When we think about pain, we often focus on the biological or physical aspects—what’s happening in our bodies. But what if your environment, both the space you’re in and the people around you, could make your pain better—or worse? The biopsychosocial model of pain suggests that your surroundings, both physical and social, play a big role in how you experience and cope with pain.

Here’s how everything from your friendships to the sunlight streaming through your window can impact your pain—and what you can do about it.

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Your Social Circle: A Double-Edged Sword

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Pain is lonely—especially when it’s “invisible.” It’s hard to explain to others who don’t live with it, and the isolation can feel suffocating. 

Here’s the good news: strong social support can work wonders. Studies* show that people with chronic pain who feel supported by their loved ones experience less pain, distress, and depression. It’s like having an emotional cushion to soften the blow.

But not all support is created equal. Sometimes, well-meaning loved ones overdo it—constantly checking in or showing too much sympathy. This can backfire, magnifying the perception of pain and disability and making it harder to move forward. The key? Balancing compassion with encouragement for independence.

The flip side of that is people who love you and mean well just don’t know how to relate to what you’re dealing with and unintentionally distance themselves from you – making you feel more alone and less like your old self. 

Even outside close relationships, community matters. Sometimes a community that has nothing to do with pain is most helpful – like a church choir group or a book club. For others, joining a support group for chronic pain and connecting with others who “get it” can be a game-changer. Shared experiences foster understanding, and hearing how others manage their pain can inspire your own path forward.

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Cultural Norms and Pain Perception

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Think back to when you were a kid. Were you told to “shake it off” when you fell, or was your pain met with concern and comfort? These early messages can shape how we approach pain as adults.

In some cultures, expressing pain is seen as a sign of weakness, while in others, it’s considered essential to healing. Gender expectations play a role, too. Men might hesitate to seek help because of societal pressure to “tough it out,” while women’s pain is often dismissed as exaggerated or hysterical or said to be “all in their heads.”

These cultural norms don’t just affect how we talk about pain, as well as how we experience pain and how it affects us. 

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Your Physical Space: More Important Than You Think

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Your immediate environment doesn’t just set the mood—it can also set the tone for your pain. Take your home, for example. Is it cluttered and chaotic? That mess might be stressing you out without you even realizing it. A tidy, organized space not only reduces anxiety but also minimizes risks like falls or injuries that could worsen pain.

Let’s not forget about nature. Research shows that natural light and greenery can significantly reduce pain levels.** Patients in sunny hospital rooms use less pain medication, and simply looking at images of nature can soothe post-operative discomfort.*** So, open the blinds, bring in a houseplant, or add some calming landscape photos to your space.

Noise and air quality matter, too. Chronic exposure to loud sounds or polluted air ramps up stress and strains your body and nervous system, likely making pain feel worse. Creating a calm, clean environment isn’t just about aesthetics or setting a move—it’s about giving your nervous system a calm environment in which to relax.

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The Brain’s Memory Trap: When Pain Becomes a Habit

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Sometimes, pain isn’t just about what’s happening now—it’s about what’s happened before. Our brains are excellent at connecting environments with experiences. If you’ve experienced pain in a specific place, your brain might automatically crank up the pain signals the next time you’re there—even if there’s no actual threat.

Take the story of Australian pain expert Professor Lorimer Moseley. After being bitten by a venomous snake, he later experienced excruciating pain in the same environment—only to realize it was just a harmless twig brushing his leg. His brain remembered the trauma and overreacted.

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This memory effect can happen in everyday life, too. A chair where you’ve felt pain before might trigger discomfort just because your brain associates it with past pain. Or returning to a movie theater where you felt pain before might trigger it again. Often there is something about people’s parents’ homes that cause a pain flare.  Recognizing these patterns is the first step toward breaking them. (And no, that does not mean you should avoid them all.)

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Take Control of Your Environment

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You can’t change everything about your environment—your family, your job, or where you live might be out of your immediate control. But small tweaks can make a big difference.

• Cultivate relationships that uplift you. Spend time with people who make you feel good, not those who amplify stress.
• Incorporate nature. Open the blinds, take a walk outside, or add a plant to your workspace.
• Declutter and organize. A clean, safe home can improve both your mood and your physical health.
• Listen to your brain’s signals—but don’t let them control you. If certain places or situations trigger pain, remind yourself it might be a conditioned response or a memory effect, not a current threat.

Your environment shapes your pain experience more than you might realize. By being mindful of your surroundings—and making small, intentional changes—you can create a space that supports your well-being and helps you reclaim your life from chronic pain.

Ready to start making changes? Look around your environment today. The path to pain relief might be closer than you think.

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*M.P. Jensen, D.M. Ehde, A.J. Hoffman, D.R. Patterson, J.M. Czerniecki, L.R. Robinson. Cognitions, coping and social environment predict adjustment to phantom limb pain. Pain, 95 (2002), pp. 133-142; López-Martínez AE, Esteve-Zarazaga R, Ramírez-Maestre C. Perceived social support and coping responses are independent variables explaining pain adjustment among chronic pain patients. J Pain. 2008 Apr;9(4):373-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2007.12.002. Epub 2008 Jan 22. PMID: 18203665.; Doeglas, T. Suurmeijer, B. Krol, R. Sanderman, M. van Rijswijk, M. van Leeuwen. Social support, social disability, and psychological well-being in rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Care Res, 7 (1994), pp. 10-15.

**Dedeli O, Kaptan G. Spirituality and Religion in Pain and Pain Management. Health Psychol Res. 2013 Sep 23;1(3):e29. doi: 10.4081/hpr.2013.e29. PMID: 26973914; PMCID: PMC4768565.

***Walch JM, Rabin BS, Day R, Williams JN, Choi K, Kang JD. The effect of sunlight on postoperative analgesic medication use: A prospective study of patients undergoing spinal surgery. Psychosom Med. 2005;67:156–63.

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