Mindful pain management eases pain with natural methods. Being mindful about pain is simply being aware of what you are thinking and feeling about pain. You can reduce the amount of pain that you are experiencing by learning about the three aspects of pain. You can reduce the pain that you are experiencing right now by recognizing what makes up the feeling of pain when you are feeling it. When you are having pain the first response is to find a way to get pain relief. Understanding how you react and respond to pain is essential to relieving pain.
The first aspect of pain that is felt is the memory of pain. When you experience pain you remember how much pain you had in the past and know how much it hurt before. This is true for emotional pain, as well as physical pain. Avoiding situations that have caused you pain can prevent you from trying new things or starting new relationships.
The second aspect of pain that is felt is the anticipation of pain. When you experience pain you know how long you expect the pain to last. Generally, we get what we expect. When you expect that the last time (memory of pain) you had a headache it lasted three days, then you are setting up that expectation in your mind.
The third aspect of pain is the pain you have in the present moment. The current pain that you are feeling can be intensified or lessened by how you focus on the pain you are having. Learning techniques to manage pain effectively can greatly reduce the feeling of pain that you are experiencing.
When you jam your toe on the coffee table leg, you feel intense pain immediately. This is a real, in the moment. But then, let’s say, you are hopping around and trying to open a cabinet door and accidentally slam your finger in the door. Your focus immediately switches from a sore toe to a sore finger. In that moment you are feeling the pain in the finger and not in your toe. Interesting how that works, isn’t it?
Taking an approach to looking at how you experience pain from a mindful pain perspective can help to ease any pain you are experiencing in the moment.