There are times when feelings have to be put aside in order to get through a difficult situation. No one will forget the Olympics race when a gymnast chose to perform after her ankle was twisted as a form of support for the rest of her team. While it's not recommended that you live life with repressed pain and feelings, it's a good idea to practice managing your pain so you can get through difficult situations. You may not be able to ignore the pain or feeling completely, but you can learn to focus on the pain and the company becomes more positive.
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Part 1 of 3: Dealing with Physical Pain
Step 1. Use controlled imagination
This technique helps calm the mind and body. Imagine being in a place you like (beach, top of a mountain, surrounded by trees in a rainforest) and imagine that place in your mind as real as possible. Breathe in the air, observe your surroundings, and imagine setting your feet on the ground. Imagine being there with a healthy body. Spend as much time as desired allowing yourself to move to that place in your mind.
When using controlled imagination techniques, you are in control. If you are experiencing excruciating pain, let yourself fly in your imagination. You can imagine whatever you want
Step 2. Engage other senses
When you feel pain, your senses can lose balance and focus more on your feelings. Engage other senses consciously. Listen to the sounds around you (cars outside, neighbors mowing the grass). Breathe in the air or spend more time smelling your dish. Look around with both eyes. Feel the texture of the clothes that stick to the body. Remind your body that it can feel a variety of stimuli other than pain.
Exercising the other senses while experiencing extreme pain can help shift attention and balance to the other senses
Step 3. Focus on physical sensations
This may sound contradictory, but try to identify what you are feeling. Is the sensation hot, cold, scorching, dull, focused, or diffuse? You may feel the pain as just a changing sensation, rather than a permanent experience. Soak up the experience in the moment and focus on observing it.
- By focusing on the physical sensation and not the pain, you can change the way you experience these feelings.
- Think of this as an observation of the body and not as an experience of pain. Changing your perception can soothe your mind and body from negative experiences. That way, you're less likely to get caught up in the thought, "I'm so sick," will be less likely.
Step 4. Fake feeling painless
The term, “Fake until you can,” can also be applied to pain. If deep down you think things are only going to get worse, don't be surprised if you start to feel the pain getting worse. The more you believe that you can't feel pain, the more you'll be able to not feel pain.
- Say to yourself, "I'm getting better every day," and, "The pain is getting better."
- You could even say, “I don't feel any pain in my body,” and, “My body is functioning optimally.”
Step 5. Treat your body well
Remind yourself that your body isn't turning against you and that it's not meant to hurt you. Treat your body with love, compassion, and respect, especially when your body is sick. Your body inadvertently makes you miserable.
Express love for your body by treating it well, resting it properly, and eating healthy foods to help it recover
Step 6. Consult a pain specialist
You can consult a pain specialist to convey chronic pain. Even if you prefer to endure the pain, there may be over-the-counter pain relief solutions to treat you, such as adjusting your posture or using a pillow.
Some types of pain may not go away and may even get worse over time. Listen to your body and seek treatment if needed
Part 2 of 3: Adjusting the Mindset
Step 1. Observe thoughts
When you feel pain, you may think, "This won't go away," or "I can't take it anymore." When you think like that, you allow yourself to experience the emotional reactions that come with such thoughts, such as feeling bad about yourself, uncomfortable, angry, or scared. Change your thinking and you will feel that your feelings also begin to change.
- When you notice that you are thinking negatively, think of something else to replace the negative thinking. Instead of thinking, "I'm so pathetic," think, "I'm getting better every day."
- Instead of thinking, "The pain is unbearable," think, "I can handle the pain and think about something else."
Step 2. Distract
It's easy to focus on the pain, but shift your focus to other parts of the body that are functioning well and are healthy. You can observe your hands and fingers moving easily or wiggling your toes. Relax as you observe and feel the sensations. Let the sensation spread throughout the body. Even if the pain is overwhelming you, it can be a reminder that it's not your whole body that's feeling the pain.
You can even focus on the sensation of your blinking, how easily you blink, and how your body monitors this action by itself most of the time
Step 3. Choose not to suffer
Suffering is a mindset based on reminiscing about the past, blaming others, or telling yourself that you are pathetic. Remember that suffering is relative and based on emotional experiences, not physical surroundings. While you can't choose to live a life without pain, you can decide how to respond to the pain.
- Instead of thinking, "I'm so unlucky," say, "I didn't choose this, but I'll accept the situation and not be alone."
- Create activities or rituals that let you practice non-suffering thoughts. You can choose a mantra to say to yourself whenever negative thoughts arise, such as, "I choose to respond to physical sensations by not suffering."
- We spend most of our lives thinking that it's okay to suffer, so give yourself time to adjust to this new mindset. Realize that your mindset won't change overnight, and there may be times when you want to sympathize with yourself.
Step 4. Think positive
Positive thinking helps you to live a happier and more stress-free life. Instead of focusing on the negative things in life, focus on all the positives. Focus on recovery, the positivity you are getting, and the treatment you are receiving.
Don't fall into extreme mindsets or see things as “all good” or “all bad”. If you're blaming yourself for the pain or for a bad decision, remember that there are many factors that affect everything. Allow yourself to say all sides, even the uncertain ones
Step 5. Choose acceptance
While you may not like the current situation, you can accept that things are getting out of control. You can't, for example, relieve pain or injury, but you can accept their role in real life. Although acceptance is not easy to do, it helps you to get rid of stress and live a more peaceful life.
When feelings of pain and heaviness arise, take a deep breath and say, "I don't like how I feel, but I accept that it's a part of my life now."
Part 3 of 3: Adding Positivity to Life
Step 1. Focus on happiness
Don't spend time thinking about the things you didn't get or the things you could do if it didn't hurt. Instead, focus on adding happy things to your life right now. Happiness is often found in the little things or when you, “Stop and smell the roses.” When you're feeling low, find happiness in the little things like a nice text from a friend, a warm, cozy blanket to wrap around you, or a cute cat you can cuddle with at home.
- Do things that make you happy like coloring, drawing, dancing, or playing with a pet.
- When you start to feel negative, do something that makes you satisfied, even if it's just sipping a cup of tea.
Step 2. Be grateful
You may have a hard time realizing what you're grateful for when you're hurt and feeling sad, but it's worth trying. Gratitude provides an opportunity for you to look beyond the negative experiences you are currently experiencing and appreciate life from a broader perspective.
- By feeling grateful, you can focus more on the positive feeling and not on the pain or sadness.
- Start writing a gratitude journal and write down the things you are grateful for each day. That could include getting your laundry done, eating a good meal, or finding something you really like at a discount.
Step 3. Smile
Did you know that smiling can increase happiness? By smiling, you can begin to increase your joy, just as the joy that makes you smile. Even if you are hurt or feeling annoyed or angry, smile and see if you start to feel pain and negative feelings in a different way.
Connect with the sensations associated with smiling and start to feel the excitement rushing over you
Step 4. Laugh
Laughter relaxes the whole body, improves mood, and is good for the mind and body. You don't have to look for things to make you laugh. Just watch a funny television show or clip, invite well-behaved friends to play with, or read a funny story.
Everyone has a different sense of humor, so do something that makes you laugh, whatever it is
Step 5. Keep in touch with friends
Don't isolate yourself when you're fragile. Call friends! Surround yourself with happy people who are naturally positive. Spend time with people who laugh easily, smile often, or who make you feel good.
If you isolate yourself, be aware that isolation can contribute to depression. Communication with others is an important part of a healthy life
Step 6. Get help
If you think your pain is too great to ignore or handle on your own, seek help immediately. Decide on the help that works best for you, whether it's consulting a therapist or telling a friend.
- Remember that many people love and care about you.
- If you feel extremely unhappy and hopeless, you may be experiencing symptoms of depression. For more information, read the articles How to Know If You Have Depression and How to Cope With Depression
- Look for related articles if you need help finding a therapist.
