Chronic pain can make it easy to feel overwhelmed, reduce our activity levels, and become isolated. Goals help restore a sense of order, build self-efficacy and sense of control, improve mood, and provide direction by helping with planning daily activities.
One of the tools we learned at the Mayo Clinic Pain Rehabilitation Center was goal setting to help us plan our days and keep us on track. We set goals each day. They didn't have to be massive, but they had to be SMART - specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
Some SMART goal examples:
Did you notice none of the goal examples included pain reduction? Our focus should be on reducing stress, improving our quality of life and increasing functional ability and activity, not pain reduction. Focusing on pain reduction is an easy trap to fall into - leading to frustration and depression. Just as the headline of my website says - we can live well, despite the pain. [Updated: 10/14/21 with new research link.]
People with chronic pain often do too much when they’re having good days and not enough when they’re having bad days. Pacing/moderation has become a common tool for people living with pain to help provide them with balance. It includes setting time limits, slowing down (start low, go slow), breaking up tasks, and taking frequent short breaks. But be careful not to let pacing become an excuse for not being active or avoiding pain. Doing so can add more focus to the pain, worsen symptoms, and reduce physical stamina. Pain doesn't mean harm. It's the result of an overly-protective system trying to protect itself. Our bodies become over-sensitized. Pacing should instead be used to gradually increase what we can do, despite the pain. The difference is in the goal and execution. Keep moving forward! Learn more and do more
One of the tools we learned at the Mayo Pain Rehabilitation Center was goal setting. We set goals each day. They didn't have to be massive, but they had to be SMART - specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.
I have set the following goals for me this week:
What are your goals this week? This article may be helpful to you when drafting your goals. |
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Tom Bowen Chronic Pain Champions |