Small Victories Despite Chronic Pain: How to Make Each Day Feel Possible

Living with gynecologic pain means redefining what success looks like. When you wake up and the pain is already there, waiting, the question becomes: what does a good day even mean anymore? Finding small victories despite chronic pain isn’t about toxic positivity or pretending everything’s fine. It’s about holding onto the moments when you do something, anything, that matters to you.

Maybe you made it to your daughter’s soccer game. Maybe you cooked a real meal instead of ordering takeout. Maybe you just showered and got dressed. These aren’t small at all when pain tries to convince you to stay in bed.

I’ve learned this the hard way. For years, I measured my days by what I couldn’t do anymore. The gym sessions I missed. The dinners I cancelled. The career moments that passed me by. But that kind of scorekeeping only made the pain feel bigger and my life feel smaller.

What actually helps:

Set goals that make sense for your body right now, not the body you had before. If a 30-minute walk isn’t happening today, can you do five minutes? Can you stretch while the coffee brews? These aren’t consolation prizes—they’re real wins.

Write them down. Seriously. Keep a running list of your small victories. On the hard days (and there will be hard days), you’ll have proof that you’re stronger than you feel in that moment.

Talk to people who get it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard from Aziza Project clients about the relief of sharing a win—no matter how “small”—with someone who truly understands. There’s something powerful about saying “I did this today” and having someone respond “I know how much that took.”

The U.S. Pain Foundation talks about how celebrating progress, even tiny progress, helps us stay in the game for the long haul. They’re right. When we acknowledge what we can do, we’re not pretending the pain doesn’t exist. We’re just refusing to let it have the final word on who we are.

Here’s the thing: you don’t have to figure this out alone. At The Aziza Project, we connect people dealing with gynecologic pain to doctors who actually understand these conditions, and we help cover the costs. Sometimes the bravest small victory is reaching out and saying “I need help”—and we’re here when you’re ready.