10 Common Mistakes People Make When Managing Chronic Pain (and What to Do Instead)

Let’s be real—navigating chronic pain can feel like being dropped into an escape room… blindfolded… with no instructions. It's frustrating, confusing, and exhausting. But many people make it harder than it needs to be by falling into a few super common traps.

If you're tired of the pain merry-go-round, here are 10 mistakes to watch out for—and what you can do differently (no blindfolds required).

1. The “Fix Me” Trap: Relying Only on Passive Treatments

Massages, medications, chiropractic care, acupuncture… all of these are great and can help temporarily. But if you’re only doing passive treatments (aka lying there while someone else does the work), you’re missing the magic of active strategies—like movement, mindset shifts, and nervous system regulation.

🔑 Instead: Add in things like gentle movement, breathwork, CBT strategies, or mindfulness. You’re not just the passenger here—you’re the driver.

2. Fear of Movement

Yes, your pain is real. But total rest or avoidance can make it worse in the long run. When we stop moving out of fear, our muscles weaken, our joints stiffen, and our nervous system becomes more sensitive.

🧠 Fun Fact: Movement teaches your brain that your body is safe. Even if it’s just a walk around the block or stretching to your favorite playlist.

3. Catastrophizing (aka Mental Doom-Scrolling)

We’ve all been there: one bad flare-up and suddenly the mental spiral starts—
“What if I’m broken forever?!”

Sound familiar? Catastrophic thinking is like throwing gasoline on your pain. The brain hears your panic and turns up the pain volume.

🧘‍♀️ Instead: Try thought-challenging tools, affirmations, or journaling. Pain is hard enough—your inner critic doesn’t need a microphone.

4. All-Or-Nothing Thinking

You feel good today, so you clean the entire house, reorganize your closet, bake banana bread, and do a full workout.
Tomorrow? You're a pancake—flat, stuck, and unable to move.

Welcome to the boom-bust cycle.

🔁 Instead: Learn to pace. Find your “just enough” zone. Slow and steady really does win this race.

5. Ignoring Mental Health

Pain doesn’t just live in your body—it camps out in your emotions, too. Anxiety, depression, and stress are like fertilizer for chronic pain. Ignoring them doesn’t make them go away.

🧠 Pro tip: Mental health support isn’t a luxury—it’s part of pain care. Therapy, support groups, or even a good vent to a trusted friend can work wonders.

6. Not Understanding Pain Science

Spoiler alert: pain does not always mean damage. In chronic pain, your nervous system gets overly sensitive—kind of like a smoke alarm that won’t stop screaming over burnt toast.

🧠 Learn: Pain is a protective message, not a direct report on damage. Educating yourself can reduce fear and calm the system down.

7. Skipping Brain-Based Tools

We get it—breathing exercises sound boring. But guess what? Your brain is a huge player in your pain experience. Tools like mindfulness, meditation, CBT, and nervous system regulation literally help retrain your brain.

🧘‍♂️ Instead: Give these tools a try. Start with 3 minutes. You might be surprised how much control you actually have.

8. The Quick-Fix Fantasy

Wouldn’t it be amazing if one supplement, surgery, or magic pill could just erase it all? Sure. But most people waste years (and money) chasing the unicorn.

🦄 Instead: Commit to a long-term, sustainable plan. You’re not broken—you just need a different approach.

9. Inconsistency is the Enemy

Trying something for a week and quitting because it “didn’t work” is like planting a seed and digging it up the next day to see if it grew.

🌱 Instead: Progress takes time. Your nervous system needs repetition and patience. Stay with it—even if it’s just baby steps.

10. Over-Pushing Without Listening to Your Body

This is the flip side of avoidance. Some folks ignore every signal their body sends, powering through pain like it’s a badge of honor. Spoiler: It’s not.

📉 Instead: Learn the difference between discomfort and danger. Rest when needed, move when you can. You’re not lazy—you’re healing smart.

Managing chronic pain isn’t about “fixing” yourself. It’s about retraining your brain, regaining confidence in your body, and rebuilding your life with tools that empower—not punish—you.

Be patient. Be curious. And give yourself credit—this work is hard, but it’s so worth it.

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Chronic Pain?

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