#355 Share the load... or delegate

Comic by Natalie Dee

Comic by Natalie De

Once you've divided up what needs to be done, it's way easier to ask for help and share the work to get things done.

Rather than collaborating with anxiety girl and the masked procrastinator... When I've made my plan for a pain-free holiday season I can also state clearly what I can do, and what I need other people to do.

Transportation? I can pack my bag and drive the car, but I can't lift or carry anything, I'll ask Samuel or my brother to do that. Christmas dinner? I can buy some of the ingredients, set the table and read for the kids while the others work in the kitchen.

Being clear about what I can do and what I need others to do prevents a build up of pain-increasing stress.

#303 Breaking the stress connection

In my experience pain and stress are a really bad cycle, and I could understand this a lot better after learning more about what stress actually is.

Experiencing physical pain sets off a stress response, and that means among other things: shallow breathing, heated thinking, worse digestion, higher blood pressure and worse circulation. And unfortunately several of these things directly intensify my physical pain, the worse circulation especially.

So stress and chronic pain turn into a negative cycle, they both feed each other.

How can we break this cycle?

Thankfully, there's one simple tool that is really close at hand: Our breathing!

#115 Bubble bath

With or without furry friends and cucumber slices, a steaming hot bubble bath is an all natural muscle relaxant that relieves pain and muscle tension. Also a good occasion to give yourself a scalp massage or some acupressure.