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How often do you take a moment to check in with your mental health? For many, this aspect of life can be overshadowed or it can conjure up feelings ranging from confusion to contentment. As a result, it is important to acknowledge that even good mental health can include feelings of sadness, anxiety, and anger. The key is knowing how to manage these feelings in a healthy way and how to find a balance in which you can still enjoy life. That being said, in the midst of a global health crisis it is understandable for an individual’s mental health to be significantly impacted. It is common to feel nervous for the future, to feel isolated, and to feel higher levels of stress than usual. Fortunately, the most commonly made New Year’s resolution is also known to be a major remedy in improvement of mental health. The benefits of exercising regularly impact a wide array of areas in the human body so it comes as no surprise that it also results in stronger emotional well being.

How Exercise Impacts Mental Health

Exercise has been proven to minimize daily stress, improve quality and duration of sleep, increase feelings of confidence and improve performance in the classroom at all age levels.* These benefits have a strong correlation with mental health and only make up a fraction of the overall advantages associated with consistent physical activity. You may be wondering what exact mechanisms relate exercise to improved mental health. The answer can be divided into what occurs neurologically, physically and socially from physical activity. For example, neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin and noradrenaline are released during exercise and play a vital role in increasing mood. These chemicals can also stimulate the brain to improve attention span and memory which is useful in conducting daily activities.** On the other hand, regular exercise can result in physical changes to the body like weight loss and muscular gain. These changes along with a stronger mood can result in greater confidence and a desire to recreate the feeling from exercising. In addition, the amount of social interactions we have can increase through participating in physical activity. This can happen from joining sports, group fitness classes, or simply working out with friends. An increase in social interactions generally results in individuals feeling happier and well supported. With this underlying knowledge of mental health and exercise you can start to make changes and incorporate physical activity into your daily life.

How to Reap the Benefits of Exercise

For individuals starting their fitness journey the big question is typically: how much exercise is needed to produce effective results? The answers vary depending on the professional asked, the article read, or the study conducted. Taking this into account, the generally accepted response is to do what feels best for you and your body. This could mean going for runs every morning, going to the gym or following along with YouTube workouts. The current state of the virus may make it difficult to visit the gym but with outdoor and at home workouts becoming more prevalent, coaching guides are more accessible than ever. The summer weather can make outdoor workouts increasingly appealing, however extra precautions must be taken to protect our skin from the sun.

With that in mind, check out our list of Sun Safety Apparel Suppliers and our Prevention page. Our website also contains other Mental Health Resources and recordings of Mental Health Webinars. In conclusion, take the time to check in with yourself and utilize the benefits of exercise but always make sure you’re protecting yourself from harmful UV rays as you do so.

* For further detail regarding mental health and exercise see “Psychology Works Fact Sheet: Physical Activity, Mental Health and Motivation” by the Canadian Psychological Association, https://cpa.ca/docs/File/Publications/FactSheets/PsychologyWorksFactSheet_PhysicalActivity_MentalHealth_Motivation.pdf

** For more information on the brain effects of exercise watch “The brain-changing benefits of exercise | Wendy Suzuki,” https://youtu.be/BHY0FxzoKZE

From April 9th, 2020— April 27th, 2020, Save Your Skin Foundation ran a patient survey titled “Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on Canadian melanoma, ocular melanoma, and non-melanoma skin cancer patients.” The survey consisted of 21 questions, which ranged between multiple choice, multi-selection, and write-in, and participants had the option to skip any question. The goal of the survey was to assess the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the medical, social, and financial security of melanoma, non-melanoma skin cancer, and ocular melanoma patients.

To read the full report of the survey, click here. 

Here are some of the key findings of the survey: 

→ A third of respondents (32%) reported having difficulty accessing ‘other’ care  during the COVID-19 pandemic.

→ Similarly, a third of respondents (34%) reported having no issue with their continuity of oncology care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

→ Just over a third of respondents (36%) said they have had no issues in receiving their scheduled drug therapy or treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

→ Two thirds (67%) or respondents reported having, or being offered, telephone or videoconference appointments with a health professional since February 2020.  Just over half (52%) or respondents stated they found these types of appointments to be a suitable substitution for their regular appointments, while 17% felt they were not an appropriate substitution.

→ One in five respondents (20%) reported having some issues receiving drug therapy or treatment prescribed by their oncologist during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a further 4% reporting they have had ‘a lot’ of issues receiving this care. The types of care being affected ranged from routine appointments, prescription drugs, drug trials and scheduled treatments or procedures.

→ Only 4% of respondents reported having no trust in their healthcare team to provide appropriate care and treatment to them during the COVID-19 pandemic.

→ Nine out of ten respondents (87%) reported an increase in their anxiety levels, ranging from “somewhat” (53%) to “a lot” (33%).

→ More than half or respondents (56%) expressed fear that they or others they know are more at risk for COVID-19 due to being immunocompromised.

→ Half (49%) are experiencing anxiety, fear, stress or overwhelm for themselves or others.

→ A third (31%) are experiencing loneliness or isolation.

→ Nearly a third (29%) are experiencing frustration or anger.

→ Nearly half of respondents (45%) reported experiencing difficulty accessing information related to COVID-19.

→ Nearly half (43%) reported experiencing difficulty attending appointments or seeking necessary healthcare because of fear of exposure to COVID-19.

→ Half of respondents (47%) reported having some level of difficulty accessing food and/or food delivery during COVID-19.

→ The majority of respondents (76%) reported having no trouble accessing transportation during COVID-19.

→ Eight out of ten respondents (80%) reported having difficulty keeping in touch with their friends and family during the pandemic, of which, 16% reporting having “a lot” of difficulty.

→ French-speaking respondents reported a much higher percentage of postponed surgeries relative to English-speaking respondents.

→ French-speaking respondents reported very little current difficulties reaching their healthcare professionals when taking the survey, but reported an extremely high feeling that there would be future disruptions in their care.

In Conclusion

The results of this survey suggests that cancer patients across Canada are experiencing the same COVID-related social and financial anxiety as others. However, they also have the added stress of navigating an already complex medical system in this time, having treatments rescheduled and appointments online, and being higher risk. It is imperative that we keep in mind segments of the population who are having particular difficulty at this time, and support them however we can.

That is why Save Your Skin Foundation created the COVID-19 Information Hub and partnered with several other organizations to launch a COVID-19 Oncology task force and to offer webinars to support melanoma patients during this crisis. As the support needed by melanoma and skin cancer patients continues to evolve in these fast changing times, we are committed to adapt our services and initiatives accordingly. We continue to work closely with melanoma patients and their families to ensure they have the support and resources they need to access the best specialists and treatments. The affects of COVID-19 have only confirmed our dedication to developing innovative national strategies and advocating for better access to new therapies and the prioritization of cancer funding.

For the COVID-19 pandemic, we recognized the need for research and development into vaccine and treatments, and the need for easy timely effective testing and contact tracing and have supported research into these and quick approval for access to them.

From that experience, it has become clear 1. That the already poor times to diagnosis and treatment for cancer patients have been exasperated by the pandemic, and 2. That the supposedly rigid rules about how clinical trials are done and getting drugs to people only after phase 3 trials are complete, are only discretionary for COVID-19 related treatments and vaccines, but both of these need to be addressed for cancer post-COVID.

Future pandemic planning MUST include cancer patient groups and must draw on what the actual implementation taught us. In the near future, we have a meeting with multi PAGs to have a preliminary discussion on these issues and how to move forward together to organize these issues.

It is with great pride that the Quebec Cancer Foundation and Save Your Skin Foundation announce that they have joined forces in order to optimize the support offered to people living with cancer and their loved ones.

This partnership agreement will allow French-speaking people in Canada who are affected by skin cancer and ocular melanoma to be better served and to have better access to telephone support in French.

Save Your Skin Foundation will now be able to offer telephone support to its French-speaking clientele—in Quebec but also in the rest of the country—by redirecting them to the documentalists and experienced oncology nurses of the Quebec Cancer Foundation’s Info-cancer Services.

For the Quebec Cancer Foundation, the goal is to get closer to the people by going wherever they were not present before and to give support to those who need it, regardless of their type of cancer.

Save Your Skin Foundation will thus be able to offer its clientele all the benefits of the three components of the Quebec Cancer Foundation’s Info-cancer Services.

First of all, they will have access to the Info-cancer hotline, which allows them to talk to experienced oncology nurses who, in total confidentiality, can give answers and reassurance on all aspects of cancer. If necessary, they can also be referred to a free consultation service with a nutritionist or psychologist.

Info-cancer Services also includes the Info-cancer Library—the largest specialized French-language library of its type in North America. It contains a vast collection of books on every aspect of cancer and on ways of living better with the disease. Loans are free and sent by mail, anywhere in Quebec.

Finally, they will be able to benefit from the telephone peer matching service, which allows people affected by cancer or loved ones to be paired with specially trained sympathetic volunteers who have had a similar cancer experience. These volunteers are there to provide moral support and practical information to anyone affected by cancer—from the time of diagnosis, throughout the treatments, and even afterwards.

Through this partnership, Save Your Skin Foundation and the Quebec Cancer Foundation are consolidating their goals of supporting the community with sensitivity and humanism, of improving their ways of doing things, of defending the interests of people affected by the disease, and of mobilizing their forces to address important issues.

“Getting a cancer diagnosis is never easy. Having more information can help you feel more in control. Save Your Skin Foundation wants to bring hope and support to all those who are newly diagnosed, undergoing treatment, or in remission. We invite all skin cancer and ocular melanoma patients to contact us at any time.” says Kathy Barnard, President of the Save Your Skin Foundation and melanoma survivor.

For the Quebec Cancer Foundation, this agreement is essential, as is the development of new partnerships. “Joining forces with new partners such as the Save Your Skin Foundation will allow us to help more people affected by cancer. By working hand in hand with other organizations, we are no longer duplicating our services but, on the contrary, working to develop complementary services for the benefit of the thousands undergoing this ordeal.” says Marco Décelles, Director General of the Quebec Cancer Foundation.

We are pleased to announce that the winner of our 2020 Melanoma Awareness Month Drawing Contest is:

Miley of Scotchlake, Nova Scotia!

Her beautiful drawing will adorn the next edition of the SYSF t-shirt. Get your sun safety T-shirts and Tote Bags HERE!

Miley will be receiving a $100 Amazon gift card to thank her for her amazing effort. Thank you to everyone who participated in our very first drawing contest by submitting a drawing, sharing our posts and/or voting. We couldn’t have done it without you!