What's the deal with pain?
(My calloused hand artwork)
So...you've just gone to the gym, you start to feel the soreness seep into your muscles, your frame is tired, all you want to do is curl up in your bed, have a hot shower, and eat a nice meal. You do all this, but for what? Sure you know from your doctor that you should always exercise to maintain your health, heck, you even see it daily whether you're watching a show, movie or you're on social media. Celebrities and health gurus on Instagram tell you to stay fit because one day you can look like them.
Do these people ever tell you to that pain is a part of the process? Sure you may here that you will be sore and that it sucks but do you ever here why that is good for you?
To simply state that Americans are afraid of pain, is an understatement. We are always popping Advil, Tylenol, and other over the counter medications so that we can limit the amount of pain we feel. I would even argue our desensitizing of pain is a leading factor in depression and anxiety.
Whether its taking some ibuprofen when you start to feel a headache, or experiencing a break up and hitting the bottle, pain is not only a shock to nervous system but a reality shake up. When you hit the gym hard whether it's your new years resolution, or you haven't exercised in a while, your central nervous system is being flooded with numerous hormones, inflammatory responses and negative/positive bio-feedback. At the end of it you're sore! Your metabolism is in overdrive and you're looking for rest. You want to take that Tylenol so that you can escape the pain, and returning to reality. That reality may be starting your work day, school day, or even heading to bed. The purpose of the pain you feel is not because you suck at working out, what it means is that you have pushed your body, it means you have put in the work to make it healthier and stronger and what it really means is that you have a ways to go before your threshold for pain increases.
The same goes for the nasty break up, your entire reality with the significant other is over, your heartbreak is the only thing on your mind. What you really want after this event is to escape reality! Whether that is trying to make things go back to normal or spending time not thinking about the break up, you seek to escape the reality of the situation. Many times, most people turn to mind altering substances such as Alcohol and other drugs, or engage in unhealthy choices. Sometimes things go further, people get stuck, their entire world is different now, they lose a grip on the control they once had, they become anxious, they don't trust others as easily, and overall are just sad. We forget that sometimes sadness and pain are OK. The purpose of pain and suffering is for us to realize that there is a diamond in the rough! That despite going through the terrible break up, there was a time when you two had a great time together, and now by going through this tough time, you can learn to discover yourself once again.
We have the stages of grief. Everyone grieves differently and handles the situation differently. You may feel anger, sadness, denial, and pain. As you advance through the stages of grief, the one stage you are hoping you bypass is...the pain. The pain is remembering what once was and never can be again. I ask of you, take that pain and use it to remember; by remembering what once was and what you can make again either with yourself, or with someone else. Maybe you find the courage within you to start a new hobby, pick up an old one, visit the gym, become creative, and hey, maybe even rebuild what was loss with the person who has caused the heartache.
To wrap up, pain is something the human species has had to deal with since day one. As time passed and our society, and culture have changed, our ideas and thoughts on the concept of pain has changed drastically. What I am trying to bring to your attention is that sure we can listen to what society says: "get over it, toughen up it'll be over soon". Or you can accept that pain is normal, it will always be around the corner, and it is up to you to welcome it with open arms with your calloused hands.