Inducing temporary positive states decreases pain and increases pain tolerance in laboratory studies. This study tested whether completing positive activities in one’s daily life produces long-term reductions in self-reported bodily pain in a randomized controlled trial of an online positive activities intervention. Participants recruited via the Web were assigned at random to complete 0, 2, 4, or 6 positive activities administered online over a 6-week period. Follow-up assessments were collected at the end of 6 weeks and at 1, 3, and 6 months after the intervention. Linear mixed effects models were used to examine whether the intervention reduced pain over time among those who had a score
This study indicated that positive activities administered online can decrease bodily pain in adults with at least mild to moderate baseline pain.