Welcome to the latest PainSupport newsletter. In our monthly newsletters we give you all the top tips and techniques to help you manage your pain and live life to the full.

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Read on for a simple story with a big message...
 
 

One wet and wintry day I was reluctant to go out for my afternoon walk. I'd had a bad night with sciatica and back pain, followed by a busy morning. I just wanted to curl up with a book. But...

I knew from experience that if I missed my walk and I stayed sitting or lying down I would end up with more pain, not less.

Somehow I found the energy to put on my wet weather gear. I tightened my hood to keep the rain out and stepped out into the stormy conditions.

Soon I became invigorated as I splashed in puddles and was whirled along by the wind. I started to take a real interest in all around me.

I saw catkins dancing and pussy willows softly gleaming in the rain. My path led across a field where gulls and crows were feeding. They let out great squawks and caws of annoyance at being disturbed and took to the air.

The gulls whirled round and round in the wind before settling down again. The rooks tried to fly in a straight line to a tall tree, but were buffeted by the wind making zigzag patterns against the sky.

I love to observe birds' habits. I watched as they all settled down on the field to feed again. Time seemed to stand still.

Suddenly I realised I had been standing for too long so turned around and headed for home.

As I went back indoors I noticed my pain had diminished and I felt uplifted and re-energized.

I was feeling like this because I had stopped thinking about the pressures of life and had come totally into the present moment. I was watching the birds intently, as though for the first time.

The science is that our brain has limited capacity and can only take in a certain amount of information at a time. And so our brain tends to take most notice of whatever it considers of most interest and importance at each moment.

Our job, as people with pain, is to give our brain something to think about that is more interesting than our pain! Something that will distract our brain from the pain.

You may not have a handy field of crows and gulls to wonder at, but anything that you find totally absorbing, and preferably enjoyable, will produce the same pain relieving effect.

Be fascinated and curious about everything around you, it really does take your mind away from pain.

Add this technique to your toolkit of pain relief suggestions and seek out moments that divert and hold your attention throughout the day.

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Find out more...

A 'Must Listen' broadcast from the BBC
On Start the Week, early in February, the discussion was about how to harness the power of the mind in the fight against chronic illnesses and pain. Jane McGonigal, describes her fight to recover from a brain injury and depression. She designed alternate reality games, including the free 'SuperBetter' game. The game reportedly gives people a sense of control over their own health.

Listen to the programme on the BBC website here.
Jane McGonigal's website: http://janemcgonigal.com
Jane McGonigal's Free SuperBetter game: https://www.superbetter.com

In the same programme, Jo Marchant's book, Cure, looks at the latest research into the science of mind over body.
Jo Marchant's website: http://jomarchant.com/
Jo Marchant's book, Cure: Amazon website page for Cure

Also useful:
From our Shop:
Jan Sadler's best selling Pain Relief Book and Relaxation CD
Your Goals worksheet PDF: Step 1 of your goals.
Your Goal Achiever worksheet PDF: Step 2 of your goals.
 

I have very much enjoyed writing the PainSupport newsletters and hope that you have found them interesting, informative and amusing. They take a lot of my limited time to produce and so I have decided to focus my efforts on running the PainSupport website. So this newsletter, the 252nd, is sadly the last. You will still be able to find some of our previous newsletters here.
 

• TheMeditationProgramme www.themeditationprogramme.com An audio support programme for managing the symptoms of chronic illness by Linda Hall. Download the first four sessions free.
• Returning to Work www.direct.gov.uk Information about preparing for and obtaining work.
• Be Your Own Researcher: Treat Chronic Pain as a Daily Experiment:
  read here
• Samaritans www.samaritans.org 24 hour line available if you would like to talk about your feelings or problems.
• Fibromyalgia www.ukfibromyalgia.com
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Self Help and Support Group www.ibsgroup.org
• Trigeminal Neuralgia Support Group www.tna.org.uk

 

We have lots of goodies for you.

Click the links below for some really useful downloads.

• 'How to Find a Diagnosis' tips and checklist download
• NEW! Practical Tips for Pain Relief PDF
• NEW! Panic and anxiety attacks PDF
• Your 'How to Be as Well as Possible - Every Day' worksheet
• Your 'Affirmations/Mood Changers/Feel-good Words' worksheet
• Relaxation Collection 1. Visualisation & relaxation techniques
• Relaxation Collection 2. Relaxation & relief from stress and pain
• Step 1 of your goals. Your Goals worksheet
• Step 2 of your goals. Your Goal Achiever worksheet
• Log 1: Diary of your pain levels
• Log 2: How feelings & activities affect your pain