I can hear you now: “What should I eat?”, “Can I still work out?”, “How am I going to take care of my children?”, “Do I need to replace all my beauty products?” There is an overabundance of wellness information at our fingertips, and yet so many questions go unanswered. So many ‘experts’ insert their personal opinions into the information they share—which can be helpful—but it also causes a lot of confusion and adds to the overwhelming feelings. On top of that, you are either battling cancer or doing everything you can to prevent it from returning, so your decision fatigue is through the roof. Am I right?

Navigating wellness as a cancer survivor can be an overwhelming experience. With countless recommendations, products, and routines competing for attention, the sheer volume of decisions can leave us feeling stuck, unsure of what choices to make, and unable to focus on what really matters. Let’s explore how to simplify the process, reclaim your energy, and build a wellness routine that works for you.

What Is Decision Fatigue?

Decision fatigue occurs when the brain becomes overwhelmed by the sheer number of decisions it needs to make in a day. We are all inundated with information even if we are not battling an illness, so as a cancer survivor, this can be even more challenging to the following:  

• Medical Decisions: Ongoing treatments, follow-up appointments, and navigating complex healthcare systems.
• Lifestyle Changes: Deciding which diets, exercise plans, or wellness trends to follow.
• Emotional Stress: Balancing the demands of recovery with personal and professional responsibilities.

Even seemingly small choices—like what to eat for lunch or which supplement to take—can feel monumental when added to an already full plate.

Why It’s Important to Simplify Your Wellness Journey

The simple answer is that you cannot continue to live in an overwhelmed, stressful state. That will do nothing but delay your healing journey. Overthinking your wellness journey can lead to:

• Burnout: Feeling so overwhelmed that you avoid making any decisions at all. There are moments when you need to rest, and there are moments when you need to take a walk around the block. If we hit burnout, we will do more resting instead of active recovery.
• Inconsistency: Constantly jumping from one solution to another without sticking to a plan. This is a difficult one for many of us, myself included, because we want to see results immediately. For many of us, a cancer diagnosis caught us completely off-guard, so when something that should be helping us isn’t, we get frustrated. Which is fair—but we have to give ourselves time.

• Missed Opportunities: Spending too much time on minor details instead of focusing on meaningful progress. Seriously though, all of the small stuff can wait. If you like your body wash but it has fragrance and you heard you should replace it—that doesn’t mean you need to throw it away immediately. We don’t need to stress the small stuff so that we miss opportunities for making positive change in bigger areas of our life; such as with our nutrition and sleep.

We really have overcomplicated wellness and it’s time we get back to the basics. By reducing decision fatigue, you’ll have more mental and emotional bandwidth to focus on what truly matters in your recovery and well-being.

How to Simplify Your Wellness Journey

1. Simplify Your Options

Fewer choices mean less stress. Here’s how I learned to narrow my focus:

• Choose One Core Goal: Instead of trying to tackle everything at once, focus on one area, such as improving sleep or boosting energy. When I started, I decided to work on my sleep first, and once that was in a good place, I moved on to nutrition.
• Create a "Go-To" List: Write down your favorite meals, exercises, or self-care activities so you’re not deciding from scratch every time. I’ve found a dopamine menu to be a fun way to help me organize the things I love and categorize them by simple vs. more complex; just like an entrée will be more complex than an appetizer. My go-to breakfast during treatment was eggs, simple to make and easy to digest, so I tried a ton of different scrambles, omelets, and quiche and have now perfected my quiche recipe. Let me know if you want to know my secret to a delicious quiche. 😉
• Limit Product Overload: Stick to one or two trusted brands instead of testing every new supplement or skincare product on the market. This one was hard for me because I love trying new things, but simplifying my routine brought me so much relief. And if you feel drawn to trying more products, stop following whatever influencer is pushing products. It’ll save you money and mental stress!

2. Establish Routines and Habits

Routines reduce the number of decisions you need to make daily by creating structure:

• Morning and Evening Rituals: Set a predictable routine to start and end your day. For me, my mornings always begin with a a glass of water and my devotional, and at night I read a non-fiction book – it’s a double win because then I’m not doom scrolling.
• Pre-Planned Meals: Meal prep or use meal kits to eliminate the need for daily food decisions. I’ve found that having just a few pre-made options in the fridge (or freezer) has saved me countless hours of stress.  Keeping it simple in this category is key, especially if you are still going through treatment.
• Wellness Check-Ins: Schedule regular times for exercise, meditation, or journaling. Literally, schedule it. It is just as important as your appointment with your oncologist. Even five minutes of intentional breathing can make a difference – pinky promise!

3. Learn to Say “No”

Not every wellness trend or opportunity is worth your time and energy:

• Set Boundaries: Politely decline advice that doesn’t align with your goals. I used to feel obligated to listen to everyone’s hair growth tips and felt pressured to try every recommendation, but now I ask myself, "Is this what I really need?" “Is this safe for me to try?” If I’ve done my own research, I may use the opportunity to educate the person who is giving me advice, especially if what they are recommending could be harmful to a cancer survivor. Most people don’t realize that what is ‘safe’ for them to use, may have an ingredient that has been linked to cancer, and not safe for us.
• Avoid Overloading: Prioritize what matters most and let go of the rest. For me, that meant focusing on rest and healing instead of working. I recognize this will be different for everyone, but I was in a transition stage in my career and about to move and start working at a new company. (I’ll tell you all about it soon.) But I knew doing that was not going to support my healing journey and instead would cause me so much additional stress. Not only would I have been hoursss away from my support system, I knew I would’ve put so much pressure on myself to be the hard-working employee, but the reality was – I wasn’t going to be able to deliver that same level of attention to detail and time while going through treatment. So, taking a pause from the corporate world was exactly what I needed to do. It gave me the time to truly focus on myself, my treatment, and my recovery. I only hope more survivors can have the opportunity to do the same.

4. Delegate Where You Can

Let others share the mental load:

• Ask for Help: Whether it’s meal prep, errands, or organizing paperwork, involve friends or family. I remember asking a friend to set up a meal train for me, even though I was living with my parents. My mom was already taking on so much herself, having meals delivered after my mastectomy was the biggest blessing. Nothing went to waste! This saved my mom so much time and energy so that she could recharge and be the best caregiver for me at the peak of my journey.
• Use Tools: Wellness planners, habit trackers, and apps can help you stay organized without overthinking. This is exactly why I designed the Be Well Beat It! Planner. I was using 3 planners, my notes app, google calendar, and had sticky notes everywhere. It was a mess. I want every survivor to have tools that are specifically designed for them so that you have one less thing to overwhelm during this time.

5. Focus on Progress, Not Perfection

Trying to make the “perfect” choice often leads to decision paralysis:

• Start Small: Take one actionable step today, even if it’s just drinking an extra glass of water. Seriously though, staying hydrated and ‘flushing’ our system is so helpful, so don’t lose sight of the basics. I remind myself that small changes add up over time. At this point, it’s not just a glass of water.
• Embrace Flexibility: Allow room for change and mistakes; wellness is a journey, not a destination. I’ve had days where my plans fell apart, and that’s okay—what matters is getting back on track. Life is ever changing, and complex. Do what you can, when you can, but don’t think you have to do it all. When we are open to change or flexible, we can create space to breathe and hopefully, be less overwhelmed.

How My Wellness Planner Can Help

If I didn’t make it obvious above, one way to cut through decision fatigue is by using tools designed to simplify your journey. My planners are crafted for cancer survivors, by a cancer survivor and offer:

• Pre-Structured Layouts: Daily, weekly, and monthly spreads help you focus on key areas without overthinking.
• Guided Prompts: Thoughtful questions to help you prioritize and reflect on what matters most.
• Self-Care Menus: A curated list of ideas to inspire small but impactful actions.

Using my planners has transformed how I approach my own wellness journey—it’s a space where I can organize my thoughts and focus on what truly matters.

Decision fatigue doesn’t have to derail your wellness journey. By simplifying choices, building routines, and focusing on what matters most, you can reclaim your energy and confidence. Remember, it’s not about doing everything perfectly—it’s about finding what works for you and taking it one step at a time.

Talk to you soon,

Stephanie