Introduction

Have you ever bumped into a table, felt a quick sting, and kept going on with your day? And then later when you get ready to take a shower or go to bed, you take off your pants and notice there’s a gnarly scratch on your leg? Or you remove your shoes and socks to see that your toenail is ripped and you’re bleeding?

You see the damage and suddenly, because your attention is now directly on it, you feel the pain of that scratch or wound much deeper than when you were walking around oblivious to it. You didn’t really feel the pain until you looked at it.

That is the nature of perceptive pain. It’s not a fake type of pain, but rather one that grows louder the more we focus on it. And the same thing can happen with our mental distress and emotional wounds.

When your inner voice keeps repeating, “I feel stressed. I feel stressed. I feel so much stress. When will I stop feeling stressed?” you end up feeding the feeling, and stay so focused on it that it’s all you really notice.

But when you shift the focus to, “I want to feel calm. I will search for the opportunity to feel calm. What makes me feel calm?” then your perception changes. Your attention goes elsewhere, the pain you felt so strongly is no longer at the forefront of the mind, and you can reclaim space for something better.

Some types of pain only linger because we allow them to, and thankfully, they can lessen and even go away by removing our attention from them.

In this article, we’ll explore what it actually means to create lasting change while overcoming mental and emotional distress. We’ll look at the unique roles of the logical mind, the intuitive mind, and the heart, and how aligning them can help you to finally move forward without getting pulled back into the pain and trauma loops of the past.

Perceptive Pain: Why It Sometimes Feels Difficult to Embrace Change

Now that we’ve established what perceptive pain is—a type of pain that lingers because our attention is on it—and that we don’t actually have to wallow in it, let’s briefly discuss why some of us still struggle with it.

Unless you are a masochist, you may not consciously want to dwell in feelings such as stress, anger, loneliness, shame, or disappointment. But you may still gravitate to these feelings because they are what you are used to feeling. The mind goes back to them because they are familiar, and the mind will always try to stick to what it already knows how to navigate. Whereas, anything that is unknown to the brain is perceived as a threat.

It is actually not a bad thing for your brain to do this, this is just a survival mechanism. It’s how the brain does its job of trying to keep you safe within what it knows. The problem is when a painful feeling becomes an unconscious pattern, because the mind will continue to register the pain as safer than taking an unfamiliar path, even if that unfamiliar path were to lead towards feelings of peace and joy.

This is why creating a new emotional state often requires conscious effort. We have to give the mind something else to focus on—something that feels better, even if it’s unfamiliar at first—so that discomfort no longer dominates the experience.

Perceptive pain is also the reason why moments of stillness or movement, like meditation or exercise, can sometimes become overwhelming. As soon as we slow down or tune in, we may suddenly feel pain, distress, and other lower emotional states because we become more aware of our energy, and in that energy we may find stuck or buried emotions that have been lost in the background of our busy lives.

And because the ego-mind resists the pain of the unknown, we might subconsciously avoid practices like meditation or exercise, not because they don’t work, but because they do. They reveal what’s hidden, and that revelation can be uncomfortable to face when we’re already trying our best to do something that is good for our wellbeing.

It is at this intersection of awareness, energy management, emotional healing, and mindset mastery where real change begins. It is where we stop circling the same patterns, move from theory into practice, and finally choose something new.

How To Finally Create Long-Lasting Change In Your Life

I’ve spent the last 12 years unpacking the process and principles of embracing change, and in that time I’ve discovered a few golden truths that hold up no matter the situation. First and foremost—

No matter what challenges you face, leaning into resilience, strength, and optimism gives you the power to move mountains. These qualities help you rise above obstacles, adapt to shifting circumstances, and keep moving forward. These are the foundation for embracing change in your daily life.

Secondly, I have found that our ability to embrace and create change in our lives heavily depends on our ability to stay open-minded. The reason for this is because the ego mind is limited. It only knows what it already knows, which means that in order for us to create change in our lives—in order for us to create something we have yet to experience—we have to be willing to step outside of what we know.

We have to be willing to let go of the beliefs, stories, and habits we know so well in order to open ourselves up to a whole new world full of possibilities. And we can do this by asking questions, by inviting new perspectives into our lives, and by surrendering to the unknown.

To do this effectively, we need all parts of ourselves engaged. More specifically, we need the logical mind, the intuitive mind, and the heart to work in harmony in order for change to feel less like a fight and more like a natural process.

But before we get into how to work with these different aspects of the self, it’s worth taking a step back to understand what each brings to the table. Because each one has its own strengths that can help you create change, and also its own challenges that can hold you back if left unchecked. By knowing both sides, you’ll be better equipped to use these parts of yourself in a way that supports clarity, confidence, and ease as you move through change.

The Pros And Cons Of Your Multidimensionality

When working with the different aspects of yourself, you're going to experience what may feel like either positive or negative things that influence how you think, speak, and act. At their best, these aspects of self can work together to guide you toward meaningful change. At their worst, they can keep you circling the same patterns and feeding perceptive pain without you even realizing it.

Let’s now take a look at how each one naturally operates, both with the strengths that help you move forward and the blind spots that can hold you back. Here’s what it looks like in practice:

When working with the logical mind…

THE PROS

Sharp observation and analysis skills to plan, strategize, and solve problems.
Provides the structure needed to ground concepts and visions into your reality.

THE CONS

Limits change to what’s already known from past experience and beliefs.
Can fall into patterns of self-sabotage led by fears and pain from the past.

When working with the intuitive mind and heart…

THE PROS

Guides you toward a life that feels good because it’s aligned with your values/desires.
Taps into deep wisdom and insight, making it easier to navigate and shape your reality.

THE CONS

Can get lost in the endless possibilities, leading to overwhelm, indecision, or detachment from reality.
May be easily swayed by emotions and self-delusions without tools of self-awareness and regulation.

Understanding the pros and cons of each part of yourself is more than an exercise in self-awareness; it's how you stop perceptive pain from running the show. When you can recognize where each aspect helps you heal and where it holds you back, you can bring your mind, intuition, and heart into alignment.

Working as a unified team, they take the power away from old wounds and open the door for you to move forward with clarity, confidence, and ease.

How To Focus The Power Of Your Mind, Intuition, And Heart

Now that you have a clearer picture of the strengths and challenges within each part of yourself, the next step is learning how to work with them intentionally. When you know how to focus the power of your mind, intuition, and heart, you can turn them into allies rather than letting them pull you in different directions. This is where change stops feeling overwhelming and starts feeling possible.

Below are a few ways you can focus the different aspects of self to help you overcome perceptive pain and start embracing change:

The Logical Mind

Reeling in the monkey mind; releasing worries about the past/future and focusing on what is before you.
Interrupting thought patterns and/or stories that are not necessarily true or that are no longer true.
Slowing down and stepping into the role of the observer.

The Intuitive Mind

Taking inventory of your emotions and initial gut-reactions to make decisions that feel more in alignment with what you need and want.
Healing your nervous system and deepening the connection to your own energy body.
Learning to recognize the voice of your inner wisdom.

The Heart

Practicing acceptance and forgiveness on a daily basis.
Making it a priority to listen to what your heart needs and wants from you, from your relationships, and from your path in this life.
Building trust in yourself and taking responsibility for your own wellbeing and happiness.

When your mind, intuition, and heart start working together, perceptive pain loses its grip. You’re no longer fighting your way through change because your different aspects of self are moving as one. This is what I like to call Whole Being Activation, when change becomes less of an uphill battle and more of a natural, inspired way of living.

Whole Being Activation: When All Of You Is Invested In Changing Your Reality

When you focus all of your attention and energy on what you really want, something powerful happens: The different parts of you stop working in isolation and start working together. The logical mind grounds your ideas, the intuitive mind guides your next steps, and the heart keeps you connected to what matters most.

Here’s what it looks like when you show up for yourself authentically and allow your full potential to emerge:

The Logical Mind

Able to overcome fears, anxiety, and perfectionism.
Planning and taking action while in complete alignment with your own values, beliefs, and desires.
Focused on doing what is possible in the present moment and actually enjoying the process/path.

The Intuitive Mind

Able to stay open to different perspectives and possibilities.
Exploring the unknown and embracing change with curiosity, patience, and grace.
Improved sense of awareness and ability to navigate emotions.

The Heart

Able to openly receive new opportunities and miracles.
Discerning and honoring what truly matters to you while leading with compassion and generosity.
Feel at ease with your sense of identity and place in the world.

All Three Working In Harmony

Experience divinely-guided healing, creation, and evolution.

When all parts of you are engaged, you stop chasing change and start embodying it. This is where all the work you’ve done—shifting your focus, releasing perceptive pain, and aligning your mind, intuition and heart—comes together. From here, creating the life you want doesn’t just become possible; it becomes inevitable.

Bringing It All Together

Perceptive pain grows when our attention stays fixed on it. The more we feed it—whether through thought, emotion, or habit—the more it keeps us stuck. But by shifting your focus to what you want to feel and engaging your mind, intuition, and heart in harmony, you create space for healing, clarity, and forward movement.

If there is anything to take away from this article, it is this—Knowing that IT IS POSSIBLE for you to get unstuck.

It is possible for you to leave the past behind and move forward in your life.

And it is possible for you to do so while feeling absolutely capable and worthy of starting this new chapter that you are creating for yourself.

Your power lies in aligning all parts of yourself, so that change isn’t something you chase, but something that you live.

Your Next Moves

Name the Pattern – Notice when you’re looping on a thought, feeling, or story that feeds perceptive pain.

Shift the Focus – Ask yourself, “What do I want to feel instead?” and redirect your attention toward that state.

Balance Your Three Guides – Actively engage your logical mind, intuitive mind, and heart in decisions and problem-solving.

Practice Emotional Self-Awareness – Regularly check in with your energy, noticing where emotions may be stuck or unprocessed.

Commit to Daily Alignment – Choose one small action each day that keeps your mind, intuition, and heart moving together.

It’s Time To Step Into The Life You Deserve

I created a free workbook to help you shift your focus, break free from old patterns, and start building the life you truly want—one habit at a time.

✨ 3 Habits to Immediately Change Your Life

Say goodbye to uncertainty and overwhelm with simple, effective strategies for embracing change and creating the life you want. Inside, you will find:

Three habits you can start practicing today to create real, lasting change

Focus prompts to help you identify exactly what you need to move forward

A bonus guided meditation to help you shift your energy and stay grounded

➡️ Get the free workbook here and take your first step toward the capable, confident, and unstoppable version of you that’s ready for this new chapter.

With you on this journey,

Cinthia

Is Perceptive Pain Keeping You Stuck? Here’s How To Move Past It