Flare-Up Reframe Planner

From fear spiral to nervous system reset.

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🔹 Purpose: To help clinicians and patients proactively prepare for flare-ups—so that when pain spikes, there’s a clear plan grounded in self-compassion, safety, and strategy.

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🔹 Why This Matters: Flare-ups often trigger panic, hopelessness, or over-reaction. But having a reframe-ready plan shifts the nervous system from alarm to agency. This tool makes that shift practical, repeatable, and personal.

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🧩 Flare-Up Reframe Planner

1. Know Your Pattern

“When things spike, what tends to happen—physically, emotionally, mentally?”

📝 Examples:

▫️ “I brace and stop moving.”

▫️ “I assume I’ve injured something again.”

▫️ “I get scared and cancel plans.”

➡️ Write out your common flare-up response pattern.

2. Name Your Default Story

“What do you usually tell yourself when pain flares?”

📝 Examples:

▫️ “Here we go again…”

▫️ “Something’s wrong.”

▫️ “I knew I was broken.”

➡️ Call it out. Awareness is step one.

3. Choose Your Reframe Ahead of Time

“What’s a more helpful, still honest story I could tell instead?”

🗣️ Reframe Examples:

▫️ “This is a temporary spike, not a setback.”

▫️ “Pain is a signal, not a verdict.”

▫️ “My system is overprotecting—not breaking.”

➡️ Write your go-to reframe in your own words.

4. Pick 2 Calming Actions That Work for You

✔️ Examples:

▫️ Move gently (walk, sway, stretch)

▫️ Change environment

▫️ Breathe slowly for 60 seconds

▫️ Use a sensory tool (warmth, music, scent)

▫️ Talk to a support person

➡️ Customize your own calming kit.

5. Create a “When-Then” Statement

Helps your nervous system feel ready, not reactive.

🗣️ Example:

“When I feel that spike in my back, then I’ll take 3 deep breaths, go for a short walk, and remind myself: This is not danger. This is protection.”

➡️ Write your own plan below:

When:________________ Then:___________________

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🧠 Closing Message:

“You don’t need to eliminate flare-ups. You need to meet them differently.”

This resource is part of The Wondering Clinician Toolkit. It’s not medical advice—just a tool to support learning, reflection, and healing. Always consult your clinician when needed.