5 Ways To Differentiate Between Physical & Emotional Pain

Here’s what you need to know and what you can do.

When looking at chronic or ongoing emotional stress lasting longer than three months, this can result in a dysregulation of our hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system, or HPA axis, that is in charge of our body's stress response. This has been shown to be related to other physical conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes, and obesity. 

I've found these tools and practices to be the best jumping-off point for getting to the root of pain—pain that could very much be manifesting as a result of emotional or mental stress: 

In our daily lives, we oftentimes can be so busy that we don't take a minute to check in with our bodies and notice if anything seems off from the get-go. In the morning when you wake up, try doing a body scan. Close your eyes, start by focusing on your toes, and continue to shift your focus as you work your way up your body all the way to the crown of your head. Instead of labeling things as painful or non-painful, just notice them as sensations. By not attaching any judgment to specific parts of the body, we initiate our top-down processing—using our thoughts to mediate responses in the body. Then, in the evening, do another body scan and see what's different.

Start with easy tasks, foods, or activities that you know you like or don't like. When you encounter one of them, notice how your body feels. If it's an activity you like, does your body feel vibrant, excited, looser? If it's a food you don't like does your body start to feel queasy; do you get chills? These are data points that will lead you to start listening to your body from an intuitive standpoint. You can start with these easier tasks and then scale up to relationships, jobs, or other aspects of your life that need some deciphering. Your body will tell you—you just have to listen! 

As I mentioned earlier, some pains may just be from sitting or standing for too long at your job or just for too long at one time. By creating more variability throughout your day, you may be able to alleviate some of those lesser sensations, which in turn will clue you in to some of the bigger ones you may be experiencing. I recommend starting by stretching, changing positions, or going for a quick walk every 30 to 45 minutes. If time intervals don't work for you, maybe every time you have to send an email to a specific person or check your phone, go for a stroll. 

Epsom salt baths are an amazing way to alleviate any aches and pains as well as calm the nervous system. Pure magnesium chloride flakes are a great way to amp up your bath and truly feel the effects of floating. Let the body soak for at least 15 to 20 minutes, and maybe use this time to do another body scan and see how you feel. If you don't have a bath, taking a hot shower and adding some essential oils like eucalyptus or lavender can be extremely calming physically and mentally. 

I've worked with a lot of clients that have suffered extremely traumatic injuries or were born with disabilities, and your perception of your body can have pronounced effects on your body's responses to work for you and not against you. When you start to positively affirm what your body can do and view it with appreciation, this can rewire the brain to create a more positive interaction with you and your environment through neuroplasticity. It takes two to five minutes to begin cultivating this practice. 

Starting a conversation with your body starts to put the power back into your hands instead of feeling helpless or like you need some to tell you what you need to do. This will definitely be warranted in some cases, but at least you can get your body's consent first and make your journey a team effort.