Part of thriving with chronic pain involves knowing when to push and knowing when to stop pushing.
That’s where pacing comes in.
And don’t get me wrong – it feels strange to stop in the middle of a project to rest. Especially since it is a badge of honor to check off everything on your to-do list as quickly as possible in the land of busy, busy, busy.
But you know what?
Living at breakneck speed is not healthy.
It is crazy stressful. It is exhausting,
And if you are dealing with chronic pain, it is completely unsustainable.
Ready to stop running yourself into the ground?
Cool.
The good news is that there is only one step to learning the art of pacing:
Listen to your body.
The bad news is that for most of us, we’ve spent years, if not most of our lives, doing our best to ignore our bodies.
So, how do we change that?
Basically, by remembering to check in with ourselves periodically throughout the day.
Tired?
Hurting?
Then it is time to rest.
Feeling ok?
Great! Keep doing what you’re doing, then.
Just remember to keep checking in with yourself.
Your body will tell you what it needs.
And by giving it what it needs when it needs it, you may be able to get more done than you thought possible while keeping your pain at manageable levels.
