FIVE TIPS FOR MANAGING PAIN

INCREASING THE SIZE OF YOUR TEACUP

Working on some of my slide shows I find they can inspire whole articles. Sometimes short and sweet articles are good too. This is one of them. 

The onslaught of “stressors” in life, the tea going in the cup in the pic below, are often identified as danger or threats. David Butler calls them danger in me’s, or DIMs. He also often speaks about the power of language. Terming these stress elements as “dangerous” might create a fear about all stress. 

Unfortunately even the word stress has a mostly negative connotation for most people. In fact stress, hardships, or loads to the system are actually what makes a system more durable. Can there be an overload of stress of course. But it might be helpful to move away from identifying all stressors as danger. People can start to fixate on the idea they have an excess of DIMs in their life.

Instead of seeing stressors as scary threats, we can instead see them as simply inputs or challenges to the system that are a normal part of life that we can learn to manage and deal with.

More importantly we should put the focus on our systems’ tolerance(the teacup). We need to make the system, our bodies, our teacup bigger, and more tolerant to these challenges in me’s.

Be cognizant of the challenges. try to decrease and manage them where you can, but focus more on the body’s tolerance and strength via strength training, aerobic exercise, sleep, and nutrition. All of these you have much more control of. than the outside world. Get a larger proverbial teacup so you can better handle the challenges. 

When you are in the thick of a pain flare up, increasing the size of your cup can feel hard. In the pink box above are just some of the things that bolster the system and increase your tolerance such that your cup will not runneth over and you find yourself in a bad flare up again.  Below are some more specific tips that also help bolster your system.
5 TIPS

1)Move more, no matter if it's micro movements, two minutes of dancing, or a full body exercise, anything is better than nothing.

2)Connect with one of your good friends, send a text, or use your phone as a phone(blasphemy) REACH OUT! We’re social creatures, even in a time of social distancing there are always ways to connect and it makes our brain fire away in all the places that help with creating a resilient system. 

3)Positive self talk(even if you aren’t believing it, just say it), focus on a few things you appreciate and love in your life(it might be a sweater you love, a cat, no judgements) hold them in your thoughts.

4)BREATHE- Take a big exhale, hold your breath for 3 seconds and SLOWLY inhale try 4-5 seconds, repeat three times.

5)Do ANY of the above 4 for at least 2-5 minutes and it should tip you in the right direction to increasing the size of your teacup otherwise known as your tolerance and ability for your system to take on what life throws at you. That two minutes might end up being an hour walk with a friend, in your favorite sweater. YAY!