Pain is a signal to the brain that prompts you to take suitable action to protect you. If you are hurt, it gives you pain; the body tells something is wrong and you need to take care of it. If you have got fever, the body signals that some virus might have affected your body. Headaches could mean something wrong with the body or mind. So, pain is a signal and it is useful and essential for you to take action. The usual response to a pain is to accept it, analyze it, take action to prevent any damage and get back to the normal situation.
However, people undergo a lot of pain which are not coming from the present moment. For example, you may be feeling stress/anxiety about the future or hurt feelings from the past; but if you closely observe, at this moment, you are not experiencing any pain (you are just reading this article!). Most of your pain is from the past memories or worries about the imagined future. There are several techniques to remove such pain instantly; choose one from below, that suit you most.
- Detach from the source of pain: Visualize you detaching yourself from the source of pain, which could be a person or a situation. Visualize you throwing away the source of pain to a distant place such as sea or placing it at the feet of Jesus on the cross. Feel completely detached and painless.
- Redefine what meaning you associate with the pain: A situation causes you pain because you associate a certain meaning to it; the meaning you associated need not be the most useful one for you. Associate something different, opposite or funny to the situation causing pain. For example, a job loss need not be the end of the world, but it could be a gateway to something very exciting. A comment made by your friend need not hurt you; take it as a joke or a childish behavior. A failure could be taken as a feedback for you to boost your energy and to come out with a new strategy and action plan.
- Divert your mind. Taking your attention away from pain makes it less intense. You can divert your mind with physical activities, entertainment activities and spiritual techniques such as meditation.
- Live in the present moment. If the pain is from the future worries or hurt feelings from the past, focus on the current moment and enjoy it. Ask questions such as “What do I need right NOW? “ (probably nothing!) or “What can I do right now to move forward with my goals?”
- Release emotions. You can weep or cry. You could share your pain with your close friend. You can also write down what causes you pain and the emotions you feel. Use appropriate technique to release your emotions and fill your heart with joy, hope and energy.
- Think about the less fortunate. Feel compassionate about the less fortunate – those who are suffering from poverty, illness, accidents, loneliness, …. If you have a hurt finger, think about people who lost their hands; if you haven’t got an increment, think about those who lost their jobs.
- Feel gratitude. Feel gratitude for your blessings in career, health, family, skills, wealth, .. Think about how some pain/suffering of the past turned out to be a blessing in your life.
- Look up. Talk to God about your pain. Re-focus on your core life purpose. Look up to Jesus on the cross; meditate on his sufferings. Visualize His infinite love energy healing all your wounds. Meditate on the promises of God to fill your heart with joy and hope.
Verses to memorize:
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3
Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. Psalm 34:5
More Words of God that will heal and console in times of crisis and pain. …
Did you experience any pain today? What approach did you take to ease the pain? What more can you do?
Word for Meditations 