By: Michelle Nortje

Chronic pain can be a debilitating and arduous experience. However, I have a few clients who have been inspirational to me, in how they have faced up to these challenges with awareness, curiosity and grace. Despite what can feel like never-ending discomfort, mental well-being and hope can still be possible.

What Do We Mean by Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain is pain that lasts for longer than three months, or beyond the usual time it takes for tissues or injuries to heal. It might begin after an injury, illness, or surgery, or sometimes with no clear starting point at all.

Importantly, chronic pain is not just a signal of tissue damage. Over time, the nervous system itself can become more sensitive, meaning the brain and body stay on “high alert,” even when there is no ongoing injury. Pain, in this sense, becomes a learned and reinforced experience within the nervous system.

This doesn’t mean the pain is “imaginary”! Chronic pain is very real, and it reflects changes in how the brain, nerves, muscles, and stress systems interact.

How Chronic Pain and Mental Health Affect Each Other

Chronic pain doesn’t exist in isolation. It often becomes tightly linked with mood, energy, sleep, and motivation.

Many people notice that over time:

• Pain leads to reduced activity, social withdrawal, or avoidance
• Reduced activity can contribute to low mood, frustration, or hopelessness
• Depression and anxiety increase muscle tension, inflammation, and pain sensitivity
• The nervous system becomes caught in a pain–stress–fatigue cycle

This creates a loop:
Pain → less movement and pleasure → lower mood → heightened pain sensitivity

The encouraging news is that this loop can be interrupted. Gently supporting the nervous system can reduce pain intensity, increase confidence in the body, and improve quality of life.

Simple, Evidence-Based Practices to Support Chronic Pain

These practices are not about “getting rid” of pain or pushing through it. Instead, they aim to calm the nervous system, reduce reactivity, and help the body relearn safety.

Even a few minutes a day can make a difference.

1. Mindful Attention to the Body

Mindfulness for pain is not about ignoring pain or trying to make it disappear. It’s about noticing sensations with curiosity rather than fear.

How to practise:

• Choose a comfortable position
• Gently bring attention to your breath or body
• When pain shows up, notice its qualities (pressure, heat, movement) rather than judging it
• If the sensation feels overwhelming, shift attention to a neutral or pleasant area (e.g., hands, feet, or breath)

Why this helps:
Mindfulness reduces threat signalling in the brain and helps separate pain from suffering. Research shows it can reduce pain intensity, distress, and depressive symptoms.

2. Visualising Safety and Comfort

The brain responds to imagery in much the same way it responds to real experiences. Visualisation can be a powerful way to signal safety to the nervous system.

How to practise:

• Close your eyes and imagine a place where you feel safe or at ease
• Picture details: colours, textures, sounds
• If helpful, imagine warmth, softness, or gentle support around painful areas

Why this helps:
Visualisation can reduce muscle guarding and calm the stress response, which often amplifies pain signals.

3. Gentle, Paced Movement

When pain is persistent, it’s common to either avoid movement altogether or push too hard on “good days.” Both can increase flare-ups.

How to practise:

• Choose small, predictable amounts of movement (e.g., a short walk, stretching)
• Keep it consistent rather than reactive to pain levels
• Focus on what your body can do, not what it can’t

Why this helps:
Regular movement reassures the nervous system that the body is safe, reduces stiffness, and improves mood and confidence over time.

4. Compassionate Self-Talk During Pain Flares

How we speak to ourselves during pain matters. Threat-based thoughts (“This will never end,” “My body is broken”) increase nervous system arousal.

How to practise:

• Notice critical or catastrophic thoughts
• Gently replace them with supportive statements such as:
  • “This is difficult, and I’m doing my best”
  • “My body is trying to protect me”
  • “This sensation can change”

Why this helps:
Self-compassion reduces stress hormones, lowers emotional distress, and supports emotional resilience, all of which influence pain processing.

A Hopeful Note

Living with chronic pain can be exhausting and isolating. But pain is not fixed, and the nervous system remains changeable throughout life. Small, consistent practices that support safety, awareness, and self-kindness can gradually reduce pain intensity, improve mood, and help you reconnect with your life, even if pain is still present.

Support from a psychologist, physiotherapist, GP, or pain-informed therapist can further tailor these approaches to your unique experience. Contact the Centre for Effective Living for further support or questions. Some other helpful websites include Pain Australia and PainHealth.

Feature image: Canva