First let’s talk about how to prevent a chronic pain flare up. Then we will get into the 4 things I do when I have a flare up as an online business owner.
Living with chronic pain is not easy! I will say having an online business has tremendously helped me manage chronic pain. It gives me the autonomy to make my time and create my own schedule. I truly believe having an online business has helped me in my healing journey!
That being said, I still deal with chronic pain every single day and I still have flare ups. It’s just that I have the space to notice when the pain is starting to get worse. And I can fit more or less into my schedule based on my capacity at that time. If you deal with any chronic illness you know every single day is going to be different.
I think it’s really important to both prevent and manage your symptoms in order to stay in love with your business. Any kind of chronic illness has the ability to suck the joy out of something you love. We don’t want to give it that power!
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Here’s what I do to prevent a chronic pain flare up
Awareness
This is so important! Awareness is something people talk about in terms of meditation or enlightenment. But it is honestly so helpful in managing chronic pain.
Your body gives you signals and if we’re not paying attention we might miss them. Chronic pain can be so loud, in so many ways. Sounds and bright lights can become overwhelming and irritating. It can be hard for you to focus with your vision. It can feel like you’re drowning from all directions; all this because of pain!
It can be really hard to notice anything when your flare up is in full swing. But the days leading up to it, I can bet you there are some signals your body is giving you. Pain is a danger response that our body sends to our brain. Your body is telling your brain that something is wrong and you need to protect yourself. This is when you feel pain.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor and I do not know what your specific pain stems from. I am referring to chronic pain caused by a sensitive nervous system. But it might still feel relatable for you and your circumstance!
Start paying attention to what your body is trying to tell you. Awareness is a practice and it takes time. It’s also not something that you’ll ever be perfect at. But the more we pay attention the more we will understand the signals your body is giving you.
Pay attention to what causes a chronic pain flare up
This is kind of an extension of the awareness piece. Not only does it help when you understand the signals your body gives you. It’s also helpful to become aware of the things that increase pain for you.
For example, I know if I go out for dinner one night then I probably shouldn’t make plans for the very next day. Sitting for a long period of time in an uncomfortable seat causes pain for me. So I like to make sure I give myself the space to heal and reduce that pain flare up before it even begins.
I also know this isn’t always possible. We can’t completely control everything and life happens! But to the best of your ability try to acknowledge what triggers a pain response for you. And try to avoid doing multiple of those things in a row.
Here are the 4 things I do as an online business owner when I have a chronic pain flare up
1. Schedule in time to rest
When you have any kind of chronic illness you know it’s something you constantly deal with. Having my own online business has been a dream come true for me! It allows me the autonomy to build my schedule around my life!
I proactively schedule time to rest into my calendar. This way I’m not booking myself solid to the point where I have to work through a pain flare up. It allows me the breathing room to rest when I start noticing signals that a flare up is coming; hopefully preventing one! Or if you already have one then you know you will have some time to rest.
If you have a day where you have rest time scheduled but you are not in a flare up. I would still recommend using that time to rest. We can’t always prepare ourselves or notice what’s happening internally. Take this time to play and have fun or, of course, rest! The idea is to take time to enjoy your life, fill up your cup so there’s more to drain! Happiness helps reduce flare ups too!
2. Give yourself grace
We’re not perfect. We live with chronic pain and that sucks. But it’s also our life and it’s wonderful and beautiful!
Some days will be great while others will be harder. On those hard days be gentle with yourself. Give yourself grace, maybe the day didn’t go the way you wanted it to but that’s okay. Give yourself the time and space you need to rest and heal.
3. Stop people pleasing and put yourself first
It’s okay to be selfish sometimes! When you run your own business there are millions of things you need to do. Okay, that’s an exaggeration but sometimes it feels that way.
We have our own ‘to do’ list, client work, meetings, all the things! I used to force myself to do all the work I committed to even if I was in the worst flare up! Guess what this did for me, it made it much much worse. And then being busy, I didn’t have time to rest or recover. I felt miserable and I didn’t want to work on projects even though that’s what I loved doing!!
Sometimes it’s best for your clients if you are a little selfish! Most people are okay with you pushing a due date by one or two days, unless they have a hard deadline. Ask them if you can take an additional day or two. Rest, get better and then you will put the heart into your projects that they deserve!
If you need more help with this topic, I wrote a post specifically about it! Read it here:
There’s no room for people pleasing in your healing journey
4. Ask for help!
A lot of us are running our business on our own. But when you’re not in a space to be able to do everything then just ask for help. You have options:
- Get a virtual assistant
- Ask friends or family
Take some of the tasks off your list even if it’s just for the day or week you’re in a chronic pain flare up.
Sometimes done is better than perfect so if someone can help you out, take the help! Don’t feel like you need to suffer in silence!
I hope these tips were helpful! If you’re struggling with chronic pain leave a comment; let me know if there’s anything specific you’d like me to write about!
Sending healing energy your way!
There’s no room for people pleasing in your healing journey
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