How would you feel about saying ‘thank you’ for pain? It seems like a bizarre idea. And yet viewed from the perspective that pain is a protective mechanism – an alarm system designed to help us – not being grateful can hinder recovery. Getting past any reluctance to be thankful for protection is something mindfulness for pain can change.
The poet Rumi wrote: ‘Wear gratitude like a cloak and it will feed every corner of your life’. The human brain does not find this easy. It is wired by evolution to look for problems, difficulties. The bad becomes like Velcro – it sticks – while the good – like Teflon – slips away. And yet bringing gratitude together with mindfulness has been shown to reduce the intensity of pain, and the anxiety associated with it, and improve self-management for people with arthritis.
Practicing gratitude does not mean you ignore problems. Or seek to be endlessly positive. Mindfulness encourages an awareness of what is present, not a denial of it. Being aware of pain and still bringing attention to what is good can lower pain and fatigue.
How gratitude relates to mindfulness for pain
There are many ways the attitudes of mindfulness can contribute to bringing more gratitude into your life.
- Acceptance allows you to acknowledge pain but not permit it to dominate. When you stop fighting what is, there’s more room to acknowledge what you can do and can appreciate.
- Non-judgement helps you unhook the brain’s negative bias and see the events of your life in more neutral terms. Most things that happen are neither good nor bad – you often do not know something will turn out.
- Non-striving invites you to put aside a desire for pain to change. To practice mindfulness, or any other act of self-care, with gratitude for the act itself. Without creating pressure for the act to lead to a particular outcome.
- Letting go of thoughts and habits of reacting can reduce stress and anxiety often associated with pain. And letting go of typically negative habits is one way to make space for more gratitude.
- Self-compassion – because being grateful decreases pain, the practice of gratitude is an act of kindness and compassion for you.
Seeking gratitude – five ways to practice
Here are five ways to bring more gratitude into your daily life.
- Keep a journal – it could be as simple as recording each day 10 things you are grateful for. Or you could answer a series of questions. What am I grateful for today? What am I proud of? What have I learned? What made me laugh today? How was I generous? All questions that encourage you to reflect on things you might have passed over, or not even realised you had done.
- Notice the ‘thank yous’ – it’s easy to pass by the compliments, the things that go right. Get into the habit of stopping and absorbing when someone makes a positive comment about you. Really take it on board and notice how your body feels when you do. And get used to being grateful for the small stuff – the parking space just when you needed it, the rain that held off when you were about to walk somewhere. All the little things add up.
- 10 finger gratitude – count on the fingers of both hands 10 things you are grateful for. Start your day this way, or end it if you prefer.
- Try a gratitude-specific meditation. There’s one here to get you started.
- Connect to your senses – bring a sense of gratitude to five things you can see, four you can touch, three you can hear, two you can smell, one you can taste.
The more you practice gratitude, the easier it gets and the more you benefit.
If you think mindfulness might help you with pain, let’s talk. Please get in touch for a complimentary consultation.
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