‘Self Care Is A Way To Treat Yourself’: Dr. Marianna Strongin on the Importance of Self-Care

In a recent conversation with SurvivorNet, licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Marianna Strongin talked about what it means to be a “cancer patient,” and how self-care can help people step outside of that label. Being a cancer patient is “a difficult identity to have with you at all times,” she said. Cancer can be all-encompassing—it can hijack your mental energy and fill your schedule. Dr. Strongin says that practicing self-care can help you take back control.

“Self-care is a way to treat yourself, to give back to yourself, in a way that feels very different than being a patient,” Dr. Strongin said. Dr. Strongin recommends thinking of self-care in the context of the things in life that bring you the most joy. It doesn’t necessarily mean pampering yourself. It’s more important to find opportunities to be playful and joyous—to embrace the child within yourself.