How to Handle Pain When You Overdo

Isaiah 40:1-2 - Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins.

It’s another one of those days. You stayed up late working on a project knowing full well that if you did, you’d receive what was coming to you.
 
The pay you’d receive isn’t something you earn at work like overtime pay. It’s also not the pay you’d receive by way of complements and the words, “job well done.”
 
The “reward” I’m talking about can’t be taken to the bank to save up to spend on something you really want. The “reward” due to you would be how your body reacts to work those long hours. To be more specific, it would come in the form of a pain flare-up.
 
A pain flare-up can come in the form of muscle spasms, deep bone pain, loss of strength, inability to function on a daily basis and the guilt that would follow knowing that you had caused harm to your body.
 
But don’t stay put in guilt mode. Sometimes we have to do what we have to do. Life expects us to sometimes step up to the plate and give it our best shot. Our team is counting on us. All the bases are loaded and we’re up to bat. We can’t just put down the bat and run away. Right?
 
Not all is lost though. There are things you can do to quench the flames of a pain flare-up before the fire gets out of control when you must push yourself at work or home. Here are a few:

1. Distraction – Find something that takes all of your attention and that you enjoy. I’m not talking about adding another job on your “to do” list.
2. Humor – Find a collection of funny stories or jokes and read a few pages. Or, put on a funny movie. Choose something that will give you something to laugh about for at least twenty minutes.
3. Prayer and meditating on God’s word – If you enjoy reading your Bible, find a few selections that talk about becoming calm because you know God’s in control, or read a few of the Psalms. Then, after you’ve finished, think about what you read and how you can apply it to your life.
4. Call someone – Often hearing a friend’s voice alone is enough to lift your spirits. Be sure to ask them about what’s going on in their life and not just talk about your current flare-up. It will strengthen your friendship and enable you to take your eyes off yourself for a bit.
5. Ask to be held – There is power in the sensation of touch. It can be a simple squeeze of the hand, but when someone holds you in their arms you can feel their compassion circling around you. It can also give you the strength you need to keep going.
6. Change your position to one more comfortable – Whether this means standing up and walking around if you’ve been sitting for some time; or, if you’re in bed, moving from laying on one side of your body to the other.
7. Take a soaking body or foot bath in Epson salts or use heat and ice – These modalities will help provide pain relief as well as loosen tight muscles.

 
These are are just some of the ways that I use to help me make it through a difficult pain day. Painpathways.org, in their article, “Preventing and Recovering from … Overdoing It!” provides us with several ways to cope with a pain flare-up. One is to, “schedule a rest period mid-morning and mid-afternoon. A half-hour is usually effective, but some people take an hour or longer.” Another way is to, “do light stretching and petting your dog.” Animals can make a big impact on how you feel on the outside as well as the inside.
 
Though going through a pain flare-up can seem all consuming, with the right knowledge, help from coping skills and the support of others, you can get through the flare-up easier and faster than you may have thought you could.
 
In addition, take a look at the Bible verse above. Sometimes we may indeed feel guilty that we caused another pain flare-up, but God is ready to comfort you and speak kindly. He knows the price you’ve paid, and will wrap his arms around you, hold you and tell you that you’ll get through the pain together.

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