Do you know that feeling when your back pain flares up again, even though you’ve been doing your exercises and paying attention to your posture? It’s like you’re constantly trying to find a balance between comfort and discomfort. There’s a mental approach to finding and maintaining this balance, one that revolves around mindfulness and gratitude.

Instead of just focusing on the physical side of the pain, we’re diving deeper into the mind-body connection. It turns out that mindful attention and an attitude of gratitude can provide tremendous relief, not just for your back pain but for your overall well-being.

Let’s go on a journey together to discover how mindfulness and gratitude can transform your life. I’m Alex from byAlex and I can’t wait to take this journey with you.

Understanding the Mind-Body Connection

You probably know it, that feeling when everything starts to conspire at the exact moment you’re not feeling so great. It is busy at work or there are things going on at home that affect your mood and cause stress. That is when the back pain flares up again. For me it is mainly pain and discomfort in my lower back, at such moments I realize that the connection between body and mind is much greater than we think.

By experiencing the connection between mind and body, you can discover in what ways our mental well-being influences our physical well-being. This insight forms the basis for your way of dealing with pain.

How Mindfulness can Relieve Pain

I will first explain to you in a non-woo-woo way what mindfulness actually is. Mindfulness simply means that you are completely aware of what you are experiencing at this moment. You could see it as paying close attention and really being present.

This awareness helps you to deal with pain in a better way. It makes you more active and positive in a reaction to pain, which ultimately ensures less pain. The more attention and care you give to this, the better and stronger you will become in this. It not only helps in dealing with pain from, for example, long-term back problems, but it also makes you feel better about yourself. Cultivating Gratitude for Physical Well-Being

When you are grateful for your body and all that it can do, you will take better care of it and make healthier choices. It is like focusing on the good things our bodies can do instead of focusing on the pain. This will make you feel positive and stronger to deal with the pain.

By being mindful and practicing gratitude (more on this practice later), you will understand more about how your thoughts and feelings impact your body. This will help you make better choices for your health and find effective ways to deal with back pain.

Practical Techniques to Incorporate Mindfulness and Gratitude into Your Daily Routine

To incorporate mindfulness and gratitude into your daily routine, you can set aside a few minutes each day (preferably at a fixed time) for reflection and appreciation. For example, you can do this by keeping a gratitude journal in which you write down things you are grateful for, including aspects of your body that are functioning well. Taking the time to acknowledge and express gratitude can change your perspective and give you a more positive view of your physical well-being.

Another practical technique is practicing mindfulness through activities such as meditation exercises, deep breathing exercises or yoga exercises. You can practice all 3 of these activities in the peace and quiet of your home, but would you rather practice with a group of people for motivation? Then you can also take various meditation/yoga classes in your area to meet like-minded people.
These exercises can help you to be more in touch with your body, emotions and thoughts, allowing you to recognize patterns that may be contributing to your back pain. By being present in the moment and acknowledging a non-judgmental awareness of your experiences, you can better understand how your mindset is affecting your pain levels.

And trust me, this won’t happen overnight. Take your time and don’t be too hard on yourself. It can also be small moments of mindfulness and gratitude in your daily routine that will help you to listen to yourself better over time.

Here are the 3 things that help me to reach the first layer of awareness every day.

🍀Taking a walk in nature
🥦 Enjoying a nutritious meal
🧘‍♂️ Doing activities that bring you joy and relaxation.

By prioritizing moments of mindfulness and gratitude throughout your day, you can create a supportive environment.