Don't BELIEVE everything you think

​Our minds are powerful. They can do great good or do great harm.

When in chronic persistent pain, it can become easy for negative thoughts to pop into our minds and affect how we feel and behave in reaction to the pain.

Creating a cycle of pain.


TIPS

1. Identify negative thoughts. Negative thoughts play off our emotions and can often re-occur for no real reason. They work against us instead of for us.

2. Challenge negative thoughts. Ask yourself: Are the thoughts you’re having realistic. Are they factual? Do they help or hurt you? Are you catastrophizing or jumping to conclusions? Be kind and non-judgmental. You aren’t a bad person for thinking them.

​3. Replace negative thoughts. Replace these thoughts with positive and more realistic thoughts like, I can do this; the pain is what it is; I’m many things – pain doesn’t define me, and this won’t last forever.

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