This article is for everyone in pain. Especially pain that has gone on for more than three months. The truth is that pain is largely in the mind. I’m joking – right? No. Regardless of tissue damage, only your brain can make decisions about whether something hurts, and how much. So, you are saying my pain isn’t real? No. All pain is real – but your mind can act like a volume switch, turning pain up or down. And you can learn to regulate this and reduce pain with mindfulness.
Twenty million people in the UK alone are diagnosed with persistent pain every year. It affects women more than men, with 37 per cent of women affected, rising to 50 per cent during peri- and menopause.
Pain is a protective mechanism. And a very effective one because it is so unpleasant. It’s natural to find that because of pain, you avoid activities that you think may damage you. You may stop activities you enjoy, because of fear that you will make things worse. Unfortunately, this can be counter-productive because avoidance and fear can reinforce the message that you are not safe, creating more vigilance, therefore more need to protect, therefore more pain.
Reduce pain with mindfulness: what does the science say?
A study in Australia showed that there is a direct relationship between mindfulness and fear and avoidance in chronic pain. The more mindful you are, the more you can take proactive steps to deal with avoidance and fear. Mindfulness increases your chance to control the pain volume nob.
Mindfulness has also been shown to reduce pain intensity in people with back and neck pain. And to improve perceived control of pain.
Why non-striving matters?
There are nine attitudes of mindfulness, and all can help you reduce pain.
Acceptance, for example, encourages you to stop fighting pain – it’s already here – and devote your energy to the actions you can take. Patience helps you reduce pressure on yourself -change takes time. You begin to trust yourself to heal more and judge yourself less.
A particular challenge when you are in pain is the attitude of non-striving. If you embark on mindfulness wanting your pain to change, to a timetable, you are putting in place a barrier to progress. The aim is to practice mindfulness, without striving for a particular outcome. To accept the present moment for what it is, without trying to change it into something else.
Oddly enough, if you can stop trying to force progress, it can get easier to reduce your pain.
Here are five ways to practice non-striving:
- Think of something you do for its own sake. An activity you enjoy, without a goal in mind. It could be reading a book, listening to music, baking something. Do something every day and give it your whole attention. Notice how your body feels, what you are thinking, any emotions. Take notes. This is what it feels like to be non-striving.
- Commit to one activity every day that you give your full attention to. Maybe look for something you usually rush through, or multi-task at. Purposefully slow down, do not strive to complete it on the way to something else. Is this easy? What does your mind think? If you are not sure what activity to choose, sign up for my newsletter to get a free guide to informal mindfulness.
- Choose non-doing. If you are confronted with a difficult feeling or emotion, experiment with listening in silence, to yourself and others, without reacting. Be aware of what you habitually do to get away from the unpleasantness, and deliberately wait. It is a good habit to teach your mind that not everything needs an immediate response. The STOP practice can help.
- Try a meditation practice. Can you sit for 11 minutes, for 21 days, no excuses, no agenda, no expected outcomes? Try the present moment without goals practice at the end of this article to support you.
- Select an activity where you are usually goal driven and reduce the pressure on yourself. Maybe you take a regular walk, to get fit, or lose weight. Try taking the walk, just for the sake of it. Enjoy the scenery, find things to approve of and be grateful for. This helps wire your brain for less stress, which in itself can help reduce pain.
It takes time to understand non-striving. Be patient with yourself. If you want to find out more about how mindfulness can help you with persistent pain, book a free, no-obligation consultation with me.