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.