Pain Is Real...But So Is the Mind-Body Connection: Surprising way your beliefs and awareness shape your healing

Pain is More Than Just Physical

Pain is weird.It’s not just “my knee hurts” or “my back is tight.” It’s a full-body, full-mind, full-spirit experience.

And here’s the wildest part: 

The mind body connection means what you believe about your pain can actually change how you feel it.

I’ve seen this with clients for over a decade.

I saw it with my dad when he was fighting stage 4 pancreatic cancer.

And I’m experiencing it myself right now.

How My Dad Showed Me This Truth

When my dad was first diagnosed, he was in pain. But he also believed he was going to beat it. That belief carried him. It gave him light. It gave him strength.

It was like he could put the pain in the backseat and keep driving.

He lived an entire year past what doctors expected. Then one day, something shifted. He lost his driver’s license—his independence, his sense of freedom.

And almost overnight, the pain poured into his body. His light dimmed. His fight changed.

It wasn’t that the cancer suddenly grew faster. It was that his belief shifted—and with it, his experience of pain.

It was heartbreaking to witness. But it was also eye-opening. Because it showed me:Pain is real. But so is the mind body connection.

How the mind body connection Shapes Pain

Your brain is not just a passive observer of pain—it’s the DJ, the amplifier, and sometimes even the composer.

Here’s what research and somatic work both tell us:

• Pain signals come from the body, but the brain decides their volume.

• Your beliefs, fears, and expectations literally change the way pain feels.

• Hope and agency can dampen pain. Helplessness can turn it up.

• Stress, grief, and loss don’t just make you sad—they make pain louder.

This is why two people with the same injury can have completely different recovery experiences. It’s also why some people flare up during stressful times even without new injury.

My Current Lesson in Real Time

I’m feeling this in my own life right now.

I have pain—but my mental state changes the whole experience.

When I’m grounded, hopeful, and supported, I can hold the pain. It doesn’t consume me.

When I’m stressed, overwhelmed, or doubting, it feels sharper, heavier, more constant.

And the hardest truth?

Sometimes you can’t “mindset” your way out of pain—because pain is still real. Don't disregard what you are physically feeling. It's part of the process of healing...its real and necessary to break through this pain.

But you can change your relationship to it. And that changes everything.

Why This Matters for Healing

Whether your pain is acute (recent) or chronic (long-term), your mindset isn’t just “positive thinking fluff.” It’s part of your pain-care strategy.

Here’s how to start using it:

🌀 Notice your narrative. Are you thinking “This will never get better” or “I can work through this”?

🌀 Stay in the Driver's Seat: What can you do today to support yourself?

🌀 Find your fight—but also your rest. It’s not about “being strong” 24/7. It’s about knowing when to push and when to jusg straight up stop.

🌀 Protect your hope. Hope isn’t denial—it’s fuel.

🌀 Seek safe connection. People who see you and support you can help turn down the brain’s pain volume. This one is a big one for me. Expression of pain can certainly expel the pain. Happens in my office all the time with clients. They come, talk about everything and anything and leave saying "I feel so much better". It's real...try it sometime.

Tools That Support the Mind Body Connection

Sometimes it helps to use tools that bring the body and mind together.

These are a few of my favorites (and you can find them on my FitWell Finds page):

• REVO Smart Cupping: Helps release fascia while bringing awareness to stuck areas.

• L-Glutamine supplements: Great for recovery and gut support.

• Journaling or meditation tools: For nervous system reset and emotional clarity.

These aren’t just “extras.” They’re anchors for the mind body connection.

Final Thoughts

Pain is real.

It’s physical. It’s emotional. It’s exhausting.

And sometimes it feels like it’s running the show.

But the mind body connection is real, too.

What you believe, how you frame your experience, and the story you tell yourself about your pain all shape how you feel it.

You don’t have to pretend it’s fine.

You don’t have to “think positive” and ignore reality.

But you can choose to see yourself as someone with influence over your own healing—not just someone at the mercy of pain.

That belief alone can change your experience.

I’ve seen it. I’ve lived it.

And I carry it with me, every time I work on someone’s body and ask them to believe:

You can get better.

And your brain can help.