--- description: Try being nice title: How to Relieve Pain Using Psychology: 10 Tips From Research image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt12fd3f7b246940e0/69885a71a988ca07fb6b3686/man-neck-back-pain.jpg?branch=production&width=750&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Ideas](/section/ideas/) ## Ideas Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Psychology](/tag/psychology/) ## Psychology Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # How to Relieve Pain Using Psychology: 10 Tips From Research by [Eric Barker](/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 15, 2015 4:01 AM CUT  Man holding neck and back in pain Man holding neck and back in painGetty Images by [Eric Barker](/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 15, 2015 4:01 AM CUT Some insights on how to relieve pain using psychology, with links to the studies: * Clutch some [money](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-to-easily-reduce-feelings-of-rejection-or "undefined"). * Don’t [curl up in a ball](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-a-quick-and-easy-way-to-make-yourself-t "undefined"). Sit up [straight](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-there-an-easy-way-to-increase-your-pain-to "undefined"). * [Swear](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-notably-reduces-pain-hint-you-might-alre "undefined"). * [Laugh](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/laughters-the-best-remedy-0 "undefined"). * Listen to [good music](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-good-music-increase-pain-tolerance-and-de "undefined"). * Have a [healthy relationship](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/are-good-relationships-better-than-tylenol "undefined"). * [Look](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-can-you-reduce-pain "undefined") at your body. Don’t close your eyes [when you get that injection](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-to-reduce-the-pain-of-injections "undefined"). * Look at a [photo](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-photos-reduce-pain "undefined") of a loved one. * Better yet, get a [massage](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/do-you-underestimate-the-power-of-touching "undefined") from a loved one. * Try being nice, overall. Pain hurts more if the person hurting you [means it](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-pain-hurt-more-if-the-person-hurting-you "undefined") and doctors take pain more seriously [when they like the patient](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/should-you-be-as-nice-as-humanly-possible-to "undefined"). **Join over 195,000 readers. Get a free weekly update via email** [**here**](http://eepurl.com/o6uAD "undefined")**.** **_This piece originally appeared on_** [**_Barking Up the Wrong Tree_**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/03/10-ways-to-reduce-pain/ "undefined")**_._** Related posts: [How To Stop Being Lazy And Get More Done – 5 Expert Tips](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/08/how-to-stop-being-lazy/ "undefined") [How To Get People To Like You: 7 Ways From An FBI Behavior Expert](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/10/how-to-get-people-to-like-you/ "undefined") [New Harvard Research Reveals A Fun Way To Be More Successful](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/09/be-more-successful/ "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3953775/pain-relief-psychology-research/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3953775/pain-relief-psychology-research/"},"headline":"How to Relieve Pain Using Psychology: 10 Tips From Research","datePublished":"2015-07-15T04:01:25.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-31T08:35:31.994Z","description":"Try being nice","url":"https://time.com/3953775/pain-relief-psychology-research/","keywords":["Psychology","Pain"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt12fd3f7b246940e0/69885a71a988ca07fb6b3686/man-neck-back-pain.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Eric Barker","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/eric-barker/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt12fd3f7b246940e0/69885a71a988ca07fb6b3686/man-neck-back-pain.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"man-neck-back-pain","caption":"man-neck-back-pain","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/psychology/","name":"Psychology"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3953775/pain-relief-psychology-research/","name":"How to Relieve Pain Using Psychology: 10 Tips From Research"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Know Right Now: Nuts Could Prevent Premature Death","description":"A new study says eating nuts could keep you from dying prematurely. 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