Pain Journal
Chronic or reoccurring pain can be very frustrating and make no logical sense. Spending some time with yourself each day to reflect can be very helpful in starting to navigate your pain and triggers.
Often, pain surges at random and cannot be linked to a physical activity or movement. Pain also seems to show up despite corrective rehabilitation, mobility and release work.
These journal prompts allow you to explore the other factors contributing to pain. Thoughts, emotions, feelings, threat, trauma, connection and environment all effect our nervous system, and paying attention to what makes us hyper- sensitive or up- regulates our autonomic nervous system gives us a greater understanding of what is turning up the volume of pain.
Complete the prompts below every day during or shortly after a pain surge for 1 to 2 weeks.
At the end of each week reflect back on your notes. You may notice links between certain actions, exercises, thought processes and emotions when your pain is present.
It is important to be honest with yourself throughout this process.
Physical
Sensations, where on the body, type of pain: neural/ nerve (radiating, tingling), muscular (tight, tension), fascia (burning, friction, fibrous), inflammation (throbbing, heat, puffiness, swelling), type of activity, exercise or movement, intensity, breathing fast/ slow/ deep/ shallow? Diet, etc.
Emotional
How’s my mood? Feeling state? Am I emotionally regulated? Something happened that got under my skin. A song, memory or conversation ignited something in me? Can’t ‘feel’ anything- numb, frozen?
Mental
What are my cognitions? Past, present, future focused? Am I thinking fast or slow? Indecisive? Brain fog? Clear? Anxious, dwelling, impatient, frustrated, fixated, ruminating, over- analysing, distracted, confused, dissociated, pressure, etc.
Energetic
High energy, low energy, lethargic, fatigued, invigorated, time is going fast or slow, inability to sit still, frazzled, depleted, lacks motivation, ‘too many things to do’, in a rush all the time. Empty or spacious? Ease or force? Trusting, motivated, inspired, creative, etc.
Spiritual
Connected or disconnected from myself? Lonely, lack sense of belonging, trusting or afraid, grounded in my body, focused on something other than myself, life happens to me or life happens for me attitude? Agency in practices: mediation, movement, ceremony, social connection, integrity with self?