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Pleasant Activity Scheduling

When you have pain, enjoying yourself may seem impossible. Engaging in pleasant activities however is not only an important part of life, it is also an important part of pain treatment.

If you are like most people with pain, you may be doing only what is "necessary", such as chores or work, but not taking time for yourself. Taking time for some personal enjoyment helps to rejuvenate both the body and mind. It may also help to improve mood, distract from pain, connect with people, and add balance to your life.

Enjoying yourself may seem selfish at first because you feel that you should spend your time taking care of your family, job, or chores. But what may be missing from your life is time to take care of you. Spending some time doing pleasant things may help you take control of your life by balancing your responsibilities with activities you enjoy. Think about your physical and emotional energy as batteries. When you use energy to take care of daily tasks, energy drains from your batteries. If you recharge both your physical and emotional batteries, you may be able to do more for yourself and others.

People who are living with chronic pain are more likely to report giving up the things they love to do in order to get the things done that they have to do. Thus, going to work, running errands, paying bills and taking care of cooking and cleaning are made a priority, while hanging out with friends, reading a book, spending time on a hobby, or even taking a long bath are skipped. This makes for a life that is not terribly enjoyable. For some, chronic pain has caused them to reconsider who they are and what they can or cannot do – this can have an impact on one's self-image and sense of purpose in life.

Many people without pain get their chores done first and then do something enjoyable. For people with chronic pain, getting the chores done may mean not having any energy left for anything fun. People with chronic pain need a balance of work and pleasant activities to remain functional. An approach that has worked for many people with pain is pleasant activity scheduling. In other words, you schedule in time for things that are pleasant just as you would schedule a work appointment that is a "must do".

How it’s done

Overcoming Challenges

Videos on Pleasant activity scheduling

How it’s done

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STEP 1: Decide what to do

Pick activities that you enjoy, for example:

  • Creating or enjoying music or art
  • Watching a movie or favorite TV show
  • Finding a hobby, doing crafts, bird watching or playing computer or board games
  • Playing with family members or a pet
  • Spending time with a friend, either in person or on the phone
  • Taking time to write a letter or email to an old friend
  • Reading a good book or something to make you smile like jokes or comics
  • Getting some exercise, such as taking a walk outside or dancing

STEP 2: Tailor activities to your needs

Pain may have changed what you are able to do. If a favorite activity seems too hard to do now, you may need to rethink what could be pleasant. But don't allow pain to stop all forms of pleasant/enjoyable activity. Doing things that you enjoy, even for a short time, may help you feel better. For new ideas, look at magazines or see what kinds of classes are offered online or close to where you live. If you need to change the way you do an activity, you can:

  • Do it for a shorter period of time
  • Break it into smaller steps
  • Pace yourself and rest at set times so you don't overdo it (see Pacing for tips)
  • Do it with a friend or family member who can help you if you need it.

STEP 3: Start small and set realistic goals

Even 5 minutes a day can make a difference.

STEP 4: Put it on your calendar

Once you’ve decided what you want to do and when, putting it on your calendar can help you stick with your goals. Setting reminders like phone alerts can also help.

Overcoming Challenges

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Enjoying yourself may seem like a low priority to you when there are many demands on your time and energy. But feeling recharged benefits both you and those who depend on you. Below are some ideas to help you to overcome barriers and challenges that you may face.

  1. *“I don't have time for myself”—*Just as a car needs gas to run, you need to recharge and refuel your mind and body. Pleasant activities can be that fuel! Just taking five minutes to read a funny cartoon or a note from a friend may give you a little boost and help take your mind off your symptoms. But if you don't take time to renew yourself, you may exhaust yourself and run out of gas.
  2. *“My symptom is more serious than a funny cartoon”—*Engaging in pleasant activities is not meant to cure pain. It is designed to bring balance to your mind which is likely to be focused on your symptoms. If pain gets processed in the brain against a background of pleasantness rather than negative emotions (e.g., despair, anger, anxiety, frustration) it can be experienced as less intense.
  3. *“I want to take time to enjoy myself, but other people need me”—*Sometimes people may need to impose on your time. To protect this time, invite them to join you in an activity or you may want to set up clear rules about how much they can expect of you and when. Tell them you will be able to help them more if you have time to recharge yourself. PASC Guide’s section of Communication may help you find ways to talk about this concern with them.
  4. *“I'm having trouble enjoying myself”—*It can be frustrating when you are not enjoying your favorite hobbies the way you used to. Or you may be struggling to find new activities to enjoy. Try asking friends and family for suggestions or see what's available in your local community. Make sure to give yourself enough time to try new things. You may find:
  • New activities you enjoy as much as your old hobbies
  • New ways to enjoy your old pastimes
  • New levels of energy may allow you to do more