# Reducing DIMs ##### Untangling Pain ---  --- ## tl;dr - Go through your DIMs and cross out what you can genuinely remove or avoid. - For the ones that have to stay, ask how you could reduce their impact. - A doctor visit might feel easier with music, headphones, or a safe person; a social media trigger may be something to mute. - Some people and situations may improve through communication, while others may need firmer boundaries. - Bodily DIMs cannot always be removed, but understanding them and adding SIMs can still help. > [!abstract]- Transcript > > The next part of this is reducing your DIMs where possible. Obviously. Now I want you to go through your list of DIMs and I want you to see where you can actually get rid of some things. > > For example, things you think and believe, there are so many things. We think and we believe that we can get rid of. So get a pen and literally cross these out. > > My pain will never get better and I can't do anything and I'm broken. Get rid of 'em. Okay? Places you go. Obviously there are things you can't change. You might still have to go to the doctors and hospital, but you know they're a dim for you. And if you know they're a dim, then what are the SIMs that you could do to help you when you are there? > > For me it would be headphones, listening to some music taking my favorite person with me, making me feel safe in that way. > > If it's things like going to the gym, if going to the gym is a dim for you, get rid of it. Right? You don't need it. Get rid of it. There's other ways to exercise. > > You don't need it. If it's a dim, cross it out. It's not part of your list. You can get rid of it. > > When it comes to people in your life, some of those DIMs, can you get rid of the supervisor at your work? Probably not. But there's probably things you can do to help with that. I mean, if it's really bad, then maybe it might be worth changing jobs, but whatever it is, it's worth thinking about which ones you can actually change. > > For example, your health professional who gaslights you. Get rid of them. Really get rid of 'em. You do not need toxic people like that in your life. Get rid of 'em. > > When it comes to social media, is there people in your social media feed that maybe trigger you that set off that feeling that there's something not quite right? > > For me before and after photos of weight loss are triggering. I can feel it in my body. They create this dim within me. They need to go. As soon as I notice something that brings it up, they've gone okay. They need to go. > > When it comes to something like your husband who might be a dim for you, then obviously you might not be able to get rid of 'em. Although I know some people, okay, I'm just kidding. You might not be able to get rid of them. But quite often when it comes to things like this, when it comes to people who are special to you, who are close to you, it usually comes down to communication and understanding and talking and explaining what it is that you need, what you want, what is going on with you. And more often than not, that can help massively. So although we're looking at reducing your DIMs, it might not be eliminating completely. There may be other things that we can do to help with that. > > When you're going through your list, if you can't cross something out as a dim make a note next to the things, what is it that you could do to help it become less of a dim? Chances are, there are things that you can do for so many of these on your list. > > When it comes to things happening in your body you may not be able to get rid of all of them. And you may not be able to get rid of any of them. Things like headaches and anxiety and IBS, quite often, they are symptoms of something else going on in your body. You might not be able to get rid of that exact dim, but there are things that you can do to influence that dim. > > Like with hormones. You are not trying to get rid of your hormones, although many of us would like to. But maybe understanding what is happening with your hormones can make it less of a dim, identifying how your pain responds when the hormones change, can make it less of a dim. > > And when it comes to things that you hear, see, smell, taste, touch. If you are hearing no pain, no gain, man, just keep going. Keep pushing. Please get rid of 'em. Okay? Get rid of the person who's saying it. Whatever it is, whether it's online or in real life, you don't need that in your life. > > Get rid of it. If you feel something you are hearing, you are seeing smelling, taste and touching. If you feel any of these are a dim for you what ways can you eliminate them? Can you cross them out? And then if you can't cross them out, if you can't get rid of 'em, is there a way that you can reduce them? > > So that's what we are looking at with this step. We're looking at reducing DIMs where possible. Eliminating as many of us we can, but reducing as many as we can as well. Next lesson → [[Untangling Pain – Module 4 Lesson 08 – Adding in more SIMs|Adding in more SIMs]] %% ## ![[Meta/01 Attachments/Untangling Pain Attachments/Image (31).png|Image.png]] --- ## Watch the lesson ## Extra ## Version 1: Full Reducing Your DIMs Where Possible Now I want you to go through your list of DIMs and I want you to see where you can actually get rid of some things Things you think and believe → there are so many things we think and we believe that we can get rid of Get a pen and literally cross these out “My pain will never get better and I can’t do anything and I’m broken” → get rid of ’em, okay? Places You Go Obviously there are things you can’t change You might still have to go to the doctors and hospital, but you know they’re a DIM for you And if you know they’re a DIM, then what are the SIMs that you could do to help you when you are there? For me it would be headphones, listening to some music, taking my favorite person with me, making me feel safe in that way If it’s things like going to the gym, if going to the gym is a DIM for you, get rid of it You don’t need it → get rid of it There’s other ways to exercise If it’s a DIM, cross it out → it’s not part of your list → you can get rid of it People in Your Life Some of those DIMs → can you get rid of the supervisor at your work? Probably not But there’s probably things you can do to help with that If it’s really bad, then maybe it might be worth changing jobs Whatever it is, it’s worth thinking about which ones you can actually change Your health professional who gaslights you → get rid of them Really get rid of ’em You do not need toxic people like that in your life → get rid of ’em Social Media Is there people in your social media feed that maybe trigger you? That set off that feeling that there’s something not quite right? For me, before and after photos of weight loss are triggering → I can feel it in my body They create this DIM within me → they need to go As soon as I notice something that brings it up, they’ve gone → they need to go Close Relationships When it comes to something like your husband who might be a DIM for you → then obviously you might not be able to get rid of ’em Although I know some people → okay, I’m just kidding You might not be able to get rid of them But quite often when it comes to things like this, when it comes to people who are special to you, who are close to you It usually comes down to communication and understanding and talking and explaining what it is that you need, what you want, what is going on with you And more often than not, that can help massively So although we’re looking at reducing your DIMs, it might not be eliminating completely There may be other things that we can do to help with that If You Can’t Eliminate It, Reduce It When you’re going through your list, if you can’t cross something out as a DIM, make a note next to the things What is it that you could do to help it become less of a DIM? Chances are, there are things that you can do for so many of these on your list What’s Happening in Your Body You may not be able to get rid of all of them You may not be able to get rid of any of them Things like headaches and anxiety and IBS → quite often, they are symptoms of something else going on in your body You might not be able to get rid of that exact DIM, but there are things that you can do to influence that DIM Like with hormones → you are not trying to get rid of your hormones, although many of us would like to But maybe understanding what is happening with your hormones can make it less of a DIM Identifying how your pain responds when the hormones change can make it less of a DIM Your Senses When it comes to things that you hear, see, smell, taste, touch If you are hearing “no pain, no gain, man, just keep going, keep pushing” → please get rid of ’em Get rid of the person who’s saying it Whatever it is, whether it’s online or in real life, you don’t need that in your life → get rid of it If you feel something you are hearing, you are seeing, smelling, tasting, touching → if you feel any of these are a DIM for you What ways can you eliminate them? Can you cross them out? And then if you can’t cross them out, if you can’t get rid of ’em, is there a way that you can reduce them? What We’re Doing in This Step We’re looking at reducing DIMs where possible Eliminating as many of us we can But reducing as many as we can as well ⸻ Resources or Mentioned SIMs (Safety in Me experiences) DIMs (Danger in Me experiences) Headphones Music Social media Hormones Headaches, anxiety, IBS %%