Some days are simply harder than others. You wake up stiffer, the pain feels louder and everything takes more effort. Hard days are a normal part of living with pain. Having a plan ready means they don’t have to take over the whole day.

What a useful session looks like on a hard day

On a harder day, a useful session is a gentler one, not a skipped one. You don’t need to match the video or do every movement. Smaller movements, fewer repetitions or a 30-second video from the VIDA library all count.

Three things matter most:

• Keep moving, even if it’s less than usual.
• Stay within a range that feels manageable.
• Be kind to yourself. A smaller session is still in progress.

Building your own settle list

The most useful skill here is knowing what helps you, so you’re not working it out in the middle of a hard day. A settled list is a short list of things that ease your pain or help you get through the day, ready to use when you need it.

Everyone’s list looks a little different. Options include:

• Warmth: many people find a warm shower or a heat pack soothing.
• Gentle movement: a few slow movements from today’s video, or a short walk.
• Slow breathing: a long, slow breath out can help your body and mind settle.
• Changing position: a short break from sitting or standing still.
• Something you enjoy: music, a chat with a friend or time outside can all help turn the volume down.

You could try a few and notice which ones make a difference for you. Keeping the list somewhere easy to find, like your phone, means it’s there when a hard day comes.

If you’re tempted to push through or stop altogether

This is the most common difficulty. On a good day, it’s tempting to catch up on everything. On a hard day, it can feel easier to stop everything. Both can lead to more ups and downs.

A steadier approach is to do a bit less on good days and a bit more than nothing on hard days. In practice, that might mean doing today’s video as usual on a good day rather than doubling up, and choosing a 30-second video on a harder one. The same idea works for daily tasks. You could split a big job into smaller chunks with short breaks, rather than doing it all at once. Over time, this steadier rhythm helps your system settle and keeps more of your day within reach.

If your pain keeps getting worse over a few weeks rather than settling, it’s worth speaking to your GP. In the meantime, your VIDA pain check-in can help you spot patterns to share with them.

Your focus for today

Choose one thing from your settle list to try, and notice how you feel afterwards.

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