Each Monday this series of articles will feature pain management techniques to help you decrease and cope with pain.  It’s your at-home pain management class!

Last Monday, we looked at the stages we go through when changing a habit.  Today, we’ll examine:

What’s useful at each stage to help yourself change a habit.

After you find what stage you’re in, you’ll learn how to help yourself in your particular stage.

This info can be used for any habit you’re starting or stopping.  The example I’ll use to illustrate the stages is using pain management techniques. 

Stage 1:  Precontemplation
In this stage, you’re not really even thinking about using pain management techniques to help yourself.

What should you do at this stage?  Write down what you’ve got to lose if you don’t try new exercises to help with pain.  You don’t need to make any commitment to do anything different – just explore your options.

Stage 2:  Contemplation
In contemplation, you’re considering pain management techniques, but have not yet tried them.

What should you do at this stage?  Write down the pros and cons of trying some pain management skills.  What prevents you from trying some?  What’s the best outcome for you if they work?

Stage 3:  Preparation
In this stage, you’ve decided to start using pain management exercises, but haven’t yet done so.

What should you do at this stage?  Write down what exercises you’d like to try.  Where will you learn some?  (When we get to specific exercises in this series of articles, you’ll get lots of help!)  When will you practice them?  Write out your plan of action, being as specific as possible.

Stage 4:  Action
You’ve started to actively use pain management techniques.  Good for you!!

What should you do at this stage?  First, give yourself a cheer!  Then, write down what’s working for you, and what problems you’re running into.  Continue to work to incorporate doing exercises regularly into your life.

Remember, it takes about 1 month for a new habit to take hold, so take extra care to keep practicing during this time!

Stage 5:  Maintenance
You’re regularly practicing exercises.

What should you do at this stage?  Motivation is the key, here.  Figure out how to motivate yourself to continue using pain management skills.  Reward yourself regularly, and give yourself pats on the back.  Also, look at the times you don’t practice exercises as regularly as usual, and identify ways to keep going.

Stage 6:  Relapse
If you relapse, you go back to not practicing your skills regularly.

What should you do at this stage?  First, don’t see it as a failure, but rather as an opportunity to learn.  You’re human… be kind to yourself.  Second, figure out where you are now in the stages, and start again as soon as possible.  And lastly, take some time to figure out how you lost your footing, and identify ways to avoid it happening again.

So those are the stages, but we’re not done quite yet…

Your challenge right now?  Identify:

• what stage you’re in
• what specific way to help yourself, depending on what stage you’re in

To really identify where you are and what you’ll do, write down what you’ve identified for yourself in the comments below.  Other questions?  Comments?  Leave them below.

Each Monday, we’ll look at ways to cope well with pain, and how to get yourself to use helpful techniques regularly.  It’s your at-home pain management class!  Other articles in this series:

• How to change a habit, part 1
• How to change a habit, part 2
• Breathing exercises, part 1
• Relaxation exercise, part 1
• Breathing exercises, part 2
• Websites that help you stick with your new habit
• How are you doing with your new habit?
• Try 1/2 a habit
• Visualization
• Feedback on changing habits, part 1
• Feedback on changing habits, part 2
• Guided imagery, part 1
• Guided imagery, part 2
• Stress management, part 1
• Stress management, part 2

2 other great websites that address habit change:

• Zen Habits
• One Big Health Nut