Why Brain Retraining Matters in Recovery?
When you live with chronic symptoms, especially pain, your brain can get stuck in a loop.
It keeps sending pain signals even when the body is not in danger anymore. This is part of how chronic conditions like Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Long COVID keep going, even after the original illness fades.
That’s where brain retraining comes in. You’re teaching your brain how to stop sending false alarms.
During my own recovery, I tried many exercises. But one specific visualization technique became my go-to tool , the one I used every single day. And it truly helped me feel real, lasting shifts in my symptoms.
What Is the Pain Visualization Exercise?
This exercise is simple but powerful.
It’s based on the work of Dr. Michael Moskowitz, who discovered that the brain has 16 centers that process pain, along with other senses like smell, touch, and sound.
When you’re in chronic pain, these areas start to overprocess pain and underprocess everything else. In severe cases, it shifts from 10% pain and 90% sensory processing…
to 50/50.
That’s why things like light, noise, or even gentle touch can feel painful. Your brain is stuck in overdrive.
How the Visualization Works
This is what I practiced daily, and still return to when I need a reset:
- Close your eyes.
- Focus on the area where you feel discomfort (for me, it was behind my eyes or in my head).
- Inhale. Imagine a glowing red light , molten hot , in that part of your brain.
- Exhale. See the light dim and shrink slightly.
- Repeat slowly, imagining the pain center getting smaller with each breath.
- By the 3rd or 4th breath, the red glow should fade completely.
At the end, imagine your brain in calm darkness , peaceful and quiet.
It might sound too simple to work, but it helps your brain believe it’s in control again.
Why It Works: The Science of Neuroplasticity
You don’t need to feel instant relief for this to work.
In fact, most of the time, I felt nothing at first.
But according to Dr. Moskowitz, the key to lasting results is repetition , doing the exercise multiple times a day for 4 to 6 weeks, even if you don’t feel different right away.
Every time you feel symptoms, it’s a chance to retrain the signal.
This mindset shift was big for me. Instead of fearing symptoms, I started to think:
“Great, now I get to practice.”
When I Used This the Most
I learned this technique while recovering in the hospital. I had just spent 4 weeks in ICU, and they offered me the chance to stay voluntarily in the psychiatric wing to work one-on-one with a doctor who specialized in brain retraining.
At first, I was still using a wheelchair, and my symptoms came back constantly , headaches, heavy legs, and brain fog. But I kept practicing.
And slowly, the symptoms came back less often, and less intensely.
Quick Summary: How to Do It
Try this 2–3 times a day (or more):
- Visualize pain as red light
- Inhale = light grows
- Exhale = light fades
- Repeat 3–5 rounds
- End with calm, clear darkness in your mind
You’re not trying to “force” the pain away.
You’re giving your brain a new direction.
Takeaway
This brain retraining exercise might feel small, but it’s one of the most powerful tools I used during recovery. It gave me confidence, a sense of control, and eventually helped reduce my pain long-term.
You don’t need to be perfect. Just start practicing.
And keep in mind:
“Every episode of pain is an opportunity to rewire.”
That mindset helped me go from bedridden and in a wheelchair, to walking, hiking, and living fully again.
Ready for More Support?
If this exercise helped you, check out our full Recovery Solutions page. We’ve collected tools, videos, and guidance to help with nervous system regulation, brain retraining, and recovery from CFS and Long COVID.