1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237) 24 Ways to manage side effects Plan time to rest. You may feel better when you rest or take a short nap during the day. Many people say that it helps to rest for just 10 to 15 minutes rather than nap for a long time. If you nap, try to sleep for less than 1 hour. Keeping naps short will help you sleep better at night. Be active. Research shows that exercise can ease fatigue and help you sleep better at night. Try walking for 15 minutes, doing yoga, or riding an exercise bike. Plan to be active when you have the most energy. Talk with your doctor or nurse about ways you can be active while getting chemotherapy. Try not to do too much. With fatigue, you may not have enough energy to do all the things you want to do. Choose the activities you want to do and let someone else help with the others. Try quiet activities, such as reading, knitting, or learning a new language on tape. Sleep at least eight hours each night. This may be more sleep than you needed before chemotherapy. You are likely to sleep better at night when you are active during the day. You may also find it helpful to relax before going to bed. For instance, you might read a book, work on a jigsaw puzzle, listen to music, or do other quiet hobbies. For relaxation exercises, visit Learning to Relax on the National Cancer Institute’s website at: www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/coping/feelings/relaxation. Plan a work schedule that works for you. Fatigue may affect the amount of energy you have for your job. You may feel well enough to work your full schedule. Or you may need to work less—maybe just a few hours a day or a few days each week. If your job allows, you may want to talk with your boss about ways to work from home. Or you may want to go on medical leave (stop working for a while) while getting chemotherapy. Let others help. Ask family members and friends to help when you feel fatigue. Perhaps they can help with household chores or drive you to and from doctor’s visits. They might also help by shopping for food and cooking meals for you to eat now or freeze for later. Learn from others who have cancer. People who have cancer can help by sharing ways that they manage fatigue. One way to meet others is by joining a support group—either in person or online. Talk with your doctor or nurse to learn more. Keep a diary of how you feel each day. This will help you plan how to best use your time. Share your diary with your nurse. Let your doctor or nurse know if you notice changes in your energy level, whether you have lots of energy or are very tired. Talk with your doctor or nurse. If you are so tired that you struggle to get out of bed, tell them. Your doctor may prescribe medication that can help decrease fatigue, give you a sense of well-being, and increase your appetite. They may also suggest treatment if your fatigue is from anemia. (To learn more about Anemia, see page 14.)
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