether you are facing a cancer diagnosis or navigating a caregiver role, we welcome your feedback and invite you to share your unique insights. You can participate by:
- taking part in an online survey
- sharing your thoughts in a focus group
- offering your feedback on one of our resources
Explore Research Opportunities
Not feeling up to making any resolutions?
That’s fine, too. Living with cancer or being a caregiver to someone with cancer can be a full-time job. The most important thing you can do is focus on yourself and your loved ones in the new year.