“My Body Feels Good”
For a long time, my go-to phrase was: “Damn, this hurts like hell.”
Anytime my body ached, flared up, or reminded me of its limits, that was the first thing out of my mouth. And honestly? It wasn’t just words — it was a whole mood. I felt crappy and limited. Wrong in my own skin. Out of control. It was a familiar feeling to me, one I carried around like a second skin.
And check it: I can look back at those feelings now and say they made sense. Pain is pain. There’s nothing “wrong” about naming it. But what I started to notice was how that one phrase — “Damn, this hurts like hell” — became my whole narrative. It was like I was training my brain and body to stay in that loop of hurt, complaint, pain, and tension.
A Quick Pause
Before I go any further with this train of thought, I want to make something really clear: chronic pain is not something to be taken lightly.
This little blog post is just me sharing one tiny-tiny anecdote — a teensie win that’s been helping me. But there is so much more to the story of chronic pain. Like… A LOT. Everyone’s journey is different, and one day I’ll share more. For now, I just wanted to offer this one little tool that’s been making a difference for me.
Ok, so instead of only saying “Damn, this hurts like hell”I decided to try something different. I started saying:
✨ “My body feels good.” ✨
Not as a way to deny the pain with forced positivity or to pretend everything is fine — but as a way to invite in something different. A little softness. A little possibility. A little healing.
Why I Chose This Mantra
Words matter. Words carry weight. Our bodies are listening. When I only said “dang, PAIN PAIN HURT HURT,” then that became the only experience. Swapping in “my body feels good” plants a different seed. I’m giving my body something else to hold onto.
It helps me find small wins of relief. Even in a flare, not every single part of me is in pain. My hands might feel soft, my breath might be steady, or maybe my shoulders are finally unclenching. Saying “my body feels good” helps me notice those little shifts — and remember those other parts are holding me too.
It helps break the pain spiral. Chronic pain has a way of taking over every thought. Saying “my body feels good” interrupts that cycle. It’s like a pattern disruptor that gently reminds me I’m more than the pain. And some days, I realllllly need that reminder.
The Truth
This mantra doesn’t erase pain. It doesn’t mean I’m ignoring the severity of what’s happening in my body. And it definitely doesn’t mean chronic pain is solved with a cute little affirmation.
What it does mean is that I’m giving myself a counterweight. A way to soften into the pain, to work with the pain, instead of letting it run my whole f-in life.
“My body feels good” isn’t magic. But every time I think, say, or whisper it — even in moments where my body feels the exact opposite — something in me shifts. For a second, I feel more like myself, not just someone stuck inside pain.
And that tiny shift? It feels like medicine.
An Invitation for You
If you live with chronic pain, maybe “my body feels good” doesn’t land for you. That’s okay. Try your own version. Something gentle, believable, and yours.
“Relief is possible.”
“My body is learning ease.”
“I can feel safe in myself.”
“My body is doing the best it can.”
“I can move at my own pace.”
“I can choose comfort right now.”
Play with it. Say it when you need something to grab onto. You don’t have to get it “right.” It’s just another tool for your pocket — one that might give you a breath of relief, even if only for a moment.
Because the point is this: you deserve words that comfort and possibility, not just words that describe the pain.
