How to Transform Mindset for Better Living With Chronic Pain

and she gracefully danced on the fine line between a hard mind and a soft heart.

“Pick up the slack!” These words went through my mind as I was trying to make my hands work. They are getting slower and tighter these days. During my latest fall one hand took the brunt of the impact. As I tried to hold the vacuum and quickly do the job, I got frustrated.

What is slacking? It is careless, negligent, sluggish. Am I really slacking? I pictured saying the same thing to my grandson as he tried his best to get his work done. It made me so sad thinking of saying it to him. Especially if he is trying hard. That could be damaging to his self esteem. So why would I even have this as a passing thought to myself?

Where does your brain go next when you are in a similar spot? Does it try to speak kindly to you like you would a small child you love? To support and put tools in place to garner success for the future? I know. I didn’t used to do that either. But after an intensive series of unfortunate events. I felt I had no other choice but to learn how to build and support a healthy mindset. That is what we will discuss in the blog today. Some of those tools I have learned to use, in managing and living with chronic everything. I have far from the worst diagnosis, but this is my story.

Have you checked out my social media lately? I post something to my Facebook/ Instagram and X everyday (except Sundays). This snow we are getting in Saskatoon is not helping us get closer to trail time. But forest therapy time will come. And this is where I will post my schedule for forest therapy walks. In the meantime, follow me on X to see daily, different reasons why I practice forest therapy. And on my Facebook/ Instagram I post reminders of the blog. As well as other quotes and pictures that will support you in seeking a connection with the forest. Especially when it comes to chronic conditions, pain and fatigue.

Hit Pause on Your Brain: Put it in Timeout

Have you heard of the power of the pause? When you respond to stimuli instantly, you react by instinct. Unless you recognize the power of the pause.

We all have triggers. Those things that send us into base instinct mode. But if we train our brains to pause. We can have power over our thoughts, and thereby our emotions, leading to power over our outcomes.

Triggers without the pause lead to unwanted outcomes. Triggers, followed by a pause will hopefully lead to more favorable responses.

What to do with the pause? There are different options. Or you can do a combination. Find what works for you and use the power of the pause. You can count to ten. Or count backwards from 100 going down by 7. You can connect to your senses by naming three things you can see. Three things you can touch Three things you can smell. And three things you can hear in your immediate surroundings. You can label any emotions going through your body. How do they feel? Ground yourself by thinking big perspective.

The power of the pause is mighty. When you find the way that works for you and use it consistently. The path it starts, becomes a crevice. Where your pause is your superpower. To stay in your own, genuine energy.

When you find yourself unable to manage tasks that used to be a breeze. When the daily routine has to change, again. To cope. And to make things more functional. The brain can take this chance to destroy your peace. Will you allow those thoughts to drag you down? Or can you practice with the power of the pause?

Mushroom Wisdom: The Fungi You Never Knew You Needed

Today let’s take some advice from a mushroom 🍄. Here are my top five ✋🏼 life lessons from a mushroom 🍄.

1. Do your best work when nobody is looking. Keep a low profile. Mushrooms suddenly appear. Or they seem to. They do most of their work under the ground. Then they pop open as though they’d been there all along. Work on your own and know when to pop up and share. Silence the inner commentary of what others will think of you or your work.
2. Support the ones around you. Mushrooms work in a community. Through their branching network, all the fungi support and provide nutrients to each other. We have become less of a community in recent years. I find supportive community is vital to my healthy brain narratives.
3. I am not just what you see. By the same token, I know that what I see of others is not the whole story. There is more depth to all of us. Especially those of us who live down to earth. When I give others room to improve. Knowing there is more to them than meets the eye, I give myself more room for improvement. When I have this space, my brain isn’t as restrained for quick fixes.
4. Flourish even in the dark. Mushrooms thrive in dark corners. I have lived in dark spaces. Literally and figuratively speaking. On occasion, that’s where I needed to be. Other times it’s where I chose to be. But even in those times of darkness, there was a spark of life. And that helped me see the importance of kind self talk.
5. Communication is key. This comes with the community in #2. We know when to keep the low profile of #1 and when to bring in the community of #2. We give support and nutrients to one another. In this arena we want to stay open to what others have to say. Use the power of the pause. Build skills starting from a ground up perspective. When my self talk is healthy, I use more effective spoken language when communicating with others.

Joyful Words: For The Purpose of the Conversation

VORFREUDE- (German) joyful , intense anticipation that comes from imagining future pleasures.

Can you bring some Vorfreude into your life to quiet and calm the unhealthy brain talk? Focusing on future joys, at times can bring us out of those darker places.

Amygdala Hack: When Overreacting Has Become Your Go-To

Another powerful trick is the amygdala hijack. The amygdala is responsible for such brain functions as emotional processing. Emotional memories (a more vivid memory, often related to fear or trauma). Social cues which contribute to social behavior and anxiety. And finally, motivation and reward. It’s an important little almond shaped portion of the brain.

Think of your brain as a fist. Your thumb inside your fist is the amygdala. Your fingers wrapped around the thumb are your prefrontal cortex.

When you have a big emotion, your brain puts the amygdala in charge. This is not good news. We turn back to that kid that was traumatized until the thinking part of the brain takes control again. Turn things around by taking deep breaths. Doing so will put the prefrontal cortex back in charge. This is the part of the brain in charge of higher order cognitive functions. We want this part in control.

Mind vs. Body: A Commentary on Living Accommodations

Are you a person that lives in your head? Or lives in your body? A person that lives in their head is constantly distracted. Focused on the future and worried about it. Focused on the past and about everything that went wrong. They have racing thoughts. They are so preoccupied with what isn’t happening, they run on autopilot for what is. The same thoughts come in and out like a revolving door. Does this sound like you?

By contrast, living in your body looks like being connected to the world around you. You are open to new experiences and growth. You are grounded. You can exist in the present moment. You live with intention. You use the power of the pause. You are willing to let go of what no longer serves you.

Leaf Your Worries Behind: Forest Therapy for Chatty Minds

Forest therapy is my favorite way to support my brain health. If you’ve been reading the blog. You’ll know that connecting to the forest with all your senses is a great way to find healthy brain support. Following are five more ways to up-level your forest experience:

1. Touch interesting textures. You may have already done this. But have you touched those textures to your knees? Your nose? Your toes?
2. Bring your dog. You’ve probably already done that. But have you walked while looking at the world through the eyes of your pet?
3. Bring a child with you. Preferably one you know. Do not just grab a random child. This is frowned upon. All kidding aside, you’ve probably walked with a child. But have you asked them general questions about what you are seeing? How does their perspective change yours?
4. Take a picture. You’ve probably already done this. But have you put away the phone and burned a mental snapshot? These stick. And you can pull it up anytime for peace or clarity.
5. Look for special features that catch your eye. If you’ve been following the blog you’ve probably already done this. But have you brought along a magnifying glass and closely inspected those things that caught your eye?

Enjoy these and other invitations on a forest walk with me!

Your nervous system will naturally feel calm around people with pure intentions and authentic energy. Trust it.

-@masteringlawofattraction

Let’s Keep Our Sanity: Free Therapy Sessions Available?

Talking to people is important. Especially YOUR people. My mom just got back from her winter in Yuma, Arizona. SHE is my people. When you talk to your people, describe your feelings. This is something we always hear. But what does it actually look like?

I can describe my sad. Some days it is big and over my head. Like a big ol’ rain cloud. Overshadowing me. Some days it is small and I can hold it in the palm of my hand. But it is still there. Some days it is a light sprinkling of sad. Like a rain shower that is not drenching me but it is constant little gentle reminders of sadness. Some days it is rising up and I think it will drown me. If it keeps getting higher. Some days it is sharp. I see it coming but there is nothing I can do. Some days I am confusingly sad. Everything seems to be in order but I can’t enjoy it. Some days my sad is heavy. And when I talk to others it can feel like they are carrying it along with me. Some days my sad creeps up on me and I suddenly am in its grip. It is constricting and tight.

Can you describe your emotions? Name it. Where is it in your body? How does it feel? These tools are ways I have found to dissolve all of my sads. The sad can still be there but it’s not so concentrated. When I can talk to my people, the emotion does not turn to negative self talk.

When Chronic Pain Crashes Your Mom Life: Can I Get a Time-Out While the Kids Run Amok?

Lastly, I want to talk to my mom-era friends. It can be tough to be a mom with chronic anything. You are a hero. Just keep doing the things. Here is a list for you of what to do when you are feeling burned up and burned out.

1. For toddlers, time them while they… anything, run laps, bring you all the spoons in the house, turn their socks inside out and put them back on
2. Puzzles. Everyone loves a good puzzle for some sit down time.
3. Give them a building challenge and a box of things to use for that build, then have them return and present their creation
4. Read books, or better yet, have them read to you, any way they want
5. Bath time, depending on the age, add a popsicle for bonus points
6. Facetime with grandparents, etc, have them read to your littles
7. Go for a walk or a drive, something they will enjoy and crank your music while they take in the view
8. Look at old pictures together, or add some filters and create new goofy photos
9. Bubbles or stickers are nice and slow
10. Play board games on the couch

Laughter: The Best Medicine for a Sharp Mind!

Keep Calm and Ditch the Debbie Downer Vibes!

Brains tend to be the Debbie Downer of the party. Unless managed in such a way as to bring you up. Follow these tips to take your Debbie Downer to a Sunny Susan. Or a Breezy Ben. Radiant Rachel? Optimistic Olivia. I’ll show myself out.

Here are my suggestions to you on how to manage your brain. Use the power of the pause and find a strategy that works best for you in the pause. Learn from a mushroom how to keep a low profile, support community, flourish in the dark and communicate. Find time and space for Vorfreude. Hacking your amygdala and getting back to your prefrontal cortex is a few deep, cleansing breaths away. Choose to live in your body and not just your head. The accommodations are much friendlier. Forest therapy is great. I offer you today five ways to up-level your forest therapy experience. For more ideas and to see how it all works. Join me for a forest therapy walk when the trails are clear. Get that free therapy from your closest people. Talk about your emotions to clear those thoughts that are relentlessly taking up residence in your brain. Even mom life is doable with some ideas of how to take it easy on yourself. You are in a marathon, not a sprint, use your time and energy wisely. Find times to laugh!

I would rather be among the forest animals and the sounds of nature, than among city traffic and the noise of man.

-Anthony Douglas Williams

That’s it for today. Take it easy on the trails in Saskatoon. Watch your self talk and learn to manage your brain! Until next time, chronic comrades. I leave you with these fabulous photos taken by Amanda 📷 @soulfullifebyamanda in beautiful British Columbia.