Gratitude Journal App & Acknowledging Pain
It's been almost two years since I've written in this chronic pain self-help blog. A lot of things have changed in my body and mind since my very first blog post. I hope I can do my best to catch up on those two years with you all. Some close friends know that I've been constantly debating on continuing this blog due to topics that can be overwhelmingly emotional. When I'm feeling well enough to write, sometimes I think that it's better to enjoy the moment and not write than to have to relive & reflect on painful moments that the writing process calls for. And sometimes when I muster up the courage to finally write, I end up feeling insecure and think of misinterpretations people may have and just end up not posting anything. I think I am at a place where I am more comfortable with myself and my journey. I truly hope that this blog will bring comfort, love, hope, and understanding to people who suffer from chronic pain, mental health, or any life struggle. So here it goes...
Attitudes of Gratitude Journal App
The past four months have been a very difficult time for my health, and I think I just hit a point last week where it was either I was going to spiral down to the point of not being able to recover, or I get help. I didn't want to go to a route of no return, so I made several doctor appointments which included pain management counseling at USC Occupational Therapy center. I have not been to pain management counseling for over a year because my goals there had already been accomplished. My goal a couple years ago was to communicate my pain to my parents, finish my classes at home, and graduate -- and I did it! But how do you deal with the pressures and expectations as a young adult and life while having an invisible and debilitating pain disorder? I'm still trying to figure it out and it's an up and down learning process of communicating my pain with different types or people (family, medical professionals, friends, strangers, workplace), opening myself up to others to heal, listening to other stories of resilience, acknowledgement of pain, vulnerability, and building strength. I've tried a lot of different things to cope with pain, and I think one of the most inexpensive, positive, and heart warming things I can do is to try practice gratitude everyday.
I wanted to share a free mobile app that I've been using the past week that lifts my spirits before I sleep and start a new day. I looked up "gratitude" on Google Play app store, and the first app that popped up was called "Attitude of Gratitude Journal". Since we live in a time of smart phones, I thought it would be more useful for me to record what I am grateful for in a device I always have near me. The app is quite simple. You just type what you are grateful for in the gray box, and instead of clicking "submit", you click the red "Yes, I am grateful" button. There are also daily motivational quotes underneath the box. You can view what you wrote for today, yesterday, or all of your entries. Sometimes I enjoy re-reading my gratitude entries as a reminder to celebrate the details in life. You can also share your entries on on Facebook.
I would also like to be mindful of the pain process and acknowledge that writing gratitude each day may not be for everyone at certain points of their life. We are all in different processes in healing and I've learned to respect that. Sometimes the most hurtful moments living with pain is actually not the physical pain, but it is well intended people who dismiss and devalue pain by saying things like just be positive, people have it worse than you, you don't have cancer, it's all in the head. Comments like that can be very damaging, making people to mask their pain for "positivity's sake" and not search for the help they need. A couple of the most valuable lessons in life I've learned the past seven years of living with a chronic pain disorder are to acknowledge and value people's pain and that there does not have to be an answer for everything. Sometimes silence and non-judgmental listening is the best thing you can do for someone that is in physical and/or emotional pain. I sincerely hope that whatever struggle you deal with in life, you take time to acknowledge it, not be afraid of vulnerability, and do not be afraid to ask for help and support to move forward.
Warmly,
TMJTiff
Here are some of my gratitude journal entries this week:
March 25, 2014
Attitudes of Gratitude Journal App
The past four months have been a very difficult time for my health, and I think I just hit a point last week where it was either I was going to spiral down to the point of not being able to recover, or I get help. I didn't want to go to a route of no return, so I made several doctor appointments which included pain management counseling at USC Occupational Therapy center. I have not been to pain management counseling for over a year because my goals there had already been accomplished. My goal a couple years ago was to communicate my pain to my parents, finish my classes at home, and graduate -- and I did it! But how do you deal with the pressures and expectations as a young adult and life while having an invisible and debilitating pain disorder? I'm still trying to figure it out and it's an up and down learning process of communicating my pain with different types or people (family, medical professionals, friends, strangers, workplace), opening myself up to others to heal, listening to other stories of resilience, acknowledgement of pain, vulnerability, and building strength. I've tried a lot of different things to cope with pain, and I think one of the most inexpensive, positive, and heart warming things I can do is to try practice gratitude everyday.
I wanted to share a free mobile app that I've been using the past week that lifts my spirits before I sleep and start a new day. I looked up "gratitude" on Google Play app store, and the first app that popped up was called "Attitude of Gratitude Journal". Since we live in a time of smart phones, I thought it would be more useful for me to record what I am grateful for in a device I always have near me. The app is quite simple. You just type what you are grateful for in the gray box, and instead of clicking "submit", you click the red "Yes, I am grateful" button. There are also daily motivational quotes underneath the box. You can view what you wrote for today, yesterday, or all of your entries. Sometimes I enjoy re-reading my gratitude entries as a reminder to celebrate the details in life. You can also share your entries on on Facebook.
I would also like to be mindful of the pain process and acknowledge that writing gratitude each day may not be for everyone at certain points of their life. We are all in different processes in healing and I've learned to respect that. Sometimes the most hurtful moments living with pain is actually not the physical pain, but it is well intended people who dismiss and devalue pain by saying things like just be positive, people have it worse than you, you don't have cancer, it's all in the head. Comments like that can be very damaging, making people to mask their pain for "positivity's sake" and not search for the help they need. A couple of the most valuable lessons in life I've learned the past seven years of living with a chronic pain disorder are to acknowledge and value people's pain and that there does not have to be an answer for everything. Sometimes silence and non-judgmental listening is the best thing you can do for someone that is in physical and/or emotional pain. I sincerely hope that whatever struggle you deal with in life, you take time to acknowledge it, not be afraid of vulnerability, and do not be afraid to ask for help and support to move forward.
Warmly,
TMJTiff
Here are some of my gratitude journal entries this week:
March 25, 2014
- having ppo health insurance
- appointment at the beautiful Hoag health center in Newport Beach
- dad wrote me a check that I can use for future medical appointments
- lisa is a good person and friend
- robert called to check up and made me realize not to expect a lot from certain doctors
- jacqueline is compassionate and supportive
- project focus
- leon always values my journey
- my parents said hi to me and offered to pay for a $5,000 bed if it made me feel better
- mom offered a cool water bottle and pizza from work
- i have a great washing machine
- flexible work schedule to take time for self-care
- ability to think, write, walking, breathing
- gary is cute
- Leon understood I could not fully work due to my pain
- Tien emailed me about the day of mindfulness workshop at USC
- conversations about how we can improve ourselves
- talking to my mentee
- I received a free aromatherapy lavender vanilla pillow mist
- catching up with my cousin over sushi
- 20% off of pain relief products at bed, bath, and beyond
- smell of lavender
- health insurance
- seeing my parents
- hearing that my dad's boss & co-workers pitched in to by him a laptop as a retirement gift because they loved him that much
- making the last hour of Project Motivate study hall
- great cyber safety workshop
- playing with Gary
- access to different tools/resources to manage and cope with pain
- project focus
- jimmy gave me a ride to staff appreciation day
- project motivate surprised us with a staff appreciation dinner & gift
- meaningful conversation with George
- being part of Quoc Quan's social media experiment video
- being safe after the earthquake
- dancing at the Velvet Lounge with Yvonne & Vivian
- Linh generously bought us all Dos Chinos
- dim sum
- saw my nieces
- family
- parents happy to see their grandchildren
- Leon cooked me dinner
- movie Gravity
- playing monopoly deal like happy children
- Mai giving me her deck of monopoly deal cards
- mom saved me food
- Lisa checked out a cranial manipulation book for me at USC
- catching up with Lisa and Nancy
- bridal shower planning coming together
- I have great friends
- my head and neck snapped in place which decreased my pain
- ability to type my gratitude, think, breathe, walk, and use my hands
- sunlight
- beach breeze
- seeing Gary's smiley face when I opened the door to work
- deep cleaning of the office for better feng shui
- dinner with leon
- laughing
- less painful work day
- family and friends are ok
- invited to the Viet Care meeting
- dope common ground site made by yvonne
- functioning body parts to get through the day
- latch video
- breathing
- vision
- sunlight
- love
and our awesome convo about life! hehe <3 So proud of you, and we're here to support you on your journey toward healing!
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ReplyDelete-G