* When you struggle to switch your mind off try using mindfulness techniques. Observe the thoughts, the desires, the intense need to sit up and write something down or just look at that. Watch the flood of emotions, guilt, frustration, fear, unworthiness all come up and pass away. Let it all happen. It’s not you, you are the space in between the thoughts.

* When you stick with it, the thoughts and tension begin to ease. At the beginning it can be very painful as the secondary tension related pain in the muscles releases. This passes and blood flows more easily. Remember in this difficult moment, you are helping your body to function more easily.

* When tasks flood in, you can remind yourself that if they are important they will come back to you, that you do not have to do everything, that you choose how to spend your time and can relax now.

*If intrusive, painful thoughts come in as you are resting you can put them in a box in your head to deal with by journalling or another technique after your rest period. This time is for resting.

* Sometimes in today’s world we can struggle in silence. Over-stimulation from so many sources means that many people never experience silence, and so when we have some, our brains pour out everything they have been trying to tell us all at once. This can be overwhelming, but the more time we spend on our own in silence, the more we learn to hear our inner voice and work with ourselves. Silence can be blessed not fear-filled and we can learn to enjoy our own company. You are a beautiful person and are going to love spending time getting to know yourself. We are not expecting you to be perfect or to have never made any mistakes but that does not make you a bad person. We can let these things go.

* Repeat: “I am worth it, resting is worth it. I am worth taking the time to nurture my body in the ways it needs. Resting is great.” I told a friend once about being embarrassed about how much I have to rest and being in bed all day. She said ”Hah, you British, it is your puritan work ethic, and your inhibitions. I am Spanish, I am proud, I take siestas. If I am having a day off, after I ring up my friends and tell them how I just spent all day in bed and I am proud and they are jealous. It is wonderful to rest all day.” Can you embody the pride in this attitude, the compassion for your own needs.

* Resting allows you to live and resting is living. People work very hard and pay plenty of money to lie on a sofa and dream or curl up in a bed with crisp white sheets, you need to do these things daily for your health. Let’s see the benefits in the situation.

This post was originally published on bahtocancer.com. You can read Part 1 and Part 2 in this series here and here.