Transformative Habits: Smashing Reading Goals and Mastering Chronic Pain

Ever wondered how changing your daily habits can transform your life goals? Tune in as I dissect my tailored daily reading routine, influenced by Jim Kwik's wisdom, where I match book genres with my energy peaks throughout the day—fueling creativity in the morning with gems like "Atomic Habits," sharpening practical skills in the afternoon, and winding down at night with the thrilling Jack Reacher series. The cherry on top? A deep dive into the habit loop from "Atomic Habits" that unpacks the anatomy of successful goal pursuit.

This episode isn't just about mental feats; it's also a journey through the tough terrain of chronic pain management. Discover how mindfulness can reshape our response to persistent discomfort, converting dread into positive anticipation. I explore the impact of meditation, binaural beats, and hypnosis in this transformation, and I illustrate the tightrope walk of distinguishing soreness from chronic pain. By altering our pain narrative and embracing a gratitude-filled mindset, we unlock the path to a more resilient and pain-free athletic lifestyle. Get ready for an enlightening exploration that might just revolutionize your approach to physical and personal challenges.

Podcast Disclaimer:

The Pain-Free Podcast is presented solely for general information, education, and entertainment purposes. Any information presented in this podcast is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional diagnosis. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast or website is at the user’s own risk. As always, users should not disregard or delay obtaining medical advice for any medical or mental health condition that they may have and should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:05

Welcome to the Pain Free Athlete Podcast. I'm your host, Dana Jones. I am a certified personal trainer and I'm here to help you achieve your fitness goals without pain. In each episode, I'll share tips and strategies that will help you stay safe and pain free while you're working out. I'll also interview experts in the field of fitness and pain management. So if you're ready to learn how to stay active and pain free, then subscribe to the Pain Free Athlete Podcast today. Hi everyone and welcome to the Pain Free Athlete Podcast. I'm your host, Dana Jones.

Speaker 1: 0:39

So, as many of you know, I have been on a quest to read books. I did my little Jim quick, quick reading course, and so I have a different mindset about how I'm going to approach reading instead of thinking like, oh, I can't read, or all that kind of garbage. Anyway. So at this point I have read 20 books, which is awesome, because my goal for the entire year was reading 24, and it's only March. So go me. Yay. I have three books that I'm kind of working on at the same time, which is interesting, because he talks about the fact that you kind of should do that because of the way that your brain works at different points in the day. So he says, you know, in the morning, when your brain is, all you know, rested, fresh, alert, all that kind of good stuff, that's a good time to read something that kind of stimulates creativity and personal growth. It's a good time to study that, you know. I think that's probably a good idea. So I try to read something that is a little bit more, you know, working on me, kind of focused. In the afternoon he said you know your energy levels kind of dip, so you want to read material that's more practical, actionable or business related, you know. So time management, books, skill development, things like that. And then in the evening he said that it's always best to kind of read things that promote relaxation or just, you know, chilling, I guess would be the easiest way to say, because of the fact that if you read something that is, you know, actionable or something that's kind of motivating or inspirational, then when you fall asleep that's what your brain is working on and then that kind of messes with you.

Speaker 1: 2:41

So trying to read, like you know, fiction at night before you go to bed, because that is probably the best time to do it, so that's also when I journal, because it's a good time to kind of sit down, reflect, you know, and try to work through stuff so that it's resolved before I close my eyes, so that way I'm not ruminating in my dreams or just not going to sleep and laying there and doing that. So I try to pay attention to my energy levels and adjust my reading habits so that I can enjoy it and that it doesn't feel like a task. So I'm reading, so in the morning I'm reading Atomic Habits by James Clear. My afternoon book is Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingslow Solver I don't know how to say her name, Even though it's fictional. I'm choosing to kind of read it in the afternoon because it's heavy and the character is going through a lot of things and so it's really hard for me to just lay there and go oh, you know, this person's going to be okay, it's just a lot, it's a lot.

Speaker 1: 3:53

And I think I made a mistake and I thought, oh, I could read this at night. And then I worried about the character and dreamt about, like, worrying about the character. So I was like, okay, I got to get rid of this. So I saved my nighttime reading. Right now I'm reading the Secret by Lee Child, and that's another Jack Reacher book and I don't have to worry about Jack because I know he can take care of himself. So if you ever had a chance to read the books, they're kind of, you know, it goes through the process of you know him kind of kicking everybody's ass and being able to figure things out.

Speaker 1: 4:27

But anyway, so why I'm talking about reading today and all that you know that kind of thing, is because I was listening, listening, reflecting, because a lot of times I'll listen to the book as I'm reading it as well, so I get it double dosed, because I think that's the old habit that I try to do, but I try to listen while I'm driving, and so then I go back and then I read it and then it really kind of solidifies it in my brain. Everybody's got a thing. That's my thing, Anyway. So I was listening to the James Clear book and he was talking about habits and I thought this was very interesting because I don't know if I ever paid attention to habits and goals and that.

Speaker 1: 5:10

You know, I teach about goals, but I don't really. You know, I don't think I've ever broken it down, right. You know, when you're in school you talk about goals and you talk about smart goals? Right, it has to be specific, measurable, right? All those things. And we never talk about exactly like, how do you form a habit so that you can get to the goal? Like, what is the process that it takes you to get from A to B? So you know, you can wish like, oh, I'm going to be a millionaire or whatever, but if you don't do anything to put yourself in the position of actually making that happen, then it's kind of a wish, right. Right, that's the difference between a goal and a wish. And so he has this concept.

Speaker 1: 5:54

James Clear has this concept, and it's called the habit loop, where there's a cue, there's a craving, there's a reward or, sorry, a response, and then a reward. And I was like, wow, this is so simple, and so I get it right, Like it makes sense, and so I'm going to share it with you. Anyway, so what is a cue? A cue is something that initiates a habit. It could be anything that promotes a particular behavior. I know Mel Robbins talks about the fact that she hates working out, and so one of the things that she does is that the night before she's supposed to work out, she lays out all her workout clothing. So when she wakes up, that's the first thing she sees. And it also cuts down on that decision. I don't even know what to call it. It's kind of like you know where you can't make a decision and so it's already made. Right, You're there, your workout clothes are there, there's your shoes. Okay, you got to go right and take care of it.

Speaker 1: 6:48

The craving is the desire or motivation that happens as a response to the cue, right? So it's the feeling that drives you in a certain way. And so you know, you see the clothes and you're like okay, I said I was going to work out, this is what I'm going to do. The response is the actual behavior. So that's the getting in the car, driving to the gym or going out in the garage and start, you know, throwing weights around, whatever it is. It's the actual habit itself. And then, finally, there's the reward, which is what you experience right after you completed the habit. So it satisfies the craving, right, Rewards are tangible. So you know that feeling of accomplishment, you know the little. What is it? The ring closing on my Apple watch saying, like you did your, you know, exercise, you hit your exercise goal, or you hit your stand goal, or whatever it may be, and basically the reward reinforces the habit loop because of the fact that it's a positive thing that happens. And so then you're like, oh, I'm going to do this again and again, and you know so. Then you do this.

Speaker 1: 7:55

But as I was reflecting on this, I thought, you know, this could also be not so positive, and so I started associating with chronic pain. And so for me, what I was thinking right, or what my old loop was, is that the cue is the you know, it could be the working out right in a bad way, right, Like you know, I believe that my, you know, I'm going to have a headache if I do upper body exercises, like you know, push-ups, or shoulder presses or something like that. And so then I go, oh, I, you know, I did that and I can't get past it. So now I know what's going to happen, Right, so the craving is okay. Now I did that, and now I need to make sure that I don't feel this way. Or, you know, I'm, I'm, I'm feeling the discomfort, right, so it could be, I woke up the next morning and then my neck is tight and then I start freaking out a little bit, right, so this is where, you know you reach for the medication because I'm trying to seek some kind of relief, right?

Speaker 1: 9:04

The response, of course, would be what am I doing? So is it the pain medication? Is it, you know, heat or ice? Or you know I got to make an appointment for a chiropractor, Is it, you know, not going to work because you know this hurts, or something like that. And then the reward would be that there is some temporary relief, right, or there's a distraction from the pain, and so then you are sending the message to your body like, okay, this is what I do.

Speaker 1: 9:33

When this happens and you may see this, some of you are not chronic pain sufferers and you may see this, right you may go oh, you know I did this and and now I'm in this situation and you have your go-tos right. So, like, if I feel this way, I use, you know I take Advil. If something you know is whatever pulled or, you know, strained or something like that, I go for my CBD cream or my you know whatever bomb you have that you rub on something. Or you know I need an ice pack, or I got to put heat on this or something like that to try to help. And you know? I mean, we do whatever we need to do to soothe ourselves.

Speaker 1: 10:15

For a chronic pain sufferer, is you got to figure out how to break up this habit loop? Because you don't want to put yourself, you know, and I guess it's like you don't want to put yourself in the position of feeling this way, and some of us feel this way for a very long time. You know, I had 15 months, you know, 15 months of every day with a migraine. I was in a habit loop that I could not shake. And for other people's years, right where they're just, you know, they have chronic back pain or whatever it may be. So what is a good way? Right, what are the things that you can do to disrupt the loop? Right, Because it's really easy, and I think it's easy for people who don't suffer from this to go. You know, I just ignore the pain and then it's not there any longer, or it doesn't affect me in a manner that makes me fearful or whatever. And I get it right.

Speaker 1: 11:10

You know, we in the TMS world, right, we have this fear based outlook on life and those twinges and whatever may happen, right, grabs, pulls, whatever you're feeling, are terrifying, and I mean terrifying, not like, oh, that's a little. You know, that's uncomfortable, Right, If it was uncomfortable and not a big deal, then we would move on as well. But the fact is is that there's so much emotionality and just focus, and, you know, fear, right, like terror, of that feeling, that then you're in a situation where you're like, oh no, I don't want to, I don't want to experience this again. So what do you do, right? What have I done to break up this habit loop? Because I you know the example I gave you about the whole neck thing is there for me and it does, like there's ways that I get a little crazy about it, and so I have to keep trying to modify things and what I can do, right.

Speaker 1: 12:11

So, for instance, it's like, okay, what is the queue that gets me doing a push up? And then what do I need to do? You know, so, for me, it's the idea of, well, I'm going to start doing push ups every day, so that I kind of put myself in an exposure loop, right, so I'm just doing them. And so then there's not that, oh, I don't do them often, so now I'm going to freak out, or whatever. Or the shoulder presses For a long time. I'm like, oh, I can only lift three pounds. You know, doing the shoulder stuff or whatever, I can lift like 25, 30 pound dumbbells, and but I had convinced myself that I could only lift three pounds, Right, so I had to modify the queue. So now it's like, okay, you got.

Speaker 1: 12:58

You know, this doesn't mean anything, you know, and muscle soreness just means that muscles are sore and that it's not going to lead to a migraine or whatever, I think, Right. So what else can I do? So let's talk about our cravings, right? So when you're, when you have sore muscles, right, typically there's the reach, right, the reach for the Advil, the reach for the, you know, whatever it may be TENS unit, the roller, the, something like that and one of the things that I realized is that those things just sooth my psyche but not necessarily my body, right? Yeah, it's okay to move things around, right, Get blood flowing and stuff, but the reality is that I'm just trying to make myself feel better quote unquote better about the situation, and that a lot of stuff doesn't. It's really, it comes from my brain and not necessarily from anything topical that I put on it, and I don't know if everybody agrees with that. I'm talking about chronic pain, I'm not talking about, oh, my muscles are sore or something like that.

Speaker 1: 14:03

So, instead of going to the medication, the ice, the heat or something, I go to breathing, right, Some relaxation exercises, some meditation, you know, binaural beats and all those kinds of things to try to get myself into a calmer state, so that I'm not in fear. And you know, overreacting or you know, just reacting to. I don't know if it's overreaction, it's just I'm reacting. Right. So once I do that, then you know there's a conversation that I start having with myself, right, which is, oh, I can do this again, you know. And oh, I'm going to, you know, make sure, like every night, before I go to bed, I have, you know, my meditation app that I listen to to calm me down, or maybe I'm going to lean toward, you know, my hypnosis app to make sure that I'm seeing exercise as something that's good for me, not something that's a have to or something, you know, that could be viewed as punishment or fearful, right. So, just really, you know, modifying my response to the situation and then then looking at the reward, right. So before the reward was oh, you know, I got the, I got the migraine, right. So now it's like, oh, I worked out yesterday and I don't feel it, or I did something like that and just trying to say like, oh, I am grateful for the fact that this didn't happen to me this time. Now, it may not work every time and you know, again it's.

Speaker 1: 15:42

It's not easy to break a cycle and you have to continually work on it and you have to set up these cues and you have to put yourself in a position for exposure and knowing that you're okay and knowing that sometimes things will happen. You may be sore, but just teaching your body that soreness is okay and that it's not pain. And I think when you're a chronic pain sufferer, it's really difficult for you to make the distinction between soreness and pain. They could just all get clumped together as pain and, like, you don't want to feel anything and we know that if we don't feel pain we'll die. And which is a weird thing, right? Because you're like, well, I don't like feeling pain, but pain is the thing that keeps you alive, right, it's your body's warning system to say, like you know, danger, danger, right, Danger.

Speaker 1: 16:35

Will Robinson, so one of the so just to kind of shift gears, one of the other things that he said that I thought was really interesting is that you know, through intentional practice, right, and reinforcement of new habits, you can strengthen your ability to remember and then kind of create that new cycle and that the old habit may be present in your memory. Right, you don't forget the old habit and you'll find yourself falling into it a little bit, but you have the power to overwrite it, right, it's like a disc almost, but it's never quite gone. So you know, that's something that's important to remember is that you still may have the memories, but you don't have to act on those. You can act on the new ones and then eventually, you know again, you're creating that space and extending your response and giving yourself a positive Practice and some positive reinforcement for what you're doing.

Speaker 1: 17:39

I Always like I love this. Right, this is simple, Very simple. You know, when you look at it, you read it in a book and you're like fantastic, I can do this. It's not easy, and that's why you have to have the means to creating a habit, right, that's why you need to look at the little pieces that build into it and it just can't be like oh, I thought it, so there, it's going to be right, it takes a while to incorporate these changes into your psyche, and Retraining your brain is a A wonderful thing. Right in practice makes perfect. So you keep doing it and you keep going and you keep moving forward.

Speaker 1: 18:21

So, anyway, I just I thought that was a very interesting concept and it was. You know, I'll start to see, like, how chronic pain fits into different theories that I read about. And this was a very interesting one because you really just I Think a lot of times we just think like, oh, it's so bad, and we don't realize, like that there's, you know, a psychological manner in which we behave and that these things can be adjusted. And it just takes realization and some reflection and Obviously I am extremely grateful for having this knowledge at my fingertips and kind of changing my story. So, anyway, that's all I have for you For now. Thank you so much for listening and I will catch you next time.