Is pain your enemy or ally?

This post is inspired by a quote from the book: A Liberated Mind: How to Pivot Toward What Matters by Steven C. Hayes, PhD

“Pain can be a powerful ally in living.”

For the longest time I remember not wanting pain. Most of us go through life trying to reduce our pain. Hide it with drugs, distract ourselves from it, buy fancy gadgets to “fix” it. But what if you thought about your pain in a different way? What if you thought of your pain as your friend? Your Ally.

Pain can alert you to danger. Give you information to keep you safe.

If you just get rid of your pain you miss out on learning about your body, your response to movements and activities you find meaningful. You miss the opportunity to understand how to modify positions or take appropriate actions that are healthy and could improve your vitality as opposed to just trying to silence your pain so you can be comfortable in the short term.

Allow your pain to speak to you. Listen to it, and respond appropriately.