Can Chronic Pain Effect Your Motivation?

Can chronic pain have an effect on your motivation?⠀

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Chronic pain can influence both physical and mental health. Depressive thoughts, hopelessness, physical and mental exhaustion and lack of motivation are common consequences of chronic pain.⠀

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The recent study of Stanford University School of Medicine shows that lack of motivation can be viewed as a way our brain functions after suffering from chronic pain. A study was conducted on mice and concluded that "there are a specific set of functional changes in the brain when the body is in chronic pain that may potentially explain a decrease in motivation". Moreover, it was also found that chronic pain influences motivation even when the pain isn't there.⠀

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So what does it mean for us?⠀

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💡 we should go easy on ourselves when some days we have no energy to complete tasks;⠀

💡 we shouldn't take advantage of our body on the days when we feel good and pain-free;⠀

💡 it's ok to slow down and take the rest when necessary.