The “mind” quadrant of your canvas is where you’ll document your strategy for coping with the practical, day-to-day realities of your situation.
For me personally, cancer treatment disrupted my daily life in a major way.
My regimen included extended, inpatient hospital stays, meaning I was unable to work. Complications arose along the way and further altered my day to day reality. Managing my schedule of appointments and medications, monitoring lab results, maintaining insurance and disability eligibility, keeping track of questions for (and answers from) my medical team....it was exhausting. Not to mention the everyday necessities like cooking and cleaning to tend to; errands to run and messages to respond to from concerned friends and family.
Your day-to-day needs are going to vary depending on your particular circumstances, but just a few practical considerations to think about here include:
Household cleaning, laundry, and errands
Transportation
Grocery shopping and meal prep
Managing insurance and financial aid eligibility
Keeping friends and family updated on your progress
Preparing questions and taking notes during appointments
Managing clinical trials eligibility and enrollment
Childcare / pet-care / companionship
Be realistic about what you can manage on your own, and don’t be afraid to tap into the helping power of your team to help manage the burden.
And, keep in mind, there is going to be overlap between your needs and coping strategies from section to section, and that’s OK. Practical needs like groceries and cooking overlap into the physical quadrant, where we start to think about diet and nutrition.
Obviously when we think about our mental health needs, it’s impossible to ignore the overlap with our emotional needs. Don’t get too hung up on finding the “right” place to document your needs. The idea is to think holistically to make sure you’re covering all your bases, and to document them period, and commit to taking action to ensure your needs are met.