by Bag It Team | Apr 3, 2026 | Educational Articles
Learn to Manage Stress In Everyday Life and Challenging Moments
Stress is something we all experience. Whether it’s work, family responsibilities, health concerns, or simply a busy schedule, it can build quickly and impact both mental and physical well-being.
In fact, according to the American Psychological Association, nearly 3 in 4 adults report experiencing physical or emotional symptoms of stress. Over time, chronic stress can affect sleep, concentration, and overall health—making it even more important to find simple, sustainable ways to manage it.
The good news is that reducing stress doesn’t require a complete lifestyle overhaul. Small, consistent actions can have a meaningful impact. Creating a short daily plan, stepping away from screens, getting fresh air or talking with someone you trust are all simple ways to reset.
A Simple Breathing Exercise to Try
One of the quickest ways to calm your body is through intentional breathing:
- Inhale slowly through your nose for 4 seconds
- Hold for 4 seconds
- Exhale gently through your mouth for 6 seconds
- Repeat for 1–2 minutes
This technique can help slow your heart rate and bring your focus back to the present moment—anytime, anywhere.
Staying organized can also ease stress.
When tasks, appointments, or important information feel scattered, stress often increases. Finding a simple system—whether it’s a notebook, planner, or app—can help create a greater sense of control.
For individuals facing cancer, stress is often compounded by medical decisions, new information, and uncertainty. Research from the National Cancer Institute shows that patients who feel informed and supported are better equipped to cope and communicate with their care teams.
At Bag It, we believe that reducing stress starts with access to clear, practical information. Our educational materials are designed to help individuals stay organized, ask informed questions, and feel more confident during a challenging time.
Learn More About Managing Stress
If you’d like to explore more strategies and tools, these trusted resources are a great place to start:
- American Psychological Association – Practical tips and research on stress management
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Stress and coping resources for everyday life
- National Cancer Institute – Coping with stress during cancer
- Cancer Wellness Center – Learn about the power of connection
How You Can Help
You can make a difference in reducing stress—for yourself and others:
- Share helpful resources with someone who may be going through a challenging time
- Check in on a friend, neighbor, or family member who could use support
- Try one small stress-reducing habit this week—and encourage someone else to do it with you
Because when support, information, and simple tools are within reach, even difficult moments can feel more manageable.
by Bag It Team | Mar 10, 2026 | Educational Articles
Facing a health issue—whether it’s cancer or another serious diagnosis—can quickly feel overwhelming. Between medical appointments, new information, and emotional stress, it’s easy to feel like you’re navigating it all alone.
That’s why building a support team can make such a meaningful difference.
A support team may include healthcare professionals like social workers, patient navigators, nurses, and doctors, as well as family members, friends, caregivers, or community organizations. Each person may play a different role—helping you process information, attend appointments, manage daily responsibilities, or simply offering emotional support.
Support teams are valuable for anyone navigating a health challenge, not just cancer. Having trusted people around you can help reduce stress, improve communication with providers, and make it easier to focus on your health and well-being.
Many people also find support through peer communities—connecting with others who have faced similar experiences.
Types of Support That Can Help You
Support often comes in several forms, and each can play an important role during a health journey.
Emotional support—Having someone who listens and understands can help reduce feelings of stress, fear, or isolation. This might be a friend, counselor, social worker, or support group.
Practical support—Daily responsibilities like meals, transportation, childcare, or household tasks can become more difficult during treatment or recovery. Accepting help with these tasks allows people to focus their energy on healing.
Practical support—Daily responsibilities like meals, transportation, childcare, or household tasks can become more difficult during treatment or recovery. Accepting help with these tasks allows people to focus their energy on healing.
Medical information can sometimes feel complex or overwhelming. Trusted educational organizations, healthcare professionals, and patient communities can help people understand their options and feel more confident asking questions.
While support may look different for everyone, even a small network of trusted people can make navigating health challenges more manageable.
Simple Ways to Start Building Your Support Team
Creating a support system doesn’t require a large group of people. Often, it begins with small steps:
Bring a trusted person to medical appointments to help listen and take notes
Write down questions before appointments so you feel prepared
Accept help with specific tasks like rides, meals, or errands
Ask your healthcare team about social workers, patient navigators, or local support services
Connect with organizations and communities that provide education and peer support
Support needs can change over time, and your support team may grow or shift throughout your health journey. What matters most is knowing you don’t have to navigate it alone.
Additional Resources
Readers looking to learn more about building support during health challenges may find these resources helpful:
Cancer Support Community—Free support groups, educational resources, and navigation services for patients and families. These organizations offer tools and information that can help individuals and families feel more supported during a health journey. These organizations offer tools and information that can help individuals and families feel more supported during a health journey.
Bag It Cancer Resource Center—Bag It can serve as your first stop when you are searching for reliable, respected, researched and updated information available on a wide array of topics related to cancer. Topics include: Caregiver & Family Resource, Insurance, Legal Rights, Hospice, Supportive Care and much more.
by Bag It Team | Feb 9, 2026 | Educational Articles
Cancer prevention can feel overwhelming — especially for individuals facing a diagnosis, caring for a loved one, or navigating survivorship. While not all cancers can be prevented, research shows that certain behaviors and informed decisions can help reduce risk and support long-term health.
Prevention is not about blame or perfection. It’s about empowerment, access to accurate information, and progress over time.
At Bag It, we believe prevention, education, and support go hand in hand. By connecting people with trusted resources and practical tools, we aim to support informed decisions and healthier futures — and empower people to take small, meaningful steps.
What Does Cancer Prevention Mean?
Cancer prevention focuses on reducing risk where possible through lifestyle choices, early detection, and informed decision-making. These efforts not only support long-term health but can also help improve outcomes and quality of life.
Actionable Ways to Support Cancer Prevention
1. Stay Up to Date on Screenings
Regular screenings can help detect cancer earlier, when treatment may be more effective. Talk with a healthcare provider about screenings appropriate for your age, personal history, and risk factors.
2. Nourish Your Body
A balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and plant-forward foods supports overall health and may reduce cancer risk. Small changes — like adding one extra vegetable a day — can make a difference.
3. Move in Ways That Work for You
Physical activity doesn’t have to mean intense workouts. Walking, stretching, gardening, or gentle movement all count. Consistent movement supports physical and emotional well-being.
4. Avoid Tobacco & Limit Alcohol
Avoiding tobacco and limiting alcohol consumption are two of the most impactful steps individuals can take to reduce cancer risk.
5. Know Your Family History
Understanding your family’s health history can help guide conversations with healthcare providers and inform screening and prevention decisions.
6. Advocate for Yourself and Others
Ask questions, seek second opinions if needed, and encourage loved ones to stay informed. Prevention also includes access — to care, information, and support.
Prevention Is Part of the Bigger Picture
By sharing evidence-based resources and partnering with trusted organizations, we aim to meet people where they are — offering information that is practical, compassionate, and empowering across the cancer continuum.
Trusted Prevention Resources
We encourage exploring evidence-based resources from trusted organizations:
American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR)–Provides research-backed guidance on nutrition, physical activity, and lifestyle choices related to cancer prevention. AICR also contributes educational content included in Bag It bags.
American Cancer Society—Offers clear, accessible information on cancer prevention, screening guidelines, and healthy lifestyle choices.
National Cancer Institute (NCI)–NCI shares evidence-based cancer prevention and screening information for patients, caregivers, and providers.
Prevent Cancer Foundation—Focuses on prevention and early detection through education, awareness, and actionable screening resources.
And remember Bag It Cancer also consolidates information, tools and support from leading cancer organizations in our Cancer Resource Center.
by Bag It Team | Jan 13, 2026 | Educational Articles
Consider Health Goals That Meet You Where You Are
January often brings messages about transformation—new habits, new routines, new expectations. For many people impacted by cancer, those messages can feel overwhelming or disconnected from reality.
Health doesn’t look the same for everyone, and it rarely follows a straight line. Treatment, recovery, caregiving, and survivorship all come with their own rhythms. Some days are about strength and momentum; others are about rest and simply getting through.
Rather than focusing on traditional resolutions, this season can be an opportunity to think differently about health—through smaller, more compassionate intentions. These intentions aren’t about fixing or improving yourself; they’re about noticing what you need and responding with care.
That might mean:
- Listening closely to your body and honoring rest without guilt
- Letting go of expectations about what health “should” look like
- Asking for support sooner, even when it feels uncomfortable
- Choosing movement, nourishment, or connection in ways that feel gentle and supportive
- Giving yourself permission to move at your own pace
For many people impacted by cancer, health goals are shaped by things outside of their control—treatment schedules, energy levels, emotions, and the needs of loved ones. In that reality, traditional goal-setting can feel unrealistic.
That’s why compassionate health goals begin with listening. Listening to your body, your emotional capacity, and what feels sustainable right now. These intentions allow for flexibility, rest without guilt, and adjustments when energy changes—while honoring mental and emotional well-being alongside physical health.
Health is not meant to be navigated alone. Support—from people, healthcare providers, and community organizations—plays an important role. At Bag It Cancer, our Bags are designed to be small reminders that care and connection can show up in simple, meaningful ways.
As the year unfolds, consider checking in with yourself often. Your needs may change, and that’s okay. Health intentions don’t need to be big or visible to matter. Sometimes the most meaningful steps are quiet ones, taken one day at a time.
Caring for yourself in ways that feel realistic and kind is always enough.
by Bag It Team | Dec 8, 2025 | Educational Articles
By Mindy Griffith, Executive Director
As this year comes to a close, I find myself thinking about the many hands that have held a Bag It Bag, the conversations sparked by our resources, and the moments when someone realizes they are not facing cancer alone. Those stories stay with me. They remind me why this work matters—and how grateful I am for this community.
In 2025, we reached more patients and caregivers than ever before, strengthened our relationships with healthcare providers, expanded our offerings with new cancer-specific bags to better meet the diverse needs of those navigating a diagnosis. Each step forward has been made possible because so many of you believe in the importance of empowering people with knowledge, support, and guidance during one of the hardest times in their lives. We truly couldn’t do this without you.
As you look ahead to the new year, we hope you’ll keep Bag It in mind. If someone in your life is facing a new cancer diagnosis—or if you want these resources for yourself—you can order a bag directly from us. And if you’re considering a year-end gift, your support helps ensure we can continue providing these tools to those who need them most. Monthly gifts, no matter the size, make a steady and meaningful impact all year long.
Thank you for being part of the Bag It community and for helping create moments of comfort, clarity, and hope. We look forward to all we can accomplish together in 2026.
by Bag It Team | Nov 10, 2025 | Educational Articles
By Kerri Reeves, LMSW, Oncology Support Services Manager, Oncology Social Worker , TMC Health Cancer Center
Cancer. It’s a word that can shake the foundation of a person’s world—whether it’s your own diagnosis or that of someone you love. The emotional weight is immense, and the journey ahead can feel uncertain and overwhelming. But one of the most powerful ways we can help is simple: we show up.
Research by Evans Webb and colleagues (2021) highlights that cancer patients who receive consistent support from family and friends experience better emotional well-being, are more likely to follow treatment plans, and often have more favorable outcomes. Support matters. And showing up—physically, emotionally, and practically—can make all the difference.
Loved ones respond to a cancer diagnosis in many ways. Some are afraid—afraid of saying the wrong thing, afraid of the disease itself, afraid of the possibility of loss. That fear can lead to distance. Others may respond with overwhelming attention, reaching out constantly in ways that can feel smothering. And some may fade over time, as the initial shock wears off, and life pulls them in other directions.
So how do we support someone with cancer in a meaningful, balanced way?
We show up.
Showing up means being present. It means continuing to be part of their life—not just in the beginning, but throughout the journey. It can be as simple as offering to attend medical appointments and take notes, helping them remember what the doctor said. It might mean driving them to treatments or just sitting beside them in the waiting room.
Showing up also means keeping life going. Talk to them about your day, share funny stories, laugh about your kids or grandkids—just like you always did. These moments of normalcy can be grounding and comforting.
Practical help is another powerful form of support. Cook a meal. Organize a meal train. Help with chores like cleaning, taking out the trash, raking leaves, or walking the dog. These small acts of kindness can ease the burden and remind them they’re not alone.
And don’t stop showing up.
It’s okay to feel scared. It’s okay to feel overwhelmed. Supporting someone through cancer is emotionally taxing, and you may find yourself struggling too. If that happens, ask: who can show up for you?
Oncology social workers are trained to support not only patients but also their loved ones. You’re going through this too, and your feelings are valid. Whether you’re angry, in denial, sad, or even happy—it’s all part of the process. If you find yourself stuck in one of the darker places, it’s time to reach out for help.
Showing up is powerful. It’s healing. It’s human. And it’s something we can all do.
Here are some helpful resources that will guide you in your support journey.
- 16 Ways to Support Someone with Cancer
- Being a Friend to Someone with Cancer
- Appointment buddy or meal planner? 4 ways to support a friend with cancer
- How to Show Up When Your Friend Has Breast Cancer
Reference: Evans Webb, M., Murray, E., Younger, Z. W., Goodfellow, H., & Ross, J. (2021). The Supportive Care Needs of Cancer Patients: a Systematic Review. Journal of cancer education : the official journal of the American Association for Cancer Education, 36(5), 899–908. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-020-01941-9
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