Mindfulness has been described as the “psychological process of bringing one’s attention to the internal and external experiences occurring in the present moment, which can be developed through the practice of meditation and other training.” Mindfulness Training as a Clinical Intervention: A Conceptual and Empirical Review, by Ruth A. Baer
This post approaches mindfulness outside of its religious or cultural contexts and approaches it as means to cope with and manage pain. Everyone today endures a measure of pain and anxiety. But not everyone pays attention to what they are experiencing internally and externally. As an approach to managing pain, this might not make sense: Why would you purposely concentrate on your discomfort? While many might think of meditation as a process of clearing the mind or letting it wander, this post will address meditation as the act of deliberately paying attention to something. Rather than trying not to think, which is very hard to do while in pain, it is good to focus thought on pain objectively. Not easy, but very effective.
Why it works:
When we are mindful, we can effect what we can control and accept what we cannot control. Usually when we are in pain, our natural inclination is to focus on how awful our pain is, how badly we want it to go away, and ways to free ourselves of it. All of this is so frustrating, because pain is awful, it usually doesn’t disappear, and we are disappointed when our efforts and attempts prove unfruitful.
It’s not about achieving the goal of being pain-free. It’s about learning a mindset and being able to relate to the pain. Trying to engage the pain just as it is relieves the stress and anxiety of making it go away.When we are able to accept the pain of the moment, we are able to learn things, move on, and even be happy despite the pain.
How to do it:
Take a breath and slow down. The mind races to all the ways it hurts and all the possible unknown things that could be wrong. React to the pain and allow yourself to have the initial negative feelings. After a few moments of that, approach the pain with thoughtful curiosity. As an example, rate your pain on a scale of 1-10 and ask yourself questions like this: Is it always at this number? Are there times when the level of pain fluctuates, perhaps even ebbing at certain parts of the day? Perhaps it isn’t really constant or unbearable. Is it possible that your perception of what you are experiencing is causing you undo suffering?
If your pain level is at a constant 8+ on a scale of 1-10, it can be helpful to shift focus to a distraction. So long as it a healthy distraction. Interacting with others or tackling a task or game can be effective. If the pain prevents activity, focus thoughts on positive things. Thinking happy thoughts is a good mindful habit. List them or focus on one and its many aspects.
With practice, you will find that there are a good many happy thoughts to be had. Be appreciative of the good things you can come up with and focus on that gratefulness. Thankfulness is often a good combatant of discontent (and that goes for much more than just physical pain).
Whether pain is acute or chronic, mindfulness is a useful tool for managing it. Focusing on our experiences, good or bad, helps us to find a measure of joy no matter our circumstances or current situation.