Practical Self-Care & Comfort Hacks for Women Undergoing Cancer Treatment

The treatment center kept cold, in the high 60’s. My mom would bring different layers of clothing to every appointment, never sure which version of cold she'd be fighting that day, the room's or her body's. The cancer journey and cancer treatment asks so much of a body and even more of a heart. Between appointments, side effects, uncertainty, and exhaustion, it can feel as though your days are no longer your own. In the midst of that, self-care is often misunderstood as something optional or indulgent.

During treatment, comfort is not a luxury. It’s a form of dignity. It’s a way of saying, I matter, even now.

As a son who walked beside his mother through years of treatment, I learned something that never left me: the smallest comforts often mattered the most. A soft fabric on a difficult day. A familiar routine in an unfamiliar place. These weren’t trivial details, they were anchors.

At the World Change Coalition, we’ve learned through lived experience and shared stories that small, thoughtful acts of care can make an enormous difference. Below are practical, gentle ways to bring a little more comfort and calm into a season that can feel anything but.

1. Dress for Ease, Not Expectations

Treatment days aren’t fashion shows, they’re endurance tests. Soft fabrics, forgiving waistlines, large pockets, and clothing that allows easy access for ports or IVs can reduce both physical discomfort and emotional stress. Choosing what feels good against your skin matters more than how it looks to others.

Watching my mom get ready for appointments, I saw how much energy even simple choices required. When her clothes worked with her body instead of against it, the day felt just a little lighter. That understanding became part of the inspiration behind Cathy’s Jeans, thoughtfully designed with comfort-forward features that make everyday life easier, whether you’re heading to treatment, running errands, or simply trying to feel like yourself again.

2. Create a Treatment-Day Comfort Kit

A small bag packed just for appointments or treatments can be grounding. Lip balm, unscented lotion, cozy socks, ginger chews, hard candies, a soft blanket, a journal, a puzzle book, or a favorite playlist.  All of these items offer comfort, distraction, and familiarity in clinical spaces.

Those same small comforts also inspired the creation of Cathy Cares Comfort Boxes.  These are thoughtfully curated care packages designed to bring relief, warmth, and reassurance during treatment. Each box includes practical items chosen from lived experience, offering comfort on difficult days and a quiet reminder that someone understands what this season feels like. They aren’t grand gestures, but they are meaningful ones, the kind that say, you are seen, you are supported, and you are not alone.

From the chair beside her, I saw how something as simple as a favorite blanket or familiar routine could shift the mood in a room. These small comforts quietly say, “You are still you, even here.”

3. Be Gentle with Your Energy

Fatigue during treatment is real and often invisible. Rest is not weakness, and slowing down is not giving up. Some days, the most courageous thing you can do is listen to your body and allow it the rest it’s asking for.

As a caregiver, one of the hardest lessons was learning not to push, not to encourage strength at the expense of rest. Healing doesn’t look like powering through. Sometimes it looks like permission.

4. Care for Sensitive Skin and Changing Hair

Many treatments bring changes to skin and hair that can feel deeply personal. Gentle, fragrance-free products can help soothe sensitive skin, while scarves, hats, or wigs can offer warmth, comfort, and confidence when hair loss occurs.

Hair loss is never “just hair.” I watched how it touched my mom’s sense of identity, even on days she tried to brush it off. Feeling like yourself, even a little, matters more than people often realize.

5. Accept Support — Without Guilt

Cancer is never meant to be carried alone. Whether it’s a meal dropped off, a ride to an appointment, or someone sitting quietly beside you, allowing others to help is part of healing.

From a son’s perspective, being allowed to help was a gift. It gave me purpose in a situation where I often felt helpless. Saying yes to support isn’t burdening others — it’s inviting connection.

A Final Word of Hope

World Change Coalition was born from lived experience, from witnessing both the strength and vulnerability of a woman facing breast cancer, and the ripple effect it has on those who love her. Our work, including initiatives like Cathy’s Jeans, is rooted in one simple belief: comfort, dignity, and compassion matter.

If you are walking through treatment right now, please know this, your comfort is not secondary. Your humanity is not an afterthought.  Even in the hardest times, small acts of care can bring moments of relief, strength, and hope.

You are not alone.

Thank you mom for your courage and inspiration.  Love always, Richie.