Reduce your focus on chronic pain to reduce your pain

One of the most recommended ways to manage pain is to change how much attention you give to it.

Paying attention to pain, amplifies the pain and increases the tendency for negative thinking.

Just like a kid screaming for candy at the store. If you always buy the child candy (in this case, pain) when they scream, they’ll continue to scream each time you take them to the store until they get candy.

Five ways to reduce your focus on chronic pain

1. Learn about it - pain doesn't mean harm
2. Distract yourself from it
3. Practice mindfulness
4. Restructure negative thoughts
5. Change what do you do and say when you hurt (pain behaviors)

​Learn more - resources

• Think Pain Is Purely Medical? Think Again. (Dr. Rachel Zoffness)
• Are You Missing Two-Thirds of Your Potential Pain Treatment Plan? - (My story)
• Chronic Pain Won't Stop me (My free e-book)
• Mindfulness for Physical Pain (University of Minnesota)
• ​Mindfulness Bell - A 5 Minute Mindfulness Meditation
• A Magical Cure for Pain? No – it’s just Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Dr. Rachel Zoffness)
• Replacing Negative Thoughts - Examples (Chronic Pain Champions)
• Eeeeek… pain behaviors! (My article)