Lifting Your Spirits - Seven Tools for Coping with Illness

Lifting Your Spirits is a unique practical guide designed to help people coping with illness or disability. Drawing on the insights of those who have experienced the challenges of serious illness, it introduces seven simple tools to develop inner strength and enhance well-being on all levels. Each tool offers practical and inspiring ways of dealing with the physical and emotional upheaval and uncertainty which illness presents. Some focus on preparing for surgery and treatment, others on coping with pain, anxiety or depression.

The guide can be used by individuals for their own sustenance, or introduced into patient support groups, treatment and therapy centres, hospices, day centres and other healthcare services. 

The beautifully illustrated book and two audio CDs provide guided relaxation and meditation, short daily practices and positive thoughts which will literally ‘lift your spirits’.  The pack was launched in July 2008 – see Newsletter Nov 2008.  The second edition was printed in August 2009.  See leaflet order form. 

“Help yourselves, your patients and families find some wonderful new coping skills.”  Help the Hospices

Jan Alcoe is a writer and facilitator in health and social care, and Training and Editorial Consultant to The Janki Foundation.  She was principal editor of Values in healthcare:  a spiritual approach, a personal and team development programme for healthcare practitioners published by the Janki Foundation.  The programme includes seven learning tools for addressing spiritual needs.  Recently, while undergoing treatment for cancer, Jan used these tools for her own sustenance and self-healing.  She was inspired to write Lifting Your Spirits because of the benefits she experienced and the lack of any guide of this kind for people who have been diagnosed with serious illness.  She also draws on the insights of friends who shared their own stories of coping with illness, and of healthcare colleagues and practitioners who supported her on her journey.  Jan has recently trained as a hypnotherapist. http://www.hypnotherapyforliving.co.uk/

Who is the book for?

People who are:

• diagnosed with a serious physical illness
• coping with pain or disability
• undergoing difficult treatments
• receiving palliative care
• recovering from accident/trauma
• experiencing or recovering from anxiety or depression

The materials can also benefit carers and healthcare practitioners by introducing tools for their self-care and support.   

Endorsements:

• British Holistic Medical Association http://www.bhma.org/
• Help the Hospices http://www.helpthehospices.org.uk/
• New Approaches to Cancer http://www.anac.org.uk/
• ReMEmber (The Chronic Fatigue Society) http://www.remembercfs.org.uk/
• The Haven www.thehavencentre.com

Butterfly illustrations © Lou Beckerman http://www.loubeckerman.com/  

Articles and Reviews:

• Journal of Holistic Healthcare Vol 5 Issue 2 May 2008
• MS Connect Magazine Vol 3 Issue 4 Oct/Nov 2008 (MS Society Scotland's membership magazine)
• ReMEmber (The Chronic Fatigue Society) September 2008 Newsletter
• Gibraltar Chronicle Wednesday June 3rd, 2009

"Being playful and light-hearted lifts my mood as well as that of those around me."

Jan Alcoe, author of Lifting Your Spirits