An important principle in living with pain is to accept and observe the feelings and thoughts that the pain brings. Or to accept and observe that one cannot accept.

Don't use your energy to fight against thoughts and feelings that arise, and instead try to observe and accept what comes.

​

The thought is free and cannot be stopped. What you can influence is how much attention you give to the painful thoughts, how much you choose to believe them and what influence they have on you. The more you try to control the pain, the more space it takes.

Then it is not so much the pain, but your reaction to it that is the problem.

​

Accepting and observing the pain means paying attention to the body's physical, mental and emotional states without judging them. Instead of spending energy resisting or suppressing pain, it's about allowing yourself to experience it. This means giving space to the emotions that arise – whether frustration, sadness or anger – and seeing them for what they are, without letting them dominate your experience.

​

When we accept or face the pain, we change our relationship with it. By observing the pain neutrally, we can begin to understand the patterns and triggers that intensify it. This makes it possible to reduce the mental and emotional strain caused by the pain.

​

Acceptance is not a passive act, but an active process of being present in the moment and allowing oneself to experience life fully, even with pain and suffering. This can reduce the overall burden that pain has on your life, and help you find a balance where pain doesn't rule you, but is just part of your total experience.