Day 8 I’m a little lost….

[chananya]

Hi guys, thank God since starting TMS my back and feet have been hurting so so so much less and I’m so grateful for that. Crazy how this really works!! My shin pain and eye burning although has not gotten better. Something I’m really struggling and would love to hear advice on as what to do when I’m doing a physical activity and in pain?

Example: I get insane insane shin pain when I dance/put pressure on them. It happens to be I dance a lot and really enjoy dancing but it’s so painful for me, yet I’m not supposed to stop doing physical activity nor do I want to stop dancing so what do I do/tell myself in those moments of pain?

or like when I walk a lot my feet start killing (I used to say it’s bc of my extreme flat feet so I’m working on adjusting that belief) but there are days when my feet hurt so much and I just wanna wear slides so badly and not my sneakers but I know I’m not supposed to run from the things that cause me pain. Or like when I sit it a plastic chair specifically and my back hurts. Or when my eyes randomly start burning. What do I do/tell myself in those moments of pain?

 

[Ellen]

I find active mindfulness meditation helpful for this. It requires changing your focus from the painful sensations to the present moment and any neutral or positive sensations. It takes some practice, but is achievable. Practice first when you aren't in pain. Just focus on the sensations of movement and breathing as you perform some task like dishwashing or showering, etc. Then try it when you first notice pain.

I think this is very similar to what Alan Gordon calls somatic experiencing.

Congratulations on finding us and your success so far!