How to Deal With Pain and Suffering?

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People suffer every day from something physical or mental.

Although this is true, pain and suffering does not need to control your life.

Physical pain can be just as exhausting as mental pain. People with injuries, health issues, illness, or just carrying around extra weight feel guilty or believe they’re not as good as they once were.

Mental pain at times seems to swallow you whole. It’s real, hurts, and is overwhelming to the point where we believe we can’t go on.

There are different solutions or exercises to combat various types of pain. We just need to implement them, find them, or ask someone for help.

Tips to Help with Mental/Physical Pain and Suffering:

1. Pray or Meditate.Prayer can help calm your nerves, give you a better perspective, and improve your mind eliminating bad thoughts. It’s relaxing and will ease tension.
2. Deep Breathing. Sit or stand with your posture straight but relaxed. Then close your eyes and breathe deeply in for five seconds while thinking of something positive. Next, exhale while releasing your bad thoughts. Do this once or for several minutes until you feel the tension and stress release.
3. Eliminate Stress. Check your schedule and take out any unnecessary engagements. You can also make a life change, get new friends, start attending church, start listening to positive podcasts, or have quotes come up on your computer screen or phone before you start your day.
4. Exercise.If you suffer from chronic pain, exercise can help by releasing natural endorphins. Exercise also helps relieve stress and adds to the overall health of your body and mind.
5. Reduce alcohol intake. I don’t need to explain that adding alcohol to an already fatigued mind is not a good combination. If you take alcohol for chronic pain it’s only going to mask the symptoms and leave you with an addiction or dehydrated. 
6. Positive thinking.  Numerous studies show the power the mind has over your life. What you think is what you’ll do or become. Not only should you think positive, you should get a journal and every morning write down three things you are grateful for. This will help focus your attention away from the pain and suffering you feel.
7. Forgiveness.Forgiveness releases stress but sometimes forgiving someone is just as hard as being forgiven. We try to carry the burden of others or repeat to ourselves that we don’t deserve their forgiveness. Neither is healthy. The greatest gift you could ever give someone you’ve wronged is to ask for their forgiveness. God says if we grab on to him he will offer us forgiveness, love, and peace. So even if you don’t get it from the person you need it from the most there is always hope in Christ.
8. Reach out. Everyone has someone that cares and wants to help. If, however, that is not true for you, send me an email to: heather@heatherearles.com. If it’s body pain, then you still need to reach out to a friend. Tell them you’re having a hard time and see what they can do to help. Maybe they’ll become your gym partner or help you find answers through a doctor or second opinion. Whatever the case, never be afraid to lean on a friend.
9. Music.  What you listen to has a great effect on your mood. To keep depression at bay choose upbeat, but positive tunes to liven up your day.
10. Movies. Since most people are visual, be careful of what you put in your mind. Once seen it cannot be unseen. For instance, if you see someone who suffered an injury and it ruined their life, don’t watch that if you have a similar injury. That’s just adding fuel to the fire. The same as if you’re suffering from depression and the characters are all depressed. Watch quality if you want a quality life.
11. Get a massage or use a Sauna. People with chronic pain or injury find relief through massages and saunas. Besides aiding in comfort, they clear your body of toxins that could be adding to your discomfort.

This list isn’t the cure–all, but it’s a healthy start to get your mind and body back on track.

We spend a lifetime combatting some injuries but that doesn’t mean they should own us. If it’s physical eat healthily and get in better shape. If it’s mental fight it with positive thinking or ask someone for help.

No matter what type of pain or suffering you are going through there are ways in which you can combat and help heel them.

Never ever believe you need to end your life due to the pain of any kind. People care about you and your life. If you need help or are thinking about suicide, then please, please, please, reach out. Nothing is embracing about wanting to move forward and asking for help to do that!!

You are worth it, and life is worth living.

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Nothing is ever insurmountable if we try, have faith that life will get better, and believe you can turn your circumstances around.

-Heather Earles