Never are we more aware of the passing of time than on New Year’s Eve. Another year fades into the past, and a new one appears on the horizon. We look forward to the endless possibilities the future might bring. For those who live with chronic pain, inflammation, and stress, New Year’s is a time to say enough is enough and set a resolution to deal with your problem head-on.
Of course, a resolution is only part of the solution. You must be prepared to commit to your new lifestyle long after New Year’s Eve is a distant memory of lost sleep, twinkling lights, and leftover Chinese food.
Many studies have been done on what makes New Year’s resolutions successful. One study done by researchers from the University of Pittsburgh hypothesized that willpower wasn’t enough to help us reach our goals. Instead, they found that creating positive habits was the real key to achieving long-term goals. Based on this study, your New Year’s resolution should be to replace harmful habits with healthy ones.
New Year’s Resolutions to Fight Chronic Pain
Moving more, eating healthy, and meditating are three simple ways to manage pain, heal chronic inflammation, and reduce stress. Creating positive habits is more valuable than having the will to succeed. Let’s look at these three common New Year’s resolutions to see what practices we can incorporate to make our resolutions a reality.
Move More
One of the most common New Year’s resolutions is to exercise more. Moving more is an excellent way to manage chronic pain. You may have heard of the “runner’s high,” but it isn’t limited just to running. Any form of exercise can make you feel better. Aerobic activity activates your muscles and releases endorphins, which are your body’s natural painkillers and mood boosters.
The key to this resolution is balance! Moving more means a combination of strength training, stretching, cardio, and relaxation practices. You don’t have to spend all day at the gym or sign up for a daily fitness class to fulfill this resolution. Even less intense forms of exercise like walking or yoga have benefits when it comes to living with less pain/inflammation.
The goal should be to incorporate 30-45 minutes of low-intensity aerobic exercise five to six days a week. Link up with a friend so you can keep each other motivated. And find a type of activity that you love, such as dancing, hiking, or riding a bike.
Eat Better
A healthy diet is essential if you want to reduce pain and inflammation. When you eat poorly day after day, you unwittingly commit to increased systemic inflammation.
Inflammation on its own is not always a bad sign. But when inflammation is constant, it can damage healthy cells and organs and cause pain in muscles, tissues, and joints. Many of the world’s major diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, and depression, can be linked to chronic inflammation.
Eating better doesn’t sound complicated, but it can be tough to do. Many unhealthy foods have addictive properties that make changing your eating habits even more complicated. However, eliminating some inflammatory foods from your diet could be a significant first step in fighting chronic pain and inflammation.
Start by reducing the amount of junk food in your diet. Some simple steps that can help include:
· Replace refined carbohydrates like white bread and pasta with whole-grain alternatives.
· Exchange processed meats for lean proteins.
· Swap simple sugars like high fructose corn syrup for natural sugar alternatives like coconut sugar, maple syrup, and honey.
· Ditch the store-bought sweets and opt for homemade treats instead.
As you make these substitutions, increase your consumption of whole foods such as:
· Fruits
· Vegetables
· Leafy greens
· Nuts and Seeds
· Beans and legumes
· Lean proteins
The Mediterranean diet is a prominent example of an anti-inflammatory diet for those who need a little guidance. Your taste buds will slowly start to crave healthy foods over junk foods, but you have to start small to make the changes stick.
Meditate
Studies show that meditation can make you less sensitive to pain by restructuring your brain’s neural pathways. Whether you are just beginning or have been practicing your entire life, meditation can improve your ability to deal with pain. It also reduces anxiety and stress related to chronic pain.
One of the easiest ways to incorporate meditation into your life is to do it at the same time every day. However, any time you can practice five or ten deep belly breaths can make all the difference.
The square breath is an easy meditation technique that can be used anywhere, anytime. Simply breathe in for a count of four, hold the breath at the top for four, breathe out for a count of four, and hold the breath out for four. Repeat this breathing technique until you feel calm and relaxed.
If meditating on your own is not for you, guided meditations are a great alternative. Beginning to meditate can seem intimidating, but the benefits quickly outweigh the hassle for most. These days, mediations are abundant and varied. Start slow and find a technique that works for you.
Make It Happen
We often use the new year as a starting line to dictate how the rest of our year will go. But healing the body and mind does not happen on a schedule. This year, tie your resolution to simple but doable habit changes.
Write out all of your bad habits and list good alternatives beside them. Set a few small goals that can be achieved within a month or two, and then think of a few goals that will take longer. Most importantly, check-in with yourself often and stay consistent.
New Year New You
Stay tuned for our upcoming series on healthy life changes to alleviate chronic pain. We will explore more ways to manage pain, ease inflammation, and reduce stress so you can stick to your new year’s resolutions. And in the meantime, count on Kailo nanotechnology to have your back.
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December 23, 2020. This article is independently written by Fusion 360. All opinions given are the opinion of Fusion 360
