Are You Hyperfocused on Pain?

It Might Be Holding You Back.

Let’s be real: pain sucks.

It’s frustrating, confusing, and scary—especially after an injury when your brain is working overtime trying to “protect” you from doing more damage. That same brain of yours might be making things worse just by how much attention you’re giving it.

When you hyperfocus on pain, you give it a front-row seat in your life. Every move, every task, every thought starts to orbit around it. Sound familiar?

Pain isn’t just about tissue damage. It’s a whole storm of emotions, context, memory, and meaning. It’s subjective, changeable, and complex. And the more you stress over it, the louder it yells.

Here’s how the cycle often plays out:

Pain shows up.
You zero in on it.
Stress hormones spike.
You start to fear movement.
The body tenses up.
Pain increases.
Rinse and repeat.

Meanwhile, you’re doing everything right physically—mobility drills, strength work, rest days, rehab exercises—but your progress stalls. And you wonder why nothing’s changing.

So let’s flip the script.

Have you checked in with your mental state lately?

Because if your mindset is stuck in “this still hurts” mode, then your body doesn’t get a chance to see progress—it’s too busy bracing for disaster. Mental stress can crank up pain sensitivity, and living in a constant state of threat or frustration makes it a lot harder for the nervous system to calm down and let healing happen.

Here’s some tough love for you: you might be doing everything right on paper… but if all you’re looking for is proof you’re still in pain, that’s all you’ll find.

What’s the fix?

Shift your mindset. Train your brain like you train your body. Start stacking up little wins—not just only seeing progress as being completely out of pain, it’s unrealistic. 

Here’s what that might look like:

• “I got through the day without a dull ache in my hip.”
  
  

• “I hit a new range of motion without flaring things up.”
  
  

• “I went for a walk with a friend and didn’t even think about my knee.”
  
  

These tiny victories aren’t tiny at all. They’re your brain’s proof that things are working. That you’re safe. That you’re moving forward, and they matter more than you think.

Think of every little win as a dopamine hit—a shot of feel-good fuel that builds confidence, momentum, and resilience.

So no, I’m not saying ignore your pain. But maybe... don’t make it your full-time job. Notice it, respect it, but don’t obsess over it. Zoom out. Look for progress in the gaps between the noise. That’s where healing starts to take off.

If you’re dealing with pain or injury and feel stuck in your recovery, book a call with me or one of our coaches at www.masterathletic.com.

We’ll help you sort through what’s holding you back—physically and mentally—and get you moving forward again.

Carly McInnis

Coach, Master Athletic Performance