Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Increase Your Pain Tolerance with Relaxation Strategies
• Method 2 of 3: Use physical activity to increase pain tolerance
• Method 3 of 3: Focus on lifestyle changes

Pain tolerance is the ability of the body and mind to endure pain. Some people have a fairly high pain threshold, while others have a low pain threshold. If you suffer from chronic pain, you can increase your tolerance for it with relaxation strategies, physical activity, and changes in habits that can improve your quality of life.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Increase Your Pain Tolerance with Relaxation Strategies

1. 1 Perform breathing exercises. When the body is overstrained, for example, during pain, then its senses are exacerbated. However, when the body is relaxed, pain tolerance increases. This is why it may be helpful for women in labor or people with chronic pain to do soothing breathing exercises.
   • For example, sit in a straight-backed chair and close your eyes. Breathe in for five seconds. Hold your breath for a few seconds and then exhale in the seventh second. Repeat ten times.
   • You can try stretching the breathing exercises for fifteen to twenty minutes. Sit in a chair and close your eyes. Focus on your heartbeat and use it to calculate the duration of your breath. Inhale for a count of five heart beats, and then hold your breath for seven or eight beats. Exhale on the ninth to tenth beat.
2. 2 Use guided imagination. Guided imagination is used in the case of chronic patients, as it helps to increase the pain threshold and dull sensations. Guided imagination helps to replace in the mind the idea that pain is terrible and unbearable, with something more positive.
   • Start by breathing deeply. Focus on the present, on simple inhalation and exhalation. Relax and let things take their course. Breathe out all your worries by breathing in purifying, restorative oxygen. Breathe in and out until you are completely relaxed.
   • Scan the parts of your body that are in pain. Inhale, and as you exhale, release the pain and inhale again to replace it with healing air.
   • When you're done, think of a beautiful, peaceful place. Concentrate on this spot with all five senses. What do you see, hear, feel, taste and what's the smell? Continue to be in this place.
3. 3 Try self-hypnosis. Self-hypnosis was developed as a way to help manage chronic pain. It is a form of self-hypnosis that helps you get pain under control. Self-hypnosis works best if you repeat it constantly and maintain a positive attitude.
   • Sit in a relaxed position in a calm place. Take a few deep breaths to focus.
   • Pat the area that hurts if you can.
   • While stroking this area, repeat the phrase: "The pain goes away." Keep telling yourself that the pain is dulling until you feel better.
4. 4 Meditate. Meditation can weaken the body's response to pain and increase tolerance. Relaxing your body, calming your mind, and shifting your focus may help you increase your pain threshold.
   • Sit up straight and close your eyes. Inhale and exhale, concentrating on the breath. Take a neutral, unbiased look at your thoughts and body sensations. Concentrate on the feel of each breath. Stay in this moment and pay attention only to what is happening in this second.
   • Scan your body, concentrating on each part. Start with your toes and work your way up. Make a mental note of all the places where pain is felt. Focus on the thought that pain is a collection of sensations, not a tangible thing. Concentrate on the pain and feel it deeper.
   • After focusing on pain, expand your consciousness to meditate with an emphasis on the positive things around you.It can be good weather or melodious sounds, the presence of loved ones, the feeling of a pleasant scent, or something else. Remember that pain is just one of many things that are happening right now. Respond positively to pain by accepting it instead of resisting or dwelling on it.

Method 2 of 3: Use physical activity to increase pain tolerance

1. 1 Increase your physical activity. Exercise has been found to increase pain tolerance. To reap these benefits, do regular aerobic exercise at least three times a week for thirty minutes. Exercise should be at moderate to high intensity.
   • Exercise helps release endorphins that dull pain.
2. 2 Play sports with a friend. Playing sports with a friend or in a group of people also increases pain tolerance. The presence of other people increases the amount of endorphins, so you will benefit from both physical activity and communication.
   • Invite a friend to play sports together, such as walking, hiking, swimming, or cycling.
   • Consider signing up for group sports. Exercising with people may be more beneficial for managing pain and developing a tolerance for it than solo training.
3. 3 Set small goals. If you are in pain, you may feel that you cannot be physically active. However, it is not. You can start exercising, but at first you will have to do it slowly. The more you exercise, the better you will cope with pain.
   • Start by choosing an activity that you enjoy. This can be walking, hiking, swimming, or lifting light weights.
   • Come up with a measurable and achievable goal for your physical activity. It can be related to timing, distance, weight, or repetitions. For example, set a goal: to walk half a kilometer today. Make sure you can reach your goal with your current pain level.
   • Set a time frame for reaching your goal. For example, a few days or a week.
   • Once you reach your goal, increase it. For example, walk 800 meters by the end of the week. Continue setting goals to improve your physical activity.
4. 4 Talk to your healthcare provider before starting any physical activity. If you have pain, you should talk to your health care provider before starting to exercise. Talk to him about your condition, and also ask what types of physical activity are best for you and what exercises may be unsafe.
   • You can also talk with your doctor about your pain tolerance and how to safely manage pain.
5. 5 Monitor your pain levels while exercising. While exercising, you will need to make sure that you are not hurting yourself. Monitor your pain levels while exercising. Consider scoring your pain level (one to ten). Ten is the strongest pain, while one is the weakest.
   • You are more likely to feel discomfort, pain, and soreness as you increase your physical activity. But as you become more active, you will get better.
   • Stop if the pain increases to seven to eight points or more. Reduce the intensity of your exercise, change it, or consult your doctor.

Method 3 of 3: Focus on lifestyle changes

1. 1 Get into the correct posture. One scientific study found that people with dominant, domineering posture have a higher tolerance to pain than those who walk in a submissive posture. Therefore, keep your back straight, straighten your shoulders, and lift your head up.
   • Humble poses are those in which you bend your shoulders or curl up.
2. 2 Get enough sleep. Lack or lack of sleep every night can reduce pain tolerance. Sleeping enough hours each night can increase your pain tolerance and cope better.
   • Try to get seven to nine hours of sleep every night. If you do not get enough sleep more than once a week, your pain tolerance may decrease.
3. 3 Increase your social circle. Having a large number of friends and a wider social circle can help you increase your pain tolerance. This is due to an increase in the release of endorphins, which helps to dull the pain that the body feels. Strengthen your current relationships, spend more time with friends, and make new acquaintances, and you can increase your pain tolerance.
   • It has also been found that laughing with friends in a social setting raises the pain threshold.
4. 4 Reframe how you feel about pain. Thinking about pain can decrease or increase your tolerance for it. As a mentally strong person, you will be able to handle pain better. Instead of thinking how bad you are, look at pain differently.
   • For example, if you are exercising, you can interpret pain as a sign that you are getting stronger and improving your body.
5. 5 Try cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Cognitive behavioral therapy is a type of psychotherapy that replaces negative thoughts with more positive ones. Using CBT can help you learn how to deal with pain and increase your tolerance. The procedure should be performed with the help of a qualified psychologist, psychotherapist, or other mental health professional. He walks you through a variety of CBT exercises and techniques to help you change the way you view pain.
   • CBT helps you see pain in a different way. During your therapy sessions, you will learn to perceive pain as an aspect of your being and begin to understand that it does not reduce the quality of your life.
   • Cognitive behavioral therapy can reduce the stress associated with pain by relieving pain and raising the pain threshold.
   • CBT will make you feel like you are in control of your pain, which can help you feel more positive about it and endure it for longer.
   • If you are suffering from chronic pain, trick your mind into thinking, "This pain is not that bad," or, "The pain is only part of what I feel."
6. 6 Swear when in pain. Research has shown that swearing increases pain tolerance. It also found that when a person swears, their pain is dulled. The next time you get hurt, try swearing to ease your pain.
   • Swearing for pain is considered a form of catastrophizing (a way of changing thinking to cope with pain).
   • Research suggests that if you swear profusely every day, the effect will not be as strong.
7. 7 Avoid overuse of medications. Some people try to manage pain and increase their tolerance for pain with pain relievers. These can be over-the-counter drugs such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or paracetamol, or prescription pain relievers such as opiates. There are many non-drug ways to manage pain and increase your tolerance for it.