Overcoming pain using the power of the mind
Whether you are overcoming an injury or surgery, or even suffering from arthritis, back pain, or any other conditions – living with pain can be extremely difficult.
Pain can stop you from sleeping well, interfere with work and career, and even cause strain on relationships.
When pain medication is not working, many people turn to mind based techniques to bring them some relief. While at first you may think that this is unlikely to work for you, consider the fact that hypnotherapy has become a very popular method of dealing with the pain from childbirth or nicotine withdrawals.
Watch your breathing
When stressed or in pain, your breathing is more likely to be fast and shallow. Compare this to a meditation style of breathing which is slow, controlled and deep – this is the type of breathing you want to aim for. This type of breath encourages your nervous system to slow down and go into a quiet mode. To do it, find a quiet space to lie down. Close your eyes and concentrate on the in and out of your breath. If you can keep your breath steady like this when the pain becomes stronger, it will help you to relax your muscles. This is similar to the breathing exercises encouraged for childbirth.
Try progressive relaxation
Another way to quiet the mind and focus on your breathing is to try this form of muscle relaxation. You can do this lying down, or even just when you are sitting quietly. Starting with your toes, contract the muscles and hold for 30 seconds before releasing and moving up the body to the next set of muscles.
Visualise yourself as pain free
Guided imagery is about spending time inside your own mind, imagining your life feeling completely relaxed and free of pain. For instance you might imagine yourself rocking in a hammock, or lying on the grass in the sun, with all of the details of the scene being imagined too – the smells, the texture of your surroundings, the noises you can hear.
Shift your focus
It’s common to focus our attention on the parts of our body that hurt. But another great idea is to try shifting that focus to another part of your body that feels fine. For instance if you have a bad knee, instead of thinking about your knee you could focus your attention to your hands instead. Notice how they feel against the bed, pay attention to whether they feel cool or warm, touch your fingers together and then move them apart. The brain can’t focus on too many things at once so this is a good way to crowd out the bad feelings caused by chronic pain. This is also why meditation is often suggested as a way to help deal with pain, as it keeps the mind focused elsewhere.
Find pressure points
Another way to find some pain relief is to find out more about your pressure points and how they affect different parts of the body. Just like massage and acupuncture have been doing for years.
Keep yourself busy
Dwelling on your pain is unlikely to make it feel better. A much better option is to try to get out and about, stay social, interact with people and enjoy life. Staying at home and getting caught up in your own thoughts is not going to help you improve your state of mind. Try and find some films or music that you enjoy, and seek out more of it. You could even try a photography course, cooking class, or book club to have things to look forward to that will keep your mind active.
If these techniques don’t work for you and the pain is getting to be too much, it is recommended to speak to your GP as soon as possible.
Have you got any non-medical tips to manage pain? We would love to hear your ideas.
Related links:
3 reasons being an anxious person is a good thing
5 extraordinarily simple ways to be happy