As a chronic illness warrior, pain is not new to me. Unfortunately, it's a daily nuisance that I have to deal with. On the bright side though, there are plenty of ways that I can distract myself from it!

Of course, I could easily take one of my many prescriptions or use an expensive medical device, but I like to stick to the more natural approach. Personally, I don't like adding anything else to my body if I don't have to, so I often try these seven techniques!

1. Dive into a new world.
Whether it's in a book, a tv show, or a movie, immerse yourself into something new! Find something that you can jump into and leave your world behind. Personally, I enjoy a good book! I tend to get restless while watching a tv screen and I can't help but focus more on the pain or hop around on social media. Of course, if screens are more your thing, then turn one on and let the pain be gone!

2. Find something funny.
While we're on the topic of screens, I figured this would be another helpful tip! According to some, laughter is the best medicine, so you should find something that you know will make you laugh! My husband and I really enjoy Joe Santagato videos, but I won't turn down something with a cute animal either! Whatever your preference is, it's only one search away!

3. Take a nap.
Now, I know this doesn't work for everybody, but it can be an easy way to distract yourself from the pain! Personally, my body fights me anytime I try to take a nap while it's still light outside, but most people don't have that problem. So, put on your pj's and go count some sheep!

4. Challenge yourself mentally.
This isn't necessarily my go to for distracting myself from pain, since it's my go to when I'm board, but it still works! Taking the time to challenge yourself mentally can be a great distraction! And the best part is, you can do it by yourself or with other people! For yourself, you might enjoy word searches, crossword puzzles, sudoko, or solitaire. And if you're with someone, you might enjoy chess or checkers!

5. Work on a big project.
Sometimes all we need to do to get our minds off of something is to put them onto something else. In this case, it's a big project! However, since you're already in pain, I don't recommend any heavy lifting or home renovations. Instead, you can write that novel you've always dreamt about or declutter your closet. Whichever big project you have in mind, get to working on it!

6. Explore meditation.
Although I've never successfully meditated, I can say that attempting to is a great distraction! So whether or not you're successful, just focusing on your breathing can be enough to filter out any thoughts of pain. After taking a stress management class in college, I learned that there of TONS of breathing exercises and meditation techniques. So, just pick one and see if it works!

7. Listen to music.
Whether you're mindlessly singing along or taking the time to digest every lyric, listening to music can be a great distraction! And if you're a multi-tasker, that's even better! You could easily listen to music while working on your big project for double the distraction! And if you really don't know what to do, you could make some new playlists too!