Coping with Chronic Pain at Home

Home Care
Written By Bob Coates

Living Well Beyond the Pain…

Chronic pain is not just a diagnosis — it is a daily companion that reshapes how you work, love, and rest. The quiet hours at home are often the hardest. This is when pain feels loudest, when family interactions can become strained, and when loneliness and frustration can creep in.

Compassionate Daily Practices

Instead of pushing through in silence, here are gentle, research-backed strategies that honor both your body and your emotional world:

  • Routine Movement with Kindness: Gentle stretching, chair yoga, or short walks around the house keep the body from becoming rigid — and remind you that movement is still possible.

  • Mindful Breathing & Grounding: A few minutes of slow breathing or prayerful reflection can quiet the nervous system. Say to yourself: “This moment is safe.”

  • Create a Healing Space: Even a single chair or corner can become a place for rest — soft lighting, warm blanket, favorite book, or music that soothes.

  • Better Sleep, Little by Little: Dim lights an hour before bed, use calming scents like lavender, and trade late-night screens for a few minutes of journaling.

  • Food as Support, Not Punishment: Choose nourishing foods that help reduce inflammation, but avoid shaming yourself on hard days.

Caring for the Heart

Chronic pain can be isolating. Family members often cannot fully understand what you are feeling — not because they don’t care, but because pain is unique to each person. If your loved ones are struggling to support you, seek encouragement and guidance from your care team. A behavioral pain specialist can help you communicate what you need and help your family better understand your experience.

If you need assistance or a safe space to start these conversations, you can reach me directly: Bob Coates, MDiv, LMFT, LPC, LMHC – bob.coates@symedicanetwork.com | 813-508-1859.

Remember: You are more than your diagnosis. Healing is not always about being pain-free — it’s about recovering your life, piece by piece, and finding moments of joy again.

Bob Coates

Bob Coates, is the founder of Behavioral Pain Specialist LLC. Bob has spent decades working alongside physicians, first responders, congregations, and families in their hardest hours, advancing the recognition of behavioral pain as a vital dimension of human health.

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Behavioral Pain Management: It’s Not Always in the Body or the “the Head”