Daily Pain Care Plan: Taking breaks to manage pain and energy
This is Part 2 of a 4-part series on Daily Pain Care Plan. Download your accompanying worksheet for your own Daily Pain Care Plan here.
Go to Part 1, Part 3, and Part 4 of this Daily Pain Care Plan series.
Living with persistent pain / chronic pain is like having a full-time job of caring for yourself and for your body, except that this job is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Just as it is essential for you to take breaks throughout the day at your job, it is even more vital that you take breaks during the day to care for yourself to prevent complete burn-out, exhaustion, or flare-ups at the end of the day.
Rest is constructive for chronic pain
For one reason or another, it is usually exceptionally hard for us to take breaks. We often think: Well, let me just finish this one more thing, then I will take a break. Or: There is just so much to do -- I can’t afford to take breaks!
However, taking frequent breaks throughout the day will not only help you reduce chances of flare-ups and fatigue, it can also give your system an entire reset or reboot so that the tasks you need to accomplish are achieved with more ease, more effectiveness, and less stress.
You may have even noticed this in yourself. On days you’ve had little rest at night or during the day, you may feel more stressed out, overwhelmed, and anxious, all of which can result in fatigue and pain flares. By not allowing yourself to rest, you are ultimately dishonoring your own needs and your body.
We all need to rest. All in all, rest, even in 5 or 10 minute increments, can be incredibly constructive for yourself, your day, and for those around you.
Schedule your breaks
If we don’t schedule our breaks, it is unlikely that we will ever take them until we completely burn and crash.
Start by looking at your day-to-day schedule. Can you schedule a 5-15 minute break between the tasks and activities you need to do that day? Are there pockets of time during the day when you can be by yourself, and instead of scrolling through your phone, you can assign yourself to consciously take a few breaths, go for a short walk, or get some fresh air?
Here are some examples of areas during the day where you can “sneak in” breaks, even amidst a busy life:
After dropping off the kids at school
In your car after you’ve returned home but before you need to take on the responsibilities of the household
During your lunch break
Upon accomplishing a task or errand at home or at work before you move on to the next thing on your to-do list
Bathrooms and water breaks
Assign the same amount of importance and gravity of your breaks as an appointment with your doctor or a date with a dear friend. It is a date with YOURSELF.
By consciously choosing to take breaks and rest, you are letting your body know that you RESPECT AND HONOR IT, that YOU are important to be cared and nurtured for, that YOU are worthy of healing.
Taking breaks and resting are ways your body regenerates resources for healing to happen. Just as you tend to a field and field gives back with bounty, when you tend to your body, your body will give back.
Download your accompanying worksheet for your Daily Pain Care Plan here.
This is Part 2 of a 4-part series on Daily Pain Care Plan. Download your accompanying worksheet for your own Daily Pain Care Plan here.
Go to Part 1, Part 3, and Part 4 of this Daily Pain Care Plan series.
Take action
Well, friends. I hope you gathered some useful insights in today's blog and video, and remember, resting IS constructive. If you tend to always feel exhausted and depleted at the end of the day, it is a very good indication that you need to allow yourself more breaks through the day.
Keep yourself accountable by sharing below HOW MANY TIMES in a day will you plan your breaks? By sharing and acknowledging your commitment, the intention can transform into action.
If you loved this educational content on pain management, then you’ll definitely want to experience Pain Care Yoga in action! Get your FREE Pain Care Yoga Starter Toolkit to receive five daily videos with gentle movements and relaxation techniques to help you manage pain and move with more ease.
If you have any further questions, I am just one email away at elaineyogatherapy@gmail.com. Follow me on Instagram for more daily suggestions on pain management.