A familiar ache can make you plan your day around where you can sit comfortably. Add a stressful week, and finding a position you can settle into gets even harder. Looking after both the sore area and the pressure around it can help you feel more in control.

How stress and long-term pain connect

When pain has been around for a while, your nervous system often becomes more sensitive, a bit like a volume dial that has been turned up. Stress can turn it up further, so the same ache can feel stronger on a pressured day than a quiet one. Ongoing pain can also add to stress, by making it harder to concentrate, sleep or do things you enjoy.

Stress can also show up physically. You might notice yourself clenching your buttocks or holding your legs tense while you work. Easing both the stress and the physical tension gives you two ways to help.

Starting with comfort

Choose a position that takes some pressure off the sore area. You could change chairs, lean back with support, use a cushion or stand for a short while. Sitting with your legs uncrossed and your weight even on both sides often feels easier.

Rather than finding one perfect position, changing position often tends to work best.

Letting go of effort

Rest your hands and let your breathing settle. Notice whether you are holding your thighs or buttocks tense, then let that effort go. Taking a few slow breaths, with a longer breath out than in, can help your body shift into a calmer state.

A short pause like this may not change the ache much in the moment, but it can help you feel less wound up. Follow it with a short walk, and rest with comfortable movement.

Turning your attention outwards

If focusing on your body makes you more aware of every twinge, try turning your attention outwards instead. Listening to music, noticing the sounds around you on a walk or chatting with a friend can all give your nervous system a break. Spending time outdoors, even briefly, is a simple way to do this. An enjoyable pause is worthwhile in its own right, and it gives the day a focus beyond managing pain.

Building strength gradually

Long-term glute pain often responds well to steady strength work. Stronger muscles around your hip help it handle everyday tasks with less strain. Something to try two or three times a week:

• Bridges. Lie on your back with your knees bent, lift your hips, then lower them slowly.
• Sit-to-stand. Rise from a chair without using your hands, then lower yourself slowly.
• Standing side press. Stand side-on to a wall and gently press the knee nearest the wall into it for 30 seconds, then relax.

If you would like to follow along, VIDA has short videos of bridges and sit-to-stands you can work through at your own pace. A mild ache that settles by the next day is usually fine. On high-stress days, a lighter session still counts.

Keeping a steady amount of activity

On stressful weeks, it is easy to swing between doing too much and doing nothing. A steady amount of activity each day tends to suit long-term pain better. Choose an amount of walking, or another activity you enjoy, that feels repeatable on an ordinary day. Build gradually from there, checking how you feel the next morning. On a harder day, a shorter walk still counts.

Looking after your evenings

Stress and poor sleep often go together, and both make pain feel louder. A calm wind-down, like a warm shower or reading, can help. If you sleep on your side, a pillow between your knees can ease pressure on your hip and buttock.

Your VIDA pain check-in can help you follow the overall pattern. You could also notice practical wins, like sitting through a meal more comfortably.

What to take away

• Change position often and use a cushion on hard seats.
• Let go of tension in your legs and buttocks when you notice it.
• Turn your attention outwards with music, walks or company.
• Strengthen your hips two or three times a week.
• Keep a steady amount of activity rather than swinging between extremes.

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