8 Areas in Your Life You’ll Need to Let Go of After a Life-Threatening Illness

When you’re facing an illness, you may find yourself asking how much of your life you can lose before it no longer feels like your own. Your entire world may feel upside down. You may feel as if nothing is certain or safe anymore. You might be afraid that some parts of your life will never feel normal again. If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer or another life-threatening illness, then you already know that there are many things in life that you need to let go of and give up to move forward with a more positive outlook on life. In order to survive and thrive after cancer or any other serious illness, here are eight things that you’ll need to let go of…

Acknowledging that your current situation is permanent.

One of the biggest things you’ll need to let go of is the idea that things will ever go back to normal again. Your life may feel like it’s been turned upside down and inside out. You may have lost a job, a career, your health, your strength, and a good deal of your previous independence. When you’re faced with a life-threatening illness, all of your energy and focus have to be directed towards healing yourself. You may have to go through chemotherapy or radiation therapy, or you may need to go through surgery and be in bed for a couple weeks. It’s easy to start feeling like things will never go back to normal. You may feel guilty for ruining the lives of your loved ones by bringing this illness into their lives. You might feel like you’re always taking and taking from people without giving back, or you might feel like you’re not contributing anything to society. Letting go of the idea that things will never go back to normal can help you let go of these feelings of guilt, shame and resentment towards others.

Letting go of toxic relationships.

If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer and you’re in a relationship, you may find yourself struggling with how to let go of toxic relationships. You may want to cling to your relationships with loved ones and friends because you’re afraid of being alone, or you may feel like they’re the only thing that’s keeping you afloat during this difficult time in your life. But you may also find yourself feeling resentful towards friends and loved ones who put pressure on you to continue living like everything is normal when you don’t want to. You may feel like they don’t respect your boundaries, or you may feel like they don’t know how to help you. Letting go of toxic relationships can help you clear space in your life for healthier relationships.

Letting go of your former identity and ego.

When you’re faced with a life-threatening illness, you may find yourself clinging to the idea of who you think you are. You may start to cling to the title of being a doctor, a lawyer, a teacher, a stay-at-home mom, etc. But when you’re no longer able to live up to the standards of your previous job title or any other part of your former identity, you may feel like a failure. You may feel like you’ve let yourself and others down. Letting go of your former identity and ego can help you let go of these feelings of guilt and shame. You may have to let go of some parts of your old identity to make room for new parts of your identity, like a survivor, fighter, or patient, or you may need to let go of your entire former identity to embrace your new identity as a person with a serious illness.

Letting go of your old hobbies and activities.

When you’re faced with a life-threatening illness, you may find yourself clinging to all the things that you used to love to do. You may feel like the only thing that helps you escape the pain, nausea, and mental fog that comes with this serious illness is your old hobbies and activities. Letting go of your old hobbies and activities can help you let go of feelings of resentment towards others and yourself. This can be a very tough thing to do, but it may be necessary for you to continue healing.

Letting go of your old diet and nutrition habits.

Your old diet and nutrition habits may feel comfortable, like an old pair of slippers that fit just right. You may feel strong and in control by eating healthy, or you may feel like you’re just too busy to cook fresh, healthy meals for yourself. You may feel like you don’t have the energy to cook, or you may not want to spend the money on healthy food. Letting go of your old diet and nutrition habits can help you let go of any guilt or shame you may be feeling towards yourself. You may be able to let go of any feelings of guilt towards others if you’re not passing your current restrictions onto others.

Letting go of any guilt or shame you may be feeling.

When you’re faced with a life-threatening illness, you may find yourself feeling guilty for everything from eating unhealthy foods, to spending too much time watching Netflix, to passing your illness on to others. You may feel ashamed for not going to work, for not being able to keep up with your normal household tasks, for not being able to provide for your loved ones, for not being able to enjoy life like you used to, and for not being able to do the things you once loved doing. Letting go of any guilt and shame you may be feeling can help you let go of feelings of resentment towards others. You may be able to let go of any guilt that you’re feeling towards your loved ones if you’re able to talk to them about it and share your feelings.

Letting go of blame and resentment towards others.

If you’re feeling resentment towards loved ones for not being able to help you with certain tasks or for not knowing how to help you in general, then you need to let go of your feelings of resentment towards them. If you’re feeling resentment towards your doctor for not curing your illness, or towards a family member for passing on a certain gene, then you need to let go of these feelings so that you can move forward with your life with a more positive outlook. Letting go of blame and resentment can help you clear your mind so that you can focus on healing yourself. You can let go of these feelings by talking to the people you’re feeling resentment toward, or you can write in a journal. You can also work with a therapist to release these negative emotions from your body and your mind. Letting go of these negative emotions can help you feel more at peace with your life, and it can help you refocus your energy on healing yourself.

Final Words: The Importance of Letting Go

You may have to let go of almost every aspect of your life to survive and thrive after a serious illness. This can be a scary and overwhelming process, but it can also be cathartic and freeing. The more things you’re able to let go of after a serious illness, the more room you’ll have to focus on healing yourself. During your time of healing and recovery, you may feel like you’re losing parts of your old life, but you’re also gaining an entirely new life that’s built on a strong foundation of health.