The challenges have come to an end...are you still here with me? How did things go? What did you learn about yourself while doing the challenges? You're stronger than you think? You are! can you see there is a life beyond your pain and that you don't have to give up living life for you? I hope by completing the challenges you are beginning to take the steps to reclaiming your life for you and not your pain. 

Each challenge is a step to managing your pain. Learning what soothes you, how to talk with yourself when feeling pain, changing your exercise and eating habits, managing the stress within your life, understanding your medications and exploring alternative treatments...are healthy goals to have for managing a pained life. Changing your own personal thoughts and behaviours may be difficult, but are also healthy goals in pain management. 

Pain is now a part of who we are and unless the medical community miraculously discovers a cure, we will probably live with pain for the rest of our lives. For this reason, we need to learn how to cope with it, prepare for and manage it. It is possible, but it's up to us to take the steps within our own lives. We will each experience our pain differently, and our abilities and limitations are different too. Learn what your abilities are and live within them. Stretch your limitations so they are not constricting your life. Live for you and not your pain. You can do it!

I'd like to wrap things up by giving you one last challenge....go and reward yourself! take the time today to treat and reward yourself and your efforts. Even if you've only completed one challenge...reward your effort. If you need to postpone this step that's fine, but please do plan for it within the next few days. 

I wish you only the best for your health and your life moving forward....take good care of you.
Tammy

Today's LCP Boot Camp challenge is a three part challenge. The first is to give thought to your personal behaviours when you are feeling your pain. What do you do when you're hurting? What do you turn to? How do you behave when you're hurting? 

We know pain is not only physical, but emotional and mental too and sometimes we don't always respond in the best way...our behaviour can be negatively affected by our pain. Give thought to how you behave when you are feeling your pain.

Take a look at the following...(just a few examples)

• drug and/or alcohol abuse
• prescription abuse
• self abuse
• self-isolation 
• disassociating with your life
• explosive verbal and/or physical outbursts
• negative self-talk
• eating disorders
• neglectful self-care

Today's LCP Boot Camp Challenge is to get active in your life and complete at least 1 hour of exercise.

​Over the past month, the physical challenges have progressed by increasing the time frames given...we started off at 15 minutes, then to 30 and then to 45 and now we're at 1 hour. Have you progressed with it and increased the amount of time you're exercising each day? How often are you exercising each week?

If you haven't increased your time yet...please try and do so. Little increments is best so you don't cause further injury, but it's important that you challenge your limitations while improving your abilities.

If you need to break down your exercise into smaller increments of time throughout your day that's fine. Move as you're able when you're able...but get active in your life.

If you haven't developed your personal exercise plan yet, give it some thought today. What can you do each day to keep you moving and mobile? The more you move today...the more you will move tomorrow.

Today's LCP Boot Camp Challenge is a two part challenge. The first challenge is to give thought to what you say to yourself when you are feeling your emotional, mental and/or physical pain.

When we are experiencing our pain, we are often the hardest on ourselves and our words hurt the most. What do you say to you when you are feeling your pain?

The second part of the challenge is to give thought to what you can say to yourself that is positive, encouraging and helpful when feeling your pain instead of beating yourself up. Give thought to what you need to hear when you're hurting...do you say those things to yourself? What will you say to yourself now moving forward? 

The next time you are feeling your emotional, mental or physical pain...be more gentle with yourself and the things you say to you. It does takes practice, but you can do it. What you say to yourself can be helpful and healing or it can be harmful and hurtful. How do you talk to you? 

Give thought to what you say when you're hurting and then give thought to what you need to hear to soothe the pain. What will you say to yourself the next time you talk to you? 

Today's LCP Boot Camp Challenge is to take a break. Today I challenge you to do something just for you that is soothing and relaxing for you. After a long week what have you done to release your stress and negativity? What makes you feel better?

Well...today I challenge you to enjoy doing just that....making yourself feel better. Take the time to unwind and do something that will put a smile on your face. 

I dare you!

I just wanted to take a few minutes to check-in and see how things are going. We're almost at the end of the month and I hope that by doing the daily challenges you are beginning to take the steps towards living with your pain, instead of your pain living with you.

We all have our own needs, wants, dreams, fears, strengths, and weaknesses. And we will each experience our pain in our own way. Please do not compare yourself, your pain, nor your life to anyone else. You are unique in your journey and the steps you take will be yours...no one can take them for you, but I hope you will take them for you.

The LCP Boot Camp challenges have been designed using entries I've written for the thought therapy, coping skills, heath & wellness and pain behaviour categories. To read these entries and more...please check out the various categories listed on the right. 

The Boot Camp Challenge is something new and different here and by joining in, I hope you have learned something new and different about yourself too...you're stronger than you believe yourself to be!

I wish you only the best for your life moving forward...

please take good care of you.
Tammy

Today's LCP Boot Camp Challenge is to break down your goals from yesterday into smaller more reachable steps.

What goals did you list for yourself yesterday? Did you give thought to how you will reach those goals? If I could offer, the goals from yesterday are your long-term goals. What I am asking of you today, is to identify what steps you can take to reach your long-term goals. Please take the time and write down 4 short-term goals for each goal you identified yesterday in the challenge.

For example....

Long term goal (LTG) To improve my exercise habits.
Short term goal (STG) Within one week I will speak to my doctor to ensure it is safe and I am healthy enough to begin an exercise program. I will ask my doctor for suggestions.
Short term goal (STG) Within one week I will explore yoga, tai chi, and other exercise programs.
Short term goal (STG) Within two weeks I will sign up for an exercise program.
Short term goal (STG) Within two days I will start walking in my neighbourhood for 15 minutes three times a week. I will add 5 minutes to my walking time each week until I reach 45 minutes.

Today's LCP Boot Camp Challenge is to gather up the challenges you have completed and begin setting your goals for moving forward in your life making the changes you want for you.

What goals have you started setting for yourself? What would you like to do in your life moving forward? What do you need  to help you reach your goals? Have you given it any thought? If not, please do. 

Here are a few goals to keep in mind....

• To improve my eating habits
• To improve and change how I talk to myself when I'm feeling my pain
  
• To increase my physical exercise 
• To be more active with my family and friends having a social life
• To explore alternative treatments for my pain
• To learn what soothes my emotional, physical and mental pain

Whatever your personal goals are, they should empower you and encourage you while providing a challenge as well. What goals are you going to set for your life moving forward?  What do you want to change within your life? The power is within you to make the changes you want for you. Will you do it? 

Today's LCP Boot Camp Challenge is to exercise for at least 45 minutes. Whether your choice is to be indoors or outdoors, get active today. Break down the time into smaller increments if you need but do something today to get you more active than you were yesterday and the day before. 

We are now three weeks into the challenges and I'm hoping you are no longer in the fitness protection program. I do realize breaking out can be hard but it can be done. Move within your abilities and challenge your limitations daily. 

Every step you take today will keep you moving tomorrow...even the little steps...so keep taking them for you.

If you need any ideas...please check out some of the other exercise challenges and see what you can incorporate into your daily routine.  There are things you can do...will you do them?

The challenges have been going for just over three weeks now, and I'd like to open the blog for your comments, questions and suggestions. 

My hope with the challenges was to get you thinking about how you are living with your pain, to challenge your thoughts and to get you moving more today than you did yesterday. I hope too that you have taken the time to learn what soothes you and what aids in your pain management. 

The choice is ours to make whether we will accept our pain or whether we will resign ourselves to it. The kind of life we will have will depend on the choices we make moving forward now that pain is a part of us. What choices can and will you make for yourself?

Please feel to share you thoughts...I'd like to hear from you.

take good care of you and have a great day
Tammy