Mindfulness for chronic pain
Living with a pain that won't go away is tough. It can affect life in a variety of ways and prevent you from doing the things you want. Mindfulness can, according to the research, be a tool that can help manage the pain.
Pain must primarily be taken care of by healthcare professionals. But sometimes you can still be in pain, and then it is important to have some extra tools in your toolbox. One such tool could be mindfulness.
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a method of focusing on breathing and how the body feels, without judging whether the feeling is good or bad. It is not a relaxation technique, but—on the contrary—a way to activate your senses. (1)
Mindfulness can help manage long-term pain by changing how we perceive the pain. It can also reduce stress and anxiety and improve one's resilience. (2) (You can read about resilience in a previous blog article.)
How can mindfulness reduce pain?
By practicing being mindful, we can become better at recognizing and accepting the pain without judging or valuing it (2). In other words, it is possible to gain distance from the experience and thus not be affected as strongly (1).
With the help of mindfulness, you can practice detaching yourself from the negative thoughts and feelings that are connected to pain. (2)
Mindfulness can also reduce stress and thus lead to relaxation. This is important because stress itself can make the pain worse.
How do I get started?
At first, it may be easiest to follow a guided exercise. Google to find free exercises! Start with a shorter amount of time, perhaps five minutes, and gradually increase. (1)
Make sure to find an undisturbed place, so that you really have the opportunity to focus. Eventually, you will be able to use the technique even in messier environments and when you feel stressed. (1)
Both pain and the degree to which one finds that mindfulness can be helpful is of course subjective. As said above, learning the technique requires practice. On the other hand, no equipment is required and it costs no more than a few minutes a day. Why not try?