Achieving Vitality Can Help Along the Cancer Journey
- Positive psychology focuses more on harnessing good/happy feelings than diagnosing illness & traditional treatment paths.
- Part of this approach & finding positivity involves something Psychiatrist Dr. Samantha Boardman refers to as the “three wellsprings of vitality.”
- These three wellsprings include connection, contribution, and feeling positively challenged.
- Dr. Boardman refers to the wellsprings as ‘core pathways to enhance your everyday resilience.’
Part of the approach, according to Dr. Samantha Boardman, a New York-based psychiatrist and author, is finding “the three wellsprings of vitality.” But what exactly are these pillars?
Read More Dr. Boardman explains them as “pathways to embrace your everyday resilience.” In other words, these are tools people who may be struggling with mental health issues can embrace to help maintain a certain sense of positivity. And those positive feelings can really go a long way when people are facing a health challenge like a cancer diagnosis. According to Dr. Boardman, these three wellsprings of vitality are:
- Connecting. This involves how you’re connecting with others and having meaningful interactions. It involves being a good listener and being engaged with the people around you who you care about.
- Contribution. How are you adding value to the people around you? Are you helping them in ways that feel meaningful to them? Basically, this entails contributing/engaging with others in a meaningful way.
- Feeling challenged. Being “positively challenged” could involve learning something new (perhaps by taking a new class or reading an interesting book) and expanding your mind in some way.
Questions to Ask Your Doctor
- How can I go about improving my outlook/mental health?
- Are there any activities I can do to encourage positive feelings?
- When should I seek other interventions if I’m still struggling?
- How can seeking these connections help me in my day-to-day life?
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.