It’s snowing as I write this. Big fluffy flakes falling quietly, gradually covering every tree, the cars parked at the side of the street, and the slide on the playground below my window. I’m transfixed by the beauty of the first snow, being completely present in the moment and connecting to that special hush of gently falling flakes, allowing it to calm my heart and my mind as it quiets the city.
This is mindfulness—technically mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR)—and it is an important part of my toolbox to cope with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and chronic pain. Before I learned mindfulness techniques, I would have only briefly noticed the Disney-level of prettiness outside my window and instead thought about the snow turning to slush, the cold, and what the increasing drifts outside my building meant for my plans to go grocery shopping. Instead, I had the gift of a moment of such, dare I say, bliss? I clicked the pause button on worrying and overthinking and afterwards, I felt better both physically and emotionally.
Mindfulness didn’t come easy at first; it was a slow process to learn how to get my mind to quiet down, but once I had some practice under my belt, a lightbulb turned on for me. It was like plugging into joy. Here’s a little more about how it works for me and why it might help you, too.
Mindfulness Eases Some of My Pain and Frustration
Many years ago, when I was recovering after a life-altering RA flare, I stumbled across an abridged audio edition of the book Mindfulness for Beginners by Jon Kabat-Zinn, the founder of mindfulness-based stress reduction. This book changed my life. It contained information about the origin and concept of MBSR, a secularized version of Buddhist practice originally developed for people with cancer, as well as several mindfulness-based guided meditations. I was struggling with intense pain and very quickly discovered that although this didn’t change as a result of mindfulness, my ability to cope with an extremely difficult situation improved by leaps and bounds.
Kabat-Zinn defined mindfulness as “awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, nonjudgmentally.” It sounds like a bit of a mouthful, but it’s actually pretty simple. Let’s apply it to the snow that’s falling outside my window. Judging the snow as something that will cause me trouble makes me have a negative emotional reaction to the snow. But by paying attention nonjudgmentally to only the present moment in which the snow falls, I was able to see the beauty alone.
This can also work for pain. Pain itself is a sensation of the body, but the interpretation of pain can change the impact it has on the person experiencing the pain. For instance, if the ache in your body comes from working out, it’s a sign of having pushed yourself to get stronger and feel a sense of pride at meeting your goal. But if the ache is triggered by the weather changing to sleet, it’s at best irritating or worse, the reason you have to cancel your plans. Both are emotional reactions to a physical sensation. Finding a way to perceive your pain nonjudgmentally, instead of with feelings like frustration, depression, anxiety and worries about the future, may help you cope better with that pain.
I’m not suggesting that you ignore pain—of course, you should discuss RA treatment and pain management with your doctors. But the reality is that for some of us, a level of chronic pain is part of life, whether caused by stubborn inflammation or damage to joints. Creating a toolbox of pain-management strategies can help you create a better life and mindfulness can be one of those tools.
As I was using mindfulness to deal with pain, my path opened up to something more. It’s been about learning to enjoy my life, shifting my focus to all the beauty and joy there is, and in so doing reducing the importance and weight of my pain (and other symptoms). When I’m focused on being fully present in the moment, paying attention with all my senses, the pain becomes less all-consuming, acting instead as background noise to a sense of wonder and appreciation of the beauty in the world.
Mindfulness Is a Process
They call it mindfulness practice for a reason: You need to practice in order for it to work. Thankfully, it’s pretty easy. Meditation can be part of it, but it doesn’t have to just be the traditional version of sitting quietly to empty your brain for 20 minutes—something I have notoriously failed to master, even though it works wonders for many people. Meditation was an essential part of getting me started on the mindfulness practice and has become valuable during times when I have a lot of pain. But you don’t need to find 20 minutes of quiet to be mindful.
I discovered that the types of meditation that prompt you to sink into sensory experience work much better for me. For instance, MBSR programs often start with paying full attention to a raisin for several minutes by focusing intently on the smell, the feel, and the taste. Give it a shot—it's wonderfully trippy! You can also use this technique when washing dishes, disappearing into your hands gliding through warm soapy water or perhaps it’s petting the soft fur of your cat or dog. Try ever so slowly eating a spoonful of ice cream and let your senses be overwhelmed by the creamy cold slowly melting in your mouth or watching the wind move the branches of the tree as you sit in your car by a red light, enveloped by the aroma of your morning coffee.
One of the quotes from that audio program was so profound that I immediately memorized it: “Life is made of moments. The faster you move, the more you miss.” Mindfulness is about slowing down, paying attention, and being present so you notice the world in front of you instead of tuning out. And by paying attention, you shift your focus away from worries and stress to zero in on just one thing.
Obviously, there are times when you shouldn’t do this. Once the light turns green, you should pay attention to traffic and your employer will probably prefer that you pay attention whil you're on the job. As well, you should never treat RA symptoms with mindfulness at the expense of seeking out your doctor’s help. Incorporating mindfulness in your life is less about treatment and more about beginning to shift your focus and perspective so you can lead a better life, even if it includes pain.
Having a guide can be very useful. You can start by reading Mindfulness for Beginners, trying the mindfulness exercises on a meditation app such as Calm or Buddhify, or looking into a pain or stress management class online or in your community that is based on the MBSR model. Or you can start simply by putting down your phone and paying attention, nonjudgmentally, to this very moment.