If you have chronic pain, you might have noticed that oftentimes when you’re feeling happy and positive, the pain doesn’t seem as bad as it usually does. I decided to look at the research to find out if being happy can reduce pain. Here’s what I found in Finan & Garland’s 2015 review of all the relevant research.
Being happy can reduce sensitivity to pain, help people to be better able to manage and function with pain. Pleasant or positive mood or emotions have been shown to affect a person’s perception of pain. People with a less positive mood appear to be more vulnerable to poor pain-related outcomes.
In this article we’ll dive into some more detail, to better understand how positive mood can reduce pain, and how to enhance positive feelings, based on Finan & Garland’s review of the research.
How does being happy affect pain?
By ‘happy’, I mean experiencing feelings that are pleasant and positive. This could range from feeling relaxed, content, or amused to feeling blissful or joyous.
The researchers gathered together data from all the relevant research to explore the effect on how positive mood can affect a person’s pain.
Outcomes of positive mood on pain can include:
- Reduced pain sensitivity
- Increased ability to self-manage pain
- Improvement in our ability to function with pain
- Lower levels of chronic pain itself
People with chronic pain can have different experiences with positive mood – their specific pain condition can play a part in it.
For example, the researchers point out that some people with fibromyalgia have issues with dopamine, a neurotransmitter that is responsible for learning, attention, mood, motivation and pain processing, among other things.
It’s not about forcing yourself to be positive all the time, or denying any of your other feelings, it’s more about noticing or looking for positives, paying attention to them, and seeking out more opportunities for them.
It sounds promising – how does it work?
Why do positive emotions affect chronic pain?
I can recall times that I’ve been wrapped up in a particular problem I’ve been struggling with, feeling quite overwhelmed by it.
Then I’ve had a laugh with a friend or family member, or at something funny online, which really lifted my mood.
The change in mood to altered the way I viewed the problem I was having, whether I’d discussed it with the other person or not.
The social interaction took me ‘out of myself’, took my focus away from my problem and made it seem less significant.
When my thoughts returned to my problem, I felt less consumed by it, more able to cope with it, and viewed it as less threatening.
A similar process could happen when the problem is pain that you’re feeling.
Being happy can reduce unpleasantness associated with pain, and reduce the attention we give to the pain.
Positive feelings can help us feel more capable of coping with chronic pain.
When we believe in our own ability to cope with things, we are encouraged to seek out strategies to help us do so. When we are equipped with resources, we are better able to manage the pain.
A positive mood can buffer the effect that pain can have on physical function, which in turn can help the pain.
“Physical activity reduces chronic pain by building muscle strength and flexibility, reducing fatigue, reducing pain sensitivity, and reducing inflammation”
(Voss et al., 2022)
When our mood is more positive, we are more likely to engage socially with others in a positive way, which can make pain feel less intense.
“Meaningful social ties, including social support… may predict lower levels of pain intensity and bolster more effective psychological responses under painful conditions.”
(Sturgeon & Zautra, 2016)
Feeling happy is also associated with motivation, and readiness to change, which can help us to move towards finding ways to help manage the pain.
It can also increase the level of control we feel we have over the pain.
When we are feeling more positive, we’re better able to respond to the challenges of pain by building resources that help us to deal with it.
Positive emotion also expands our attention. This can help our ability to solve problems associated with the pain.
“Positive emotions affect our brains in ways that increase our awareness, attention, and memory. They help us take in more information, hold several ideas in mind at once, and understand how different ideas relate to each other.”
(“The Power of Positive Emotions”, 2018)
A positive mood can also help counteract some of the negative feelings and thoughts that can arise when pain is more severe.
These processes can all contribute to the outcome of reducing the pain.
So, how do we get there?
How can you enhance positive mood with chronic pain?
The researchers discuss a range of ways to potentially enhance positive mood for people with chronic pain. These include:
- Noticing and taking advantage of positive events
- Re-assessing stressful events in a more positive way
- Feeling gratitude
- Doing kind things for others
- Focusing on the present moment and what’s important to you
- Creating achievable value-driven goals
- Focusing on positive personal attributes
- Engaging with situations, actions, and attitudes associated with positive change
- Savoring natural rewards
- Relaxation
- Scheduling fun or pleasant activities
- Increasing social activities and new experiences
- Positive reappraisal of the experience of pain itself
They identified these as aspects of various psychological therapies, though any of these suggestions could be practiced by yourself. If you find that you struggle with them, you may find that a counselor or friend or family member could help you with things like reappraising things in a more positive way, or working out what’s important to you, to create goals for yourself based on your values.
Each of the strategies can be rewarding in their own right – and if feeling more positive emotion helped you feel better able to cope with the pain, that would be a definite bonus.
Related questions
Can you be happy with chronic pain?
Chronic pain can severely impact a person’s life and can be challenging in many ways. But people can find happiness, despite the pain. Psychological strategies and social engagement can help improve mood, which in turn can influence a person’s experience of pain and their ability to manage it.
What does chronic pain feel like?
How chronic pain feels varies from person to person, and at different times. The physical sensations of pain can feel like stabbing, throbbing, aching, burning, cold, or tingling, etc. and can vary in intensity or severity. How a person experiences pain differs according to biopsychosocial factors.
References
Finan, P. H., & Garland, E. L. (2015). The role of positive affect in pain and its treatment. The Clinical journal of pain, 31(2), 177–187.
Sturgeon, J. A., & Zautra, A. J. (2016). Social pain and physical pain: shared paths to resilience. Pain management, 6(1), 63–74.
The Power of Positive Emotions (2018). Retrieved from kidshealth.org.
Voss, M. W., Savoie-Roskos, M., Coombs, C., Nurza, G., Nelson, C., & Withers, E. (n.d.). Exercise and Chronic Pain, Utah State University Heart Extension, Retrieved from https://extension.usu.edu/heart/research/exercise-and-chronic-pain