How to change your pacing style

List the advantages and disadvantages of your pacing style, in two columns, in your notebook.

Then ask yourself:

•   Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

•   Do I need to change my pacing style?

•   Why change an unhelpful pacing style?

Many people feel worried about changing their style of pacing, especially if they believe that they are ‘managing’ their pain. However people with chronic pain report that changing their style of pacing has many benefits, such as:

•   More energy and ‘get up and go’

•   Better sleep patterns

•   Stronger muscles

•   Greater flexibility

•   Doing and achieving more

•   Better social life

•   Brighter moods, more enjoyment, fun and more confidence

•   Less pain

•   Reduced number and length of setbacks

List the advantages and disadvantages of changing your pacing style, in two columns, in your notebook.

You may not feel ready to change your pacing style at present. However, it may help to keep revisiting this chapter. Developing a sensible, balanced pacing style is one of the best ways to manage chronic pain.

Experimenting

It may help to experiment with making small changes in your pacing style. This will enable you to test out whether your beliefs are accurate. Sometimes you might believe that a task or activity should be done and completed at a particular time. This may be based on evidence – e.g. that if it is a better day then you must get it done now or else it could be many days before you get another chance. You might then keep going with the activity or task with no breaks, despite a high or increasing level of pain. The job will be completed but you may be disabled by the pain and end up feeling distressed. Instead, try experimenting with an alternative thought, like ‘If I plan in some breaks, does the job take longer and is the pain level worse?’ or ‘If I plan and spread the job over two days, then do I still achieve the job and is the pain worse?’ By experimenting, many people discover that the job takes a little longer. They also find they are in less pain and feel less tired, have less distress and still achieve their goal. They realize they have much more control over their pain than they thought they did.

Planning

First be clear about what you would like to change. Here are some suggestions:

•   Make a plan for each day or week and try to stick to it, where possible.

•   Put your activities in order of importance. Then choose the top two or three – those that must be done in that day or week.

•   Try not to push yourself on a good day and risk a setback.

•   Make sure you do some activity even on a bad day.

•   Tell other people what you are doing and why.

•   Inform others of how they can help.

•   Identify any barriers to changing your pacing style.

•   Think about how you and others can tackle those barriers.

•   Build in strategies that may help you to achieve your aim e.g. a five-minute rest, relaxed breathing or a couple of stretches (see Chapter 9).

•   Build in rewards for helpful changes (see Chapter 7) and don’t forget to give yourself a ‘pat on the back’.

Now write down what you want to change in your own pacing style. For instance, Jim wanted to change his overactive style of pacing. He started by giving himself more breaks in the morning. He asked Ann to help him. They agreed that she would call him for a drink or fruit snack every 30 minutes.