Day 22 What to do when I'm at work?

So, I have definitely been successful at home, reminding myself that the pain I feel is "fake" and tuning into my emotions, etc. My foot pain when I am at home is minimal. I am having absolutely no pain walking around barefoot, something I was scared to do just a month ago.

However, work is a different story. I am a high school teacher, so for five 41-minute periods I am teaching and managing my classroom. Because I stand a lot during class, I am constantly aware of how my foot is feeling. Constantly. It is like a constant subroutine running in my brain. But I'm not really sure of what to do because I can't really think of other things during class. I need to focus on the lesson and on my students.

I was thinking that maybe I could do something in between classes and during prep periods, but I'm not sure what. Something simple and non-emotional because I don't want to burst into tears every day at school.

Suggestions?

 

Why is your foot pain worse at school? Which of your TMS personality traits are being activated?

 

My first response is to say that at school I wear shoes and have to stand a lot, at home I don't.
But I realize that is "thinking physical."

I am much more of a perfectionist at school. At home I don't really think of myself as a perfectionist at all. Bills pile up on the table; the bathroom goes uncleaned. But at school I am definitely a perfectionist, definitely hard on myself. It's important that I do everything perfectly, or as well as possible. This leads to a terrible lack of balance during the school year, when I focus all of my attention on grading and lesson planning. It's also really important to me to be liked at school. At home I have no one to please but myself.

Thank you, SandyRae, for asking such a valid question.

 

Oh, and I should add that I tried some visualizing today that worked a bit. When my foot felt swollen and painful during 8th period, I pictured a swollen foot getting unswollen (deflating?). Also, whenever I remembered to, I tried to picture blood flowing down to my foot.

 

You may have done this but take some of those people pleasing experiences with specific people and journal about them. How do you feel when you see disappointment cross their face?

 

Good idea, and good question! I'll have to think about that.