'Your mind is an important part of your healing' - Olivia Newton-John shares what's been helping her fight cancer for 28 years

Olivia Newton-John
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Olivia Newton-John has shared all the things that have helped her battle breast cancer for the past 28 years.

As the world health pandemic puts a halt to some medical treatments, as more restrictions, including the 10pm curfew and rule of six, continue to impact on the UK, Olivia Newton-John has shared her journey to positivity.

Olivia, 72, was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992, and again in 2013, but in 2018 the disease returned and metastasized to her spine. But that's not stopped her from battling on.

READ MORE:Olivia Newton-John opens up about ‘overwhelming’ cancer diagnosis

"The inspiration has been a long one because I've been on this cancer journey for 28 years," she said. "I'm a thriver of three times going through this process. The first time I had breast cancer was in 1992 and I'm still here," she said. "The treatments weren’t as good then as they are now, and there's a lot of information you can get online on how to support yourself and how to think well."

Olivia, who has gone through surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, advised other women battling cancer to prioritize putting yourself first and remember "your mind is such an important part of your healing."

"We're not just a body going through cancer - we're a whole human with the mind, body, spirit and soul," she said. "And we need to try and think positive thoughts. We need to surround ourselves with people who are going to give us positivity back. It really helps."

READ MORE:Could this award-winning app help you spot breast cancer?

During lockdown Olivia has been isolating in California with her husband John Easterling and she's been enjoying not travelling so much.

"I think being at home so much, which has been wonderful for me because it's a novelty because I've been on the road most of my life it seems ... and to wake up every day and to hear the birds and see the sunshine in the trees. I'm so grateful for every day."

Speaking of her husband, the former Grease star said, "I'm very lucky that I have him in my corner, and teaching me about the plants and the herbs. He grows cannabis for me and I take tinctures that have helped me greatly."

Olivia, who recently launched the Olivia Newton-John foundation - a wellness programme which she hopes will help other sufferers now more than ever.

She added, "It's a good time to kind of reinforce the idea that, 'Yes, we're all going through something, but cancer patients have been dealing with this forever, sadly, and going forward, let's help them.’"

Selina Maycock

Selina is a Senior Entertainment Writer with more than 15 years of experience in newspapers and magazines. She has covered all things Entertainment for GoodtoKnow, Woman&Home and My Imperfect Life. Before joining Future Publishing, Selina graduated from the University of Sheffield in 2006 with a degree in Journalism. She is fully NCTJ and NCE qualified and has 100wpm shorthand.