Daily Tasks
One of the biggest challenges of being in chronic pain is not being able to count on how you are going to feel from day to day. Chronic pain waxes and wanes and it makes it very hard to make future commitments or plans.
The biggest piece of handling daily tasks is being in the moment and taking it one day at a time. A behavioral coping skill is called mindfullness. Out patient behavioral groups are very helpful in learning this skill. Not only being "in the moment" it is important to identify what you are feeling. Build a schedule for yourself on a daily basis of things you want to accomplish or enjoy doing. Doing something helps eliminate pain which is being mindful. Learn to discipline yourself in keeping a schedule.
Learn to change your thoughts if you are feeling overwhelmed, depressed or anxious. If you feel any of these feelings it is important to call someone for support. Don't isolate yourself which can lead to deeper depression. People can become so isolated it can turn into a psychosis which can lead to thoughts of suicide.
Cleaning your home, paying bills, shopping for groceries and other tasks are all dictated on how you feel in a day.
Paying bills can be very challenging because they are due on a certain day and when they aren’t paid on time, a late charge is incurred.
When in chronic pain doctor and hospital bills are always at the top of the list because when you are in chronic pain for a long period of time, many bills from doctors and hospitals accumulate. Remember to try and always work out making payment arrangements since some of these bills become exorbitant. We all know how important it is to maintain a good credit. It is important to go at your pace, stay within your budget and allow yourself extra spending money so you can do outside activities to enjoy good days like going to a movie, taking yourself to lunch or other things you enjoy. Anything that you enjoy, do for yourself and continue to love yourself. It can be easy to lose self esteem while in chronic pain.
Handling doctor and hospital bills can become a full time job while being in chronic pain. Our experience has been that not enough education or willingness to bill the appropriate insurance and Medicare is taken. Exhaustion can come just with dealing with medical bills and billing offices. Learn to be patient and not allow yourself to get frustrated. Be patient and considerate when you are trying to work out a workable solution. If you are having a bad day, don’t try to fix any problem, wait until you have a better day.
