A short Optimize +1 episode by Brian Johnson summarizing research (via Matt Fitzgerald) on psychological strategies for coping with anticipated pain. The content contrasts two anticipatory approaches—acceptance (bracing) versus suppression (denial)—and reports that acceptance reduces the unpleasantness of pain (even if it doesn't lessen the pain itself). The episode closes with a practical recommendation to ‘brace’ for inevitable pain and apply Kristen Neff’s framing (suffering = pain × resistance).
Chapters
Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another Optimize plus one, continuing our exploration of how to endure the pain of walking over burning psychological coals in pursuit of the upper limits of our potential. Let's talk about one of Matt Fitzgerald's recommended coping strategies to optimize our perception of effort and get closer to that wall of our potential. Today we're going to talk about the psychology of pain and cue weird music here. Short story Researchers have studied how different people deal with pain and have discovered that some people are much better at dealing with it and as a result, perform at a much higher level in the midst of experiencing pain. Get this There are basically two ways you can deal with the prospect of experiencing pain. You can accept it or you can try to suppress it. Which one do you think is more effective? Here's how Matt puts it and I Research on the psychology of pain has produced similar findings. A number of studies have compared the effects of two contrasting anticipatory acceptance and suppression on pain perception. Some people have a natural tendency to look ahead to the repetition of a familiar pain stimulus with acceptance. They tell themselves this is going to hurt, but no worse than before. While other people try to cope with the same situation through suppression, a form of denial, they tell themselves, in effect, I really hope this doesn't hurt as much as it did the last time. Psychologists have generally found that compared to suppression, acceptance reduces the unpleasantness of pain without reducing the pain itself. For this reason, it is a more effective coping skill. In common language, this attitude of acceptance toward an impending disagreeable experience is called bracing yourself. End Quote Today's +1 How do you deal with prospective pain? Here's to bracing ourselves, knowing pain is inevitable on our hero's journeys and then ohms ing our way to to awesome plus one plus one plus one p s. Check out our plus one on Kristen Neff's Pain Equation for more Remember, suffering equals pain times resistance.
