Worksheet
RAIN Self-Compassion Technique for Chronic Pain
When we’re in pain, it’s easy to add frustration, judgment, or self-criticism on top of physical discomfort. This worksheet introduces the RAIN self-compassion technique - a simple, mindfulness-based approach that helps you respond to chronic pain with more awareness and kindness instead of resistance. Each step of RAIN supports softening your nervous system’s stress response so you can relate to pain with greater ease and understanding.
How to Use This Worksheet
Move through each part of the RAIN process at your own pace:
- Recognize what you’re experiencing - sensations, emotions, thoughts - without trying to change anything.
- Allow the experience to be here without pushing it away, reducing the extra suffering that comes from resistance.
- Investigate gently and with curiosity, asking what your pain needs or what might feel supportive right now.
- Nurture yourself with the same compassion you’d offer a close friend who was hurting.
The worksheet includes supportive questions and explanations to help you explore each step. RAIN is not about making pain disappear but about changing your relationship with it so you aren’t fighting on two fronts.
Who It’s For
This worksheet is for individuals living with chronic pain who experience emotional strain, frustration, or self-judgment alongside physical discomfort. It supports anyone looking for a gentle, compassionate way to meet pain when it arises.
Expected Outcomes
- Increased awareness of physical and emotional experience
- Reduced resistance and secondary suffering
- More compassion toward yourself during pain flare-ups
- A calmer, more supportive inner response to discomfort
- A clearer understanding of what your body needs in painful moments
Related Topics
References
Brach, T. (n.d.). RAIN: A practice of radical compassion. https://www.tarabrach.com/rain-practice-radical-compassion/
Wren, A. A., Somers, T. J., Wright, M. A., Goetz, M. C., Leary, M. R., Fras, A. M., Huh, B. K., Rogers, L. L., & Keefe, F. J. (2012). Self-compassion in patients with persistent musculoskeletal pain: Relationship of self-compassion to adjustment to persistent pain. Journal of Pain. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22071165/
Frequently Asked Questions About RAIN Self-Compassion Technique for Chronic Pain Resources
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