Small steps to decrease pain and suffering
We all know that changing habits of behavior changes our life experiences, but putting this to practice is where a lot of us get stuck. Either we doubt our ability, we are not sure what to do, or we feel overwhelmed with the speed at which life moves and/or the chaos that seems to exist all around. Life these days is “loud,” making it hard to be at peace to put in the work. Living with chronic pain from dystonia (a neurological movement disorder I have had since 2001) means putting in even more work.
However, the work does not need to be done all at once. Just one step at a time. Progress takes place in small chunks, but small chunks can lead to big things. If we take just one small step every day, before we know it, we have created something new or a new way of thinking and behaving.
Too often, we think we have to do many significant things to make progress. It is more often the other way around. With a few small changes or even just one small change a day, we can create something significant. There is no rush. You can read more about these things in my two books, Diagnosis Dystonia: Navigating the Journey, and Beyond Pain and Suffering: Adapting to Adversity and Life Challenges.
Think about this: if a pilot changes the course settings on the airplane’s computer by just one degree, the plane will end up in an entirely different destination. That’s how it is with us. Just one degree or 1% of 100 is all we need to make change. Please don’t overwhelm yourself by doing too much. When we begin to slow down, we can better access the “feel good” hormones in the brain that help with stress, pain, depression, anxiety, and other conditions. These include endorphin, serotonin, oxytocin, and dopamine. Below is a list of some things you can do to produce more of these:
– Massage
– Acupuncture
– A good movie
– Prayer
– Positive thinking/affirmations
– Physical exercise
– Music and dancing
– Regular sleep/wake cycle
– Fun hobbies (arts and crafts, photography, beadwork, quilting, cooking, nature walks)
– Quality time with family and friends
– Being around animals
– Sauna/hot tub
– Biofeedback
– Sex (including cuddling, kissing, and holding hands)
– Alcohol (light drinking; heavy drinking negates the effect)
– Good deeds (the flood of endorphins and serotonin from being generous is called “helper’s high”)
– Meditation
– Nutrition (anti-inflammatory foods)
– Sunlight
Practically all of these things are at our disposal, so we should try and take advantage of them as much as we can. Not all of them will be of help (or interest) to everyone, but I wanted to share many of the options available to us. I also recognize that when in pain and feeling mentally down (I have been there!), these things are not always easy to do or yield results the first or first few times doing them. If this is the case for you, maybe start with one thing you enjoy and do your best to make it part of your lifestyle. Remember, just make the decision to do one thing and make it part of your lifestyle and then progress from there. Be kind to yourself.
Tom Seaman has lived with dystonia since 2001 and devotes his life to worldwide education and awareness for this life changing disorder. He is the author of 2 books: Diagnosis Dystonia: Navigating the Journey, and Beyond Pain and Suffering: Adapting to Adversity and Life Challenges, as well as hundreds of articles on dystonia, pain, and emotional health topics. Tom is a Certified Professional Life Coach in the area of health and wellness, working directly with people to help them manage their physical, emotional, social, and vocational challenges. He is also a motivational speaker and chronic pain and dystonia awareness advocate. Tom is also a volunteer writer for Chronic Illness Bloggers Network, The Mighty, and Patient Worthy. To learn more about Tom, get a copy of his books, or schedule a free life coaching consult, visit www.tomseamancoaching.com. Follow him on Twitter @Dystoniabook1 and Instagram.
I also can deal with the pain (many years) but the fatigue is taking over my life. I’m taking early retirement and have 2 months to go. I’m hoping after I am done working the stress will stop and maybe the fatigue will not be as bad.
Hi Stephanie. I am really sorry about the fatigue. That is problematic for me at times also. I feel wired and tired a lot. Stress can definitely play a big part in that so I hope things change after you stop working. I hope that will be soon 🙂
Hi Tom
Thank you for your email.
It sounds weird but I can sort of cope with the pain. It’s the constant feeling of fatigue that’s getting me down at the moment.
How do you cope with fatigue?
Hi Susan- I don’t think that sounds weird that you can cope with pain. I think we eventually find a way, or ways, of doing that over time. Fatigue can be managed in a similar way, but I would first determine what is causing fatigue and see if there are some lifestyle factors that are at play that need to be modified. I have been having fatigue lately, but I know it is from stress and not sleeping well, so I am focusing more in those areas and trying to make modifications.