Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 5: How to relax your body
• Part 2 of 5: How to mentally visualize relief
• Part 3 of 5: How to Change Your Focus
• Part 4 of 5: How to Practice Mindfulness
• Part 5 of 5: When should you use these methods?

Chronic or severe pain makes it difficult to work properly, maintain relationships, and sleep. If medications and other remedies aren't helping you with migraines, rheumatoid arthritis, neuropathic pain, or other conditions, then try using mental exercises and techniques to ease the pain.

In When Should You Use Such Methods? the moments when it is best to resort to such methods are specified.

Steps

Part 1 of 5: How to relax your body

1. 1 Take a breath. When pain is severe, people tend to have rapid and shallow breathing. Controlled deep breathing (using the diaphragm and exhaling from the chest) has been shown to stimulate the “calming response” of the parasympathetic nervous system.
   • Lie down in a quiet room. Get rid of all distractions and external factors that can cause overstimulation. You can close your eyes or focus on a specific point.
   • Try to think only about inhaling and exhaling. If you realize that you are able to control your body and control your breathing, then it will be easier for you to prevent the pain from gaining control over you. Deep breathing naturally results in muscle relaxation. Try to get rid of all sensations in the body and focus only on breathing.
   • Women use the Lamaze breathing method during childbirth because breathing control can help relieve pain.
2. 2 Take the next step. If deep diaphragmatic breathing does not bring relief, there are other ways to calm tight muscles and accompanying pain.
   • The progressive relaxation method is an effective way to relax muscles without external stimuli. Start with your toes and work your way up. Engage all muscle groups in your body until you reach your face. Each muscle must first be slowly tense, and then relax and wait for complete relief.
   • If the mental effort is not enough to relax the muscles, the acupressure method can be used. According to research, you should find points on your body that are associated with a specific type of pain and massage them with your fingers to relieve muscle tension and relieve pain. At the same time, do not continue to massage the point if the pain sensations intensify during the massage.

Part 2 of 5: How to mentally visualize relief

1. 1 Use visual imagery. Visualization or guided mental imagery allows you to present the situation in full detail, along with the accompanying emotions. Many different researchers have come to the conclusion that such visual images help to relax and relieve pain. For severe and chronic pain, it is often (but not always) a good idea to imagine situations in which you are not in pain, feel good, and relaxed.The main task is to find such images that help you.
   • One of the most common effective ways is to present all of your feelings when you are in a warm bath or on the beach.
   • Researchers believe that sacred and worldly dreams can be equally effective. According to one study by Johns Hopkins, sexual fantasies are more effective than vanilla themes when trying to relieve pain. Other people were more effective at dealing with pain with religious and spiritual thoughts.
   • Food was another unusual but powerful topic. According to one University of Wisconsin study, thinking about food can ease pain. For example, try imagining a special dessert or your favorite Sunday dinner.
2. 2 Try to resist the pain. Some studies suggest not distracting yourself with thoughts of other sensations, but instead focus on trying to separate yourself from your own pain.
   • Use the method of "dissociation" (imagine that the part of the body in which the pain is located is not connected with you and is removed from your consciousness). You can also think of the pain as a giant clot, loud noise, or bright light. The trick is to imagine how you can gradually weaken the annoying properties of the symbol - reduce the size of the clump, lower the volume of the noise, or dim the lights. Reducing mental irritation will help you ease real pain.
   • You can also imagine the action of an anesthetic like novocaine.
3. 3 Shift your attention to another part of the body. If other methods do not work, then try to distract attention from the affected part of the body.
   • For example, if you have a headache or a pain in your arms, focus on your feet.
   • Try to focus as much as possible on those feelings that you usually ignore. Pay attention to the structure of the socks. Wiggle your toes and feel them rub against each other. In short, “turn on” all sensations that are usually “turned off” due to thoughts of pain.

Part 3 of 5: How to Change Your Focus

1. 1 Meditate. Numerous studies show that mindfulness meditation relieves pain significantly. What's more, recent research suggests that meditation alters the brain's perception of pain in general. When done correctly, meditation can help shift attention beyond the body.
   • Start with simple, short sessions of 10-15 minutes so that the session does not seem too tedious or burdensome. Sit in a comfortable position on the floor (or in a chair if the pain simply prevents you from sitting on the floor). Follow deep, measured breathing and focus on a specific object, or mentally repeat a soothing and uplifting phrase (mantra).
   • Sometimes it takes time to master meditation, but it is a powerful tool in dealing with pain.
   • If you're struggling, you can use the free audio guidance for mindfulness meditation from Ronald Siegel, assistant professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School (in English). If you don't know English, look for meditations in Russian. A good example is the meditation "Conversation with the Body" by V. Sinelnikov, which can be listened to here.
   • For short term results, the mantra can be chanted. It has been proven that pain can be relieved in just 30 seconds. Experts recommend choosing neutral or positive words, but research has shown that it is sometimes better to shout curses when the pain is severe!
2. 2 Use positive distractions if meditation isn't right for you. Pain tends to consume all our attention, but there are various ways to deal with it. You can focus on something enjoyable: watching movies, playing games, or chatting with friends.
   • So, laughter reduces pain due to the release of endorphins.Therefore, your favorite comedy movie or show will literally become medicine.
   • Music is another extremely effective way to deal with chronic pain. Studies show that even one hour of listening to music a day can relieve chronic pain. Music reduces pain and feelings of depression and also empowers the listener. The best "pain relieving" kind is "pleasant" music.
3. 3 Be sociable. People with chronic pain begin to lead a less active social life and the reasons are quite understandable. However, this behavior is definitely counterproductive.
   • Sharing plans with family and friends improves mood and distracts from pain. In fact, even thinking about friends and family can ease the pain. Studies have shown that viewing pictures of loved ones, such as a romantic partner, strengthens the body's ability to withstand pain.
4. 4 Get creative. Today, art therapy has become a popular method of dealing with chronic pain. Not only can it help you take your mind off the pain, but it can also release feelings of anger and frustration.
   • There are no “right” creative pursuits. Find a hobby that interests you the most. Draw, knit, beadwork, or do something else.
   • For example, you can write to relieve pain. One of the most effective methods is to write 15 minutes before bed. Put your worries and concerns on paper so that you don't think about them and fall into a restful sleep.
5. 5 Seek help promptly. If other methods do not work, then seek help from specialists. A psychologist will teach you how to distract yourself from pain.
   • According to the American Psychological Association, hypnosis, or "hypnoanalgesia", is an effective way to deal with pain.
   • In addition, a psychologist can help you ease your pain in other ways, such as cognitive behavioral therapy.

Part 4 of 5: How to Practice Mindfulness

1. 1 Understand your pain. According to brain scans, a person with chronic pain has more brain tissue that is responsible for painful sensations. It is believed that the extra tissue is partly due to the increased attention given to pain by such people. This nature of the relationship between the body and the brain emphasizes the role of consciousness as a connecting link.
   • When we feel pain, we instinctively strive to focus and assess the intensity of the pain. Both actions can only exacerbate pain, as well as generate anxiety and depression. It turns out that the brain is able to significantly increase the "primary pain" (actual damage) by adding "secondary pain" (thoughts of damage that increase the pain).
2. 2 Trust the power of consciousness. Through its ability to reduce stress and anxiety, mindfulness has become of interest to everyone from academics to military personnel and leaders. If a person suffers from chronic pain, mindfulness helps to “turn down the volume” of secondary pain (to calm down those parts of the brain that create this secondary pain).
   • Mindfulness techniques reduce chronic pain by 57 percent.
   • The biological effects of mindfulness are still under study, but some of the benefits are evident today. For example, mindfulness helps lower the levels of stress hormones in the body to fight inflammation more effectively.
   • In addition to directly affecting pain, mindfulness improves mood. Research shows that individuals suffering from chronic pain are often prone to chronic bad thoughts and depression. Mindfulness can ease depression and induce positive thoughts.
3. 3 Move towards awareness in different ways. The term mindfulness encompasses many different techniques, including deep breathing and meditation, which are discussed above.One clinical psychologist described mindfulness as "intentional mindfulness and a fresh perspective." In its broadest sense, mindfulness is designed to help us live in the moment and slow down, especially in times of pain and stress.
   • For example, take your time to drink coffee or tea as usual. Pay attention to the texture of the cup, its weight and the shape of the handle. Feel the touch of your lips against the cup. Roll a sip of liquid on your tongue and detect aromas.
   • Find other daily opportunities to practice mindfulness. Try not to brush your teeth mechanically, but to follow all the sensations. Try not to think about work, business and pain.
   • One technique that can be used in daily life is called sensory isolation. Don't let every sensation (including pain) overwhelm you. You should focus on only one feeling, like sound. Begin to discern all the sounds around you. Capture quiet sounds that you usually don't notice.
   • The key is to experience every aspect of life more fully except for pain. All the small moments of mindfulness help to temporarily ease the pain when you are at work and cannot devote all your attention to relaxation or meditation.

Part 5 of 5: When should you use these methods?

1. 1 Use the power of consciousness to control chronic pain. If you are often bothered with mild pain that does not go away for a long time, then learn to control the sensations with mindfulness. Visualization and mindfulness will enhance your quality of life. Living with chronic pain is tricky, but try shifting your focus away from it and building your fighting spirit. Control pain with the power of consciousness.
2. 2 Strive to ease short-term pain. Migraines, cramps, and even a pinprick are a type of short-term pain that you can learn to control with your mind. If you prefer not to rely on pain relievers, learn to distract yourself or engage in breathing exercises.
3. 3 Use other methods of struggle. The mental component shouldn't be the only way to resist pain. Use mental coping techniques in combination with other treatments such as medication, massage, or acupuncture (acupuncture). Find the combination of methods that works best for your body and situation. Be sure to discuss your plan with your GP or PCP.
4. 4 Get help before the pain wears off. The thought of dealing with pain without medication can seem like a brave act, which also includes being willing to seek help in time and keep the body in good shape. Pain is a signal that something is wrong in the body. There is no need to torture yourself in vain. Seek medical attention to get the care you need.