Daily Pain Care Plan: Things that calm you down
This is Part 3 of a 4-part series on Daily Pain Care Plan. Download your accompanying worksheet for your own Daily Pain Care Plan here.
Go to Part 1, Part 2, and Part 4 of this Daily Pain Care Plan series.
Why calm is important for chronic pain
Our physiology and nervous system are often shifted when we have persistent pain or chronic illness. Our systems become more sensitized, our buffer for feeling pain is decreased, and any sensation we feel is heightened. Therefore, something seemingly as innocent as being gently poked can feel like a stabbing pain.
Pain is a signal from our body to change our current behavior in order to prevent damage and harm to ourselves and our body. In persistent pain, our physiology changes so that our nervous system is on high alert for anything and everything.
A large part of pain management is to learn how to calm the nervous system down, to shift it from a perpetual state of fight-or-flight (stress response) to rest-and-digest (relaxation response).
Zoning out is not resting
Calming your nervous system down goes beyond zoning out in front of the TV on the couch. Though that kind of distraction has a time and place for managing pain, what we are seeking here is a conscious choice and act of relaxation.
As important as it is to include more breaks and rest through the day, what you do during your breaks is equally important. Resting is a conscious act, and so incorporating mindful rest into your breaks is the most effective way of resetting your systems.
Here are some suggestions for mindful breaks that actually help you become more consciously relaxed to reset your system:
Take 10-20 mindful breaths
Do 5-10 minutes of light stretching or movement
Step outside to get some fresh air
Close your eyes and consciously relax your entire body
Listen to your favorite music, preferably something relaxing
List 5 things you are grateful for or are going well for you today
Read an inspiring poem
Splash water on your face
Light a candle
Download your accompanying worksheet for your Daily Pain Care Plan here.
Your personalized “Feel good” list
Beyond the suggestions listed above, you can also make your personal list of all the things that calm you down -- your “Feel good” list.
For this exercise, take out a piece of paper right now and time yourself for 10 minutes. Write down all the things you can think of that calm you down. Some may be the same ones listed above, and others may be novel and unique for you. Whatever it is that gives you a sense of peace, tranquility, and/or relaxation, write it down.
At the end of your 10 minutes, look at your list. There may be some things that don’t require a lot of time to calm you down, and others (like a long, luxurious bath) that take a little bit more time. Schedule the activities that take less time throughout your day when you take breaks, and the activities that take a little longer for the evenings or weekends.
You can also combine the things that calm you down! For example, you can take a warm bath with epsom salt, play some relaxing music, and light some candles while sipping on your favorite herbal tea.
When it comes to flares, it usually takes more than one calming thing to help manage the intensity. Figure out what your unique cocktail of calming things are to help you ride through severe moments of flares.
Download your accompanying worksheet for your Daily Pain Care Plan here.
This is Part 3 of a 4-part series on Daily Pain Care Plan. Download your accompanying worksheet for your own Daily Pain Care Plan here.
Go to Part 1, Part 2, and Part 4 of this Daily Pain Care Plan series.
Take action
Well, friends, let's put this into action now. Grab your pen and make that list of things that calm you down. A tip for success is to make sure you schedule at least 3-5 things into your day. If you don't schedule them like dates with a friend, you most likely won't follow through, so this is key to schedule them! Remember, not all of these things that calm you down need to be lengthy. Most often, a quick one-minute breathing break is all it takes.
Keep yourself accountable by commenting below 3-5 things you can think at the top of your head that are calming, and that you would love to implement into your days. Acknowledging your actions is an important step to success.
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