Supporting Yourself Living with Chronic Pain
Living with a long-term condition or chronic pain isn’t something you simply “get used to.” It’s something you learn to live alongside — often while the world expects you to carry on as normal.
Pain is also invisible until you talk about it
Sometimes I can read a clients intake form, and when they turn up, I’m thinking… no way! You just can’t tell from the outside what people are coping with.
Chronic pain can be unpredictable, exhausting, and invisible. Some days you might feel capable and hopeful; other days, even the smallest task can feel overwhelming. And none of that is a failure. It’s a natural response to living in a body that needs extra care.
Letting Go of the Idea of “Fixing”
One of the hardest parts of chronic pain is the pressure to fix it — quickly, permanently, and quietly. While treatments and support can help, many long-term conditions don’t come with a simple solution.
Sometimes the goal isn’t to eliminate pain, but to build a life that feels more supportive, manageable, and kind, even when pain is present.
Sometimes, when clients visit me, in pain, they want to know what they’ve done wrong, and I explain that all it takes is one small muscle to get naffed off, then it phones it friends to join in.
Realising that you pain, whether acute or chronic, is really not your fault.
That shift alone can be powerful.
Small, Achievable Lifestyle Steps That May Help
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to chronic pain. What helps one person may not help another — and that’s okay. These are gentle ideas, not rules, and they can be adapted to your energy, access, and needs.
1. Pacing, not pushing
Listening to your body can be hard when you’re used to pushing through. Pacing means doing a little less than you think you can, and resting before pain flares — not after. It’s not giving up; it’s working with your body.
2. Building rest into your day
Rest doesn’t have to mean lying down for hours. It might be a few minutes of stillness, gentle stretching, breathing, or simply sitting without stimulation. Rest is productive when you live with chronic pain.
3. Gentle movement, when possible
Movement doesn’t have to be intense or structured. On some days, that might mean a short walk, light stretching, or simply changing position regularly. The goal isn’t performance — it’s maintaining comfort and mobility where you can.
I have a different kind of pain… bunions. I have amazing insoles now to support that, but I can’t stand or walk for long period of time, and running is also not for me right now. I have replaced that with swimming and I just love it. I have recently bought a float. Things are getting serious.
4. Supporting your nervous system
Chronic pain can keep the body in a constant state of alert. Practices like slow breathing, mindfulness, time in nature, or calming routines can help signal safety to your nervous system — which may reduce how intense pain feels.
5. Redefining success
Success might look different now — and that’s not a loss. Some days, success is getting dressed. Other days, it’s cancelling plans without guilt. You’re allowed to redefine what a “good day” looks like.
You’re Not Weak for Needing Support
Living with chronic pain often requires asking for help — emotionally, physically, or practically. That doesn’t make you dependent or weak. It makes you human. I think that asking for help is something that a lot of people struggle with. You will be amazed what happens if you just ask. A different kind of example of that is up in Aberdeen right now, many people snowed in, and asking for help to get supplies as they feel unsafe walking in the snow.
Whether that support comes from healthcare professionals, loved ones, online communities, or quiet self-compassion, you deserve it.
A Final Thought
Chronic pain can take a lot — energy, spontaneity, certainty. But it doesn’t take your worth. You are not broken. You are adapting, surviving, and showing resilience in ways that may never be visible to others.
And that matters.