Rita Wilson recently opened up about her journey with breast cancer on TODAY — and for our One Small Thing series, she shared a special message for other women who've been diagnosed with the disease.
"One thing that I would say to someone who's just been diagnosed with breast cancer is to still try to find the moments in your day that give you joy and give you happiness, because there's still time to laugh, and life is going on," she said. "Try to stay focused on some of the good things that are happening too."
The actress, producer and singer also revealed that she used mindfulness meditation to relieve stress during her treatment, which involved a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery in 2015.
"I found that very, very helpful," she said. "I had anxiety, as one does — but I also found great solace in music. And that could absolutely change your mood, and put you in a good space, and distract you."
She also credits family and friends with keeping her spirits up during the difficult time.
"One of the nicest things that my family did for me after I had been diagnosed and after my surgery was, my brother came in and cooked me amazing meals," she said. "He happens to be a chef. Like, hey, can you go wrong with that? And some girlfriends of mine came in and stayed with me for a good chunk of time and made me laugh. So make sure you surround yourself with your friends and family that make you laugh, 'cause that's important and it's very healing. And just being surrounded by people that love you and are there for you."
Wilson and husband Tom Hanks celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary earlier this year. What's the key to their long-lasting relationship?
"I think the secret to any long-term marriage is probably a level of honesty and trust, and being able to laugh," she said. "Find those moments that you make you laugh and remember those."
Wilson also just marked the launch of her new album, "Bigger Picture," which she describes as a "musical scrapbook."
"I've gone back into my life and tried to find out, as we all have, I think, who we were, how did we start out, and where did we end up?" she said. "And is there any way that you can connect all those dots?"