Coping tools
You may find it helpful to have a few tools to help prepare for your new life post op. Some ideas to cope include:
- Developing a support network
- Regular bed and wake time for sleep health
- Goal setting
- Mindful eating
- Awareness of eating patterns using a diary
- Regular exercise
- Meaningful activities
This section will cover a few tips on why and how to set goals and mindful eating. These will be brief introductions only. Please see the links below or your GP where you can find more support.
Goal Setting
Goal setting can be a helpful tool in the toolkit in planning for and adjusting post-surgery. What do we mean by goal setting? It is the process of clearly writing down your aim and making it specific, measurable, action-based or attainable, realistic and time-bound (SMART).
Video on goal setting
Mindful eating
Mindful eating can be a helpful tool before and after surgery. Mindfulness is defined as paying attention to the present moment, purposefully and non-judgmentally. It has been associated with a variety of beneficial health outcomes and improvements in cognition.
Mindfulness practice has the potential to change the relationship we have with food and meal times. Mindful eating consists of making conscious food choices, developing an awareness of physical versus psychological hunger and satiety cues, and eating healthily in response to those cues.
It is being aware of the present moment when one is eating, paying close attention to the effect of the food on the senses, and noting the physical and emotional sensations in response to eating.
Video on mindful eating
Additional resources
References
Bowman, J., Mogensen, L., Marsland, E., & Lannin, N. (2015), The development, content validity and inter‐rater reliability of the SMART‐Goal Evaluation Method: A standardised method for evaluating clinical goals. Aust Occup Ther J, 62: 420-427.
Janssen, LK., Duif, I., van Loon, I., de Vries, JHM., Speckens, AEM., Cools, R., & Aarts E. (2018). Greater mindful eating practice is associated with better reversal learning. Sci Rep, Apr 9;8(1):5702. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-24001-1. PMID: 29632306; PMCID: PMC5890263.
Kristeller J. L., Wolever R. (2014). “Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training: Treatment of overeating and obesity,” in Mindfulness-Based Treatment Approaches, 2nd Edn, ed. Baer R. A. (San Diego, CA: Elsevier; ). 10.1016/B978-0-12-416031-6.00006-2
Nelson, JB. (2017). Mindful eating: The art of presence while you eat. Diabetes Spectrum : A Publication of the American Diabetes Association, 30(3), 171–174.
Warren, J., Smith, N., & Ashwell, M. (2017). A structured literature review on the role of mindfulness, mindful eating and intuitive eating in changing eating behaviours: Effectiveness and associated potential mechanisms. Nutrition Research Reviews, 30(2), 272-283. doi:10.1017/S0954422417000154