the problem with prioritizing pain is that it prevents us from seeing the whole picture.

it’s the old “can’t see the forest for the trees” saying in action.

we get so zoomed in on erasing the pain we can’t zoom out to see all the possible options for feeling more at home in our body.

for example, we prioritize getting rid of shoulder pain and so we:

• do shoulder stretches
• do shoulder workouts
• quit doing activities that use a lot of shoulder movements
• get shoulder massages
• take pain pills or use pain creams for the shoulder

and yet the shoulder pain persists.

but what if instead of prioritizing pain we prioritized participation?

instead of asking how do I get rid of shoulder pain, we ask what activities are most important for me to participate in and what are some challenges with them?

we go from saying “my shoulder hurts, what are some options to make it feel better”?

to…

“it’s important for me to be able to focus while I work at my desk/computer. currently, I’m dealing with shoulder pain that is preventing this”.

now, by prioritizing ability to focus while doing desk work, we can zoom out from the shoulder and also look at things like:

• duration of sitting time
• postural habits when sitting at desk
• hydration and nutrition while doing desk work
• how we breath when doing desk work
• exercise habits to counter balance computer work
• perceived mental stress load and stress management techniques
• what we’re thinking about or what we believe about what we’re doing

these are all things that directly impact shoulder pain thanks to our lovely fascia system.

when we prioritize pain we forget about the interconnectedness of the fascia.

when we prioritize participation we’re embracing all the aspects to our human-ness, not just our body structures.

we’re embracing the dynamic and layered traits of our fascial system that respond to both internal and external inputs, constantly adapting to our requests.

2 minute subtle shift…

the next time you have some pain talking to you try prioritizing participation by asking:

1. what activity is most important to me right now and how is it impacted by this pain?

• starting my day with energy is most important but my hip pain when I wake up drains me.
• focusing on calls during work but my shoulder pain distracts me.
• mowing the lawn and keeping the yard looking good but my knee pain limits how much I can do.

2. is there any other variable I can subtly shift to help me participate easier?

this won’t “fix” your pain but hopefully this will start to let you see other connections to feeling more at home in your body.

see you next week, Brooke ✌🏻

if you’d like help in finding other variables to adjust in order to feel more at home in your body, let me know.

I’d be happy to help brainstorm some options related to your specific situation! reply to this email to chat.