Stop, Assess, and Adjust

Feeling overwhelmed? Life can present many challenges, as can chronic pain. There are times when we might feel the effects of these challenges without even knowing it. That is to say, we may feel stressed, irritated, tired, or cranky without accurately identifying the source of these feelings. Sure we may be busy with family, work, or other obligations, but what can really erode our resources like nothing else is pain. Little by little we find ourselves less and less effective until we reach a state of overwhelm.

How can this be prevented? To an outsider, it might be obvious that addressing pain is the key. Yet, the view from inside can be quite different. We may unconsciously hold ourselves to the same standard of performance as someone without pain, and then blame ourselves when we can't meet that standard. We may try to juggle too many balls in the air because we see what needs to be done rather that seeing what we ourselves need.

The antidote to this dilemma is self-analysis. This will help us determine early what the issue is so that we can address it. Self-analysis can be easier said than done. One way to get a good perspective on ourselves is to question what we would think if we saw ourselves as a character in a movie. Seeing a character attempting to accomplish all that needs to done while in pain, what would be the appropriate response? Would we empathize with the character, or not? The caveat is, of course, that we be honest in this imaginary scenario. If we are, it can help us to spot what our stressors are. Are we too busy? Would the load be just right if we didn't have pain? Would the load be too heavy no matter what? If the problem is pain, what are we going to do about addressing our pain first, so that we can proceed with everything else?

States of overwhelm are no fun. Nor, are they fun for those around us. As children we learn to 'stop, drop, and roll' if faced with fire. As adults, if we're spending all our time putting out fires, it's time to 'stop, assess, and adjust.'