SN educated that Distraction means shifting or moving your attention away. It does not mean that the pain is no longer there. It just means that you use your brain to focus your attention onto something else. You can put your pain in the background and focus instead on playing games, counting, using breathing techniques and many other activities. One of the things that you can do to limit the amount of time you spend worrying about or being afraid of pain, is to use distraction.
SN educated that several techniques can be used such as –
Mathematics - You can count forwards or backwards. Think about counting in multiples, that way it is more of a challenge. This means you can count forward or backwards by 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, 6s, and so on. Example - Counting back from 100 in 3s would be:
Alphabet Game - Pick a letter of the alphabet and then a topic. Write a list of everything you can name starting with that letter. For example, the letter “L” and the topic of “Food”. Answers could include: lolly pop, lemon, lettuce, liquorish etc…
Imagination Walking - Picture yourself in a certain situation. Try to remember what happened using all of your senses. For example, if you were at the beach, you might hear the sound of the waves, smell the salty air, feel the warmth of the sand beneath your feet, see the swimmers between the flags, and taste the picnic you had for lunch.
Construction - Make various things with materials around the house or from your local store. You could make beaded jewelry, paper mache masks, Lego cities, paper models, cubby houses, and so on.
SN also educated that relaxation techniques may also assist in pain management, SN instructed in six relaxation techniques that can help you evoke the relaxation response and reduce stress.
Breath focus. In this simple, powerful technique, you take long, slow, deep breaths (also known as abdominal or belly breathing). As you breathe, you gently disengage your mind from distracting thoughts and sensations. Breath focus can be especially helpful for people with eating disorders to help them focus on their bodies in a more positive way. However, this technique may not be appropriate for those with health problems that make breathing difficult, such as respiratory ailments or heart failure.
Body scan. This technique blends breath focus with progressive muscle relaxation. After a few minutes of deep breathing, you focus on one part of the body or group of muscles at a time and mentally releasing any physical tension you feel there. A body scan can help boost your awareness of the mind-body connection. If you have had a recent surgery that affects your body image or other difficulties with body image, this technique may be less helpful for you.
Guided imagery. For this technique, you conjure up soothing scenes, places, or experiences in your mind to help you relax and focus. You can find free apps and online recordings of calming scenes—just make sure to choose imagery you find soothing and that has personal significance. Guided imagery may help you reinforce a positive vision of yourself, but it can be difficult for those who have intrusive thoughts or find it hard to conjure up mental images.
Mindfulness meditation. This practice involves sitting comfortably, focusing on your breathing, and bringing your mind's attention to the present moment without drifting into concerns about the past or the future. This form of meditation has enjoyed increasing popularity in recent years. Research suggests it may be helpful for people with anxiety, depression, and pain.
Repetitive prayer. For this technique, you silently repeat a short prayer or phrase from a prayer while practicing breath focus. This method may be especially appealing if religion or spirituality is meaningful to you.
SN worked with patient ensuring understanding and having patient verbalize understanding via teach back method.