A reader, Heidi, recently asked about time management and pain.  I invited Jeisea of CRPS-RSD A Better Life to share her thoughts about this topic.

Getting the right balance between doing pain management therapy and family, work or social activities is almost like walking a tightrope for people with chronic pain.  One of the hardest things is accepting our situation and sometimes letting go of our pre-pain identity.  (I found that really difficult.)  Often the reality is that we can’t do all that we managed to do before.  We need to define what “the new normal” is for us.  Pushing on when our body is telling us we’ve done enough can set us back in the long term, so that we “pay for it” later.  Above all, I think that we need to believe that we deserve to give ourselves the time to work at helping ourselves.

Although sometimes the direction life takes us derails our best laid plans, our basic survival plan should be pacing and keeping stress to a minimum.  It’s easy for me to say ‘pace,’ but in a practical sense, how do you do this?  I believe the secret lies in How to Cope with Pain’s articles on changing a habit.

Here’s what works for me.  I had to get in the habit of doing this by practicing every day.  I divide the day into the number of therapy sessions I can manage.  At present I do five a day.

• Before I get out of bed, I breathe in for a count of 4 and out for a count of 6-8, with a pause in between.  I do 12 sets of in/out breaths, which is about 3 minutes in total.  I increase the time by one set occasionally.  I then stretch whilst lying down, and finally do some exercises sitting on the bed.
• About morning tea time, I do breathing again followed by some different exercises (usually either with weights or a band).
• Before lunch, I breathe again and do a different exercise.
• Again in the afternoon.
• And last, in bed at night, I do muscle relaxation and breathe again.

My exercises don’t take long, and I vary what I do each time.  The breathing is calming and is mindful if you focus on what is happening as you breathe.  Here, here and here are some good posts on “mindfulness.”  Allow yourself time to practice, and develop a routine whether at home or at work.  (It’s in your employer’s best interest to allow you time for therapy and rest at work.)

The other things I do are to notice and correct my posture if I’m in more pain or tired, and to try to move “normally.”  The more we move normally, the more we reinforce the “OK” message in the brain.

Be guided by your therapists, and remember to be realistic and keep it simple and do-able.

Thanks to Jeisea for her comments on this topic.  Readers, what are your thoughts? 

This week’s Grand Rounds, a collection of medical blogging, is up at Suture for a Living.