What to do When You Have A Bad Pain Day (Physically and Mentally)
Most of the time, I am a positive person who tries to ignore my pain condition. However, there are some days where I wake up and am in a negative mindset about chronic pain- why does this happen to me? Why do I deserve this? These days used to affect my whole week, but now I have a new outlook on bad pain days. Here are three tips to help you out of a negative pain mindset.
1. DO NOT stay in bed all day
For the first year of having NDPH, I used to stay in bed for most of the day. This would mess up my sleep schedule and ultimately cause more days with increased pain. Pain took over my mind and I constantly felt tired and lethargic. Now, even if I’m having a bad day, I try to get out of bed and do something that is low energy like cooking, watching a movie, or going for a walk when I feel better.
2. Take some time to relax
When I used to have bad pain days or a negative mindset, I would try to ignore it and go on with my day. However, this eventually hurt me because my pain would not improve and the cycle would continue. Whenever I wake up with a worse headache or negative mindset, I try and take some time to relax by cooking, reading, exercising, or going outside. Sometimes, I try to do too much in a day and the stress of finishing everything increases my pain, so I make sure to take breaks every hour and pace myself throughout the day.
3. Connect with others who understand what you are going through
When I have a negative mindset about pain, I tend to block everyone out of my life. If I am having a bad day, I am also very irritable and that causes further distance to my friends and family. This leads me to feel even worse and like nobody understands what I am going through. However, I now know that it is important to articulate how I feel. When my pain spikes or if I am having a bad day mentally, I make sure to tell my parents or someone that is close to me so they can give me the space I need and help me through the situation.
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