5 Ways To Reduce Chronic Pain

1. Process It, Don’t Feed It

There is a difference in working through something vs wallowing in something. We don’t have to be defined by our pain. We also don’t need to be in denial of it. Process where you are in the moment, but aim towards where you want to be in the future. Get things off your chest when necessary. Find others who care and can relate. But, always look for ways you can improve your situation moving forward with hope.

2. Think Before You Act

Chronic pain is definitely something that changes your life. So, you don’t need to do anything to make matters any worse. Recognize your physical, emotional and relational limits. Monitor your physical activity daily so you don’t over do it. Don’t put yourself in situations that have proven to escalate your pain and stress. Only you know when something just isn’t gonna be good for you.

3. Focus On What You Can Do

Pain will be all you see if you don’t search hard for the blessings. Trust me, I know there are times that pain just has you in it’s vice grips. But, when possible consider what you can do and what you can change to better your situation. Otherwise, you will just live focused on your limitations. Don’t let pain steal all your joy and peace. There is always something to celebrate and aim towards doing to possibly bring a brighter day.

4. Choose A Recovery Lifestyle

There are some things you don’t just get over. Instead, God takes you through them. Choose to wake up each day and live your best life now. Discover your best new normal and do what you can to live your healthiest despite your condition. This means that you seek to keep taking the best next step in front of you. Whether that’s concerning your daily diet, exercise, spiritual disciplines, or making other healthy choices. Honestly, you need to keep studying what has helped others with your particular condition.

5. Don’t Belittle The Power Of Faith

Anything bigger than you demands the help of a big God. Your greatest brokenness should lead you towards a greater openness to God. You may feel like God is not working. But, actually God has you in His workshop. This weakness is meant to lead you towards greater faith in God and greater strength in Christ. Humanly speaking you can’t do but so much. With God leading you the sky is the limit. Thriving through pain demands that you faith walk instead of flesh walk. Faith is doing all you can do while trusting God for all you can’t do.

(2 Corinthians 12:9-11) “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

*These are just a few things God continues to teach me as I learn to live my new normal with daily chronic pain.