“Sometimes taking care of yourself means not doing all the things.”

When you have chronic pain, it’s easy for self-care to become a job where you have to do all of these things, or else you haven't taken care of yourself. But self-care should nourish you and fill your cup; it shouldn’t feel like a burden.

Healing requires us to develop a toolbox of techniques that work for our individual needs, and one of the biggest game-changers on the journey to getting better is getting in tune with the right energy for approaching our healing.

Today, Tami is joined by Dr. Andrea Moore to explore how self-care can turn into self-sabotage and why focusing too much on eliminating pain can, in fact, amplify it. Dr. Andrea has her own chronic pain story, and she now helps those suffering from chronic pain find harmony and safety within their bodies. If you find yourself constantly chasing new wellness trends or ticking off an endless list of self-care rituals, this episode is for you.

In this conversation, Tami and Dr. Andrea discuss Dr. Andrea’s chronic pain story and journey to finding relief, potential pitfalls of self-care and healing practices, the frantic energy that can come with pursuing treatment after treatment, finding balance when pursuing wellness, balancing self-care and living life, recognizing that self-care should feel nourishing and not burdensome, the vicious cycle of pain, physiological changes that happen when you experience chronic pain, the power of getting help, the concepts of body harmony and respect, redefining feeling safe in your body, accepting the unpredictability of life, the symbolism of cherry blossoms and Tami’s connection to them as a symbol, our tendency to repress and judge emotions, understanding what nervous system regulation really means, creating a balanced approach to emotional healing work, getting better at doing hard things, allowing yourself to take a step back and accept your current reality, building your capacity for intense emotions, the role of self-compassion in taking accountability, playfully engaging with your emotions, building trust and connection with your body, why we need individualized self-care strategies, limitation sof group work and when one-on-one time is needed, Dr. Andrea’s invitation to take a moment to pause and self-reflect, and more.

If you find yourself stressing that you can't do everything you need to do instead of being excited about living your life, that’s a good sign that it's time to seek support.

 

 

 

 

Note: This episode is not meant to be medical advice. Every person and every situation is unique. The information you learn in this episode should be shared and discussed with your own healthcare providers.

To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the show notes.

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