Gifts of Pain

Pain is a gift that holds great information.  Pan tells you 3 things: 1. Stop 2. Pay attention 3. Do something different

1. Stop

Pain first tells you to stop what you are doing.  Most people think that means something physical, which in some cases can be true.  In the winter, I often see people who’ve “thrown out” their back while shoveling snow.  We can look at the biomechanics by asking how much snow they lifting, how long they were shoveling and the technique they used.  However, if we only looked at the physical aspects, we’d be missing out on a lot of gifts.

We are not only physical beings.  We also have emotions and thoughts.  When pain tells us to Stop, we need to also look at the emotions that we have.  Taking our snow shovel example from above.  I also want to ask him, what were you thinking about while you were shoveling?  Did you say “I hate my job, I hate my job, I hate my job!” or perhaps it was, how come no one else is out here shoveling with me.  Why am I the only one?  How come it’s always up to me?  Those emotions and thoughts along with the physical shoveling combined need to be examined.

2. Pay attention

Paying attention involves examining what is not working for you.   Perhaps your pain gets worse when you’re under financial stress or at night when you’re thinking about your boss.  What emotions do you experience on a weekly basis?  Is it anger, resentment or frustration?  What thought patterns do you have?  

Have a look in the different areas in your life and see if there are any that aren’t working.  Relationships, health, finances, work, etc.

3. Do something different

The definition of insanity is to do the same things over and over again and expect different results.  Change your pattern in some way.  The reason you have the same pain over and over again is because you’re repeating a pattern in your life again and again.  The person with low back pain that has a pattern of coming home, lying on the couch and not moving and avoiding any movement, keeps the back pain.  I can’t go hiking, I can’t go walking.  If that same person were to go for a walk, exercise, change the way they ate, it would affect their pain.

Pain is a gift and an opportunity to change your life.  Time to open your gift!  

If you or someone you know could benefits from knowing more, I invite you to schedule a complimentary consultation where a consultation is simply a conversation in person or over the phone.  613-761-1600
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