MANAGING YOUR PAIN IN THREE EASY STEPS
When you are in pain you are basically involved in a dialogue
with your body. Your body is screaming for help. At first it is
confusing, but once you understand that all you need to do is
respond to your body's cries for help, then you can begin
working towards managing your pain.
Of course, chronic pain isn't easy to alleviate. This sort of
pain, usually linked to a debilitating illness, is a symptom of
the illness itself and that may not be curable. Pain resulting
from such illnesses is difficult to handle because it often
causes other problems, like fatigue (making you less inclined to
act) and depression (making you too unhappy to act). But
remember, you can manage your pain.
Step 1: Change your mind
Managing pain begins in the mind. Whatever the pain, however
severe it is, you need to alter the way you think about it,
first. Positive thinking is one way of doing this. Including
positive thoughts in your life is vital. You may choose to
collect some positive thoughts or affirmations from a favorite
book or from an Internet search. You may write these in a
notebook or pin them up around the house or say them out loud
each morning in front of the mirror. Anything that makes you
laugh, be it a sitcom on the television or a funny friend should
be included in your life on a regular basis. Laughing does
wonders to our heatlth. A belly laugh a day is absolutely vital.
Step 2: Change your habits
Eating well and exercising regularly are also vital ingredients
for a pain-free life. Consult your doctor or a nutritionist and
ask to be put on a diet. Learn about the types of foods and the
impact they have on our physical health and wellbeing. As a pain
sufferer you'll find that most physical exercise is far too
difficult. But even a stroll around the block is a vital
addition to your life. Physical exercises improves your mood,
improves your sleep patterns, and strengthens muscles. On the
other spectrum, relaxation also helps in managing your pain.
Relaxation in combination with massage therapy can help. But
even relaxing on your own can work wonders. Simply find a nice
quiet spot in the house and spend ten to twenty minutes alone.
Step 3: Find alternatives
Start introducing back into your life the things you forgot
about at around the time of your illness. If you enjoyed
reading, but now find it difficult to be comfortable holding a
book in your hands for prolonged periods of time, try purchasing
audio books to listen to as you rest. Always look for
alternative ways of doing the things you loved to do before pain
changed your lifestyle. You'll find there are many ways to do
the things you once loved to do.