The Hidden Pain-Relieving Power of the Shower
- Catherine Pollitt
- Mar 23, 2023
- 2 min read
Do you take a shower to get clean, wake you up or perhaps prepare you for sleep? Fabulous! But there’s so much more you can take from this daily ritual, including promoting wellbeing and helping relieve pain – and it doesn’t take up any more time in your day. Win, win, win!
Leave your troubles at the bathroom door
As you enter your sanctuary & step into the flowing shower, for the next few minutes, slow down just a bit and focus on each of your senses.
Listen to & watch the running water, the sloshing, the pattering, the tinkling, the whooshing… Really hear the different sounds that are present, watch the curious patterns created by the water. Notice the hum of the extractor fan and, in my case, the noise of the old, faithful boiler! And consciously take in the aroma of your soap. Breathe it in.
Focus your attention onto the palms of your hands and fingers. Feel the sensation from your hands as you slide them over your skin with the soft flow of the water. As you do so, appreciate all that your skin does for you – it holds you together, regulates your temperature, keeps out bacteria & viruses and is the most magical sensory organ continually informing your subconscious about your environment, allowing you to stay safe.
As you clean round your body: feel the amazing proficiency of your arms and all they do for you every day; the incredible dexterity of your hands; the capability of your neck to hold & manoeuvre your 5kg head so you can see, eat, sing and interact with others all day; feel the might of your torso; those layers of extra tummy fat offering additional warmth and protection(!); the enduring strength of your thighs and shins, carrying you from place to place, even up mountains; and the incredible feat of your feet - and toes – allowing all the above to balance, work, conform and move.
YOU ARE AMAZING!
By looking out for things we appreciate and noticing how that feels in our body, we are rewiring our brains towards generating wellbeing in our mind and body, whilst also allowing the wiring connected with negative emotion & pain to whither from disuse.
When we focus on our senses, we bring ourselves into the present moment, leaving recurring emotions such as sadness, anger & guilt in the past and forgetting worries about the future – and adding to this brain rewiring effect. That makes appreciating what we sense a double whammy!
Techniques, such as these, for managing our busy, negative inner chatter & thoughts are important tools we learn, experience and practice throughout the Freedom from Pain programme.
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