Cooking with chronic pain
Cooking with ADHD is both a necessity and challenge - we know this. It's why this blog exists. ADHD isn't going to be the only barrier most of us face - work schedules, family life, money; there are countless reasons why it's hard.
Chronic pain has been one of the biggest barriers to cooking for me in recent years. It's something that took a while to get my head around. Separating those feelings of guilt, laziness and personal failure (that we all grapple with on a daily basis with ADHD) from the physical reality of the limitations of my body was a real struggle for the longest time.
The faithful algorithm that served me so much neurodivergent, hobby and dog related content had absolutely failed to tap into this issue. Where were the creators making light jokes about pain and helping me realise I'm not just tired or unfit? Why is no one my age talking about pain?
In this post, I want to share what chronic pain actually means, how it impacts me, and some strategies I use to make cooking a little easier.
Hot water bottles trump wheat bags every time
What is Chronic Pain?
It sounds dramatic, doesn’t it? For the longest time, I assumed “chronic pain” just meant “very bad pain.” My best mate who is an OT—and happens to have a master’s degree in pain management—once told me that I had chronic pain. At first, I dismissed her (because who wants to feel like a hypochondriac?), but she was very patient and helped me understand what chronic pain actually means.
Chronic pain is different to acute pain. Think of acute pain as the alarm system. The pain of a burn, or an ankle you just rolled. Your body telling you there’s something you need to protect. Chronic pain sticks around like the guest that won’t get the hint that it’s time to leave.
According to Healthdirect:
Chronic pain is pain that lasts beyond the normal healing time after an illness or injury—usually more than 3 to 6 months.
It’s sometimes called persistent pain.
It’s a complex condition that everyone experiences differently, ranging from mild to severe.
It’s ongoing and usually felt most days.
Chronic pain doesn’t just hurt—it drains your energy, impacts your mood, and makes everyday tasks feel so much harder.
Side note, this same friend was the first person to float the idea that I might have ADHD to which I think I might have responded something along the lines of ‘good joke Helen’. Dear reader, get yourself a best friend who is also an Occupational Therapist. They’re the best.
Pain and Neurodivergence
Is there a link with pain and neurodiversity? Well, good question and one I'm not qualified to answer but a quick google search will tell you that there appears to be a higher prevalence of conditions related to pain in neurodiverse people.
For example, this study found a strong link in neurodivergent adults between joint hypermobility, dysautonomia, and pain—more so than in the general population. It also showed that joint hypermobility may play a role in connecting neurodivergence with symptoms of pain and dysautonomia.
How Pain Impacts My Cooking
I'm really fortunate that I've been able to improve my pain over the last 12 months so it's no longer as big of a barrier, but in the past it's completely hamstrung me. Difficulty standing for an extended period (even just for the length of time needed to do the washing up) was the biggest issue. More insidious would be the good days, where I'd think I was ok and would start something like a big round of batch cooking, only to have to stop with everything half done and unlikely to be finished. Cue 3 days of dishes sitting on the sink, food waste and intense guilt. Sometimes I'd push through anyway, but the end result would be a dish barely worth eating and pain flare ups (What. A. Treat)
Strategies That Help Me
The following strategies are things that have had various degrees of success for me. They don't constitute medical advice, and I strongly encourage you to have a frank conversation with your GP if anything in this article is resonating for you
1. Pick simpler recipes
Scale everything back. Instead of chopping heaps of fresh veg and making curry paste from scratch, consider jarred pastes, frozen veggies, or skipping steps where you can.
2. Prep sitting down
Sit at a table or kitchen island while you chop and prep. Pop on a podcast or show and make it meditative.
3. Do it in stages
Going back to my first post about not cooking at dinner time - take that pressure off yourself You don’t need to get everything done at once. Chop onions in the afternoon, brown mince later. There’s no deadline—so stop making imaginary ones.
4. Cook when energy hits
If you’ve just put on a load of laundry and still have some energy, use it for a bit of prep. If you feel good at 9pm, go ahead and cook for tomorrow. Work with how your body is feeling and sneak the wins in where you can
5. Don’t overdo it
Stop before you burn out. It’s tempting to go all-in when you feel good but keeping things simple helps avoid crashing later. Bank that feeling, don’t spend it.
6. Time it with pain management
If you use strategies like painkillers, hot water bottles, compression garments, or other therapies, plan your cooking around the window when you feel the most relief.
7. Order in without guilt
Sometimes, cooking just isn’t possible. Ordering in doesn’t mean you’ve failed—it means you’ve taken care of yourself.
8. Buy pre-made from the supermarket
Ready-made meals, pre-chopped veggies, frozen options—all of these are lifesavers. It’s like using a packet mix for cakes: some people clutch their pearls, but honestly, it’s just another made-up rule. Use what makes life easier.
9. Go to a friend's house
This is a cheeky one. Why not suggest a catch up with a friend that you know loves to cook? (Hi Suze, love you). See if you can wrangle an invite to their place for dinner. Or maybe you've got a friend whose love language is feeding people? Let them know you're having a tough time of it and see how quickly a tray of burritos arrives at your doorstep.
10. Cook a little extra
Ok I've talked about why batch cooking is hit and miss for me, but something that could work is adding just enough to dinner to have lunch tomorrow. One extra serve to help out later but not enough that it's going to get boring or trigger demand avoidance
11. Use kitchen appliances that help
This is a good time to bust out the slow cooker. No need to stand there stirring when the slow cooker is going to take care of everything! Or maybe it's using an air fryer that will get it done quickly. What's gathering dust in your kitchen cupboards that can help you out a bit?
12. Ask for help
I stayed with a friend who knew about my seating chopping strategy. She offered a deal. If I could chop all the veg for her, she'd cook a double batch and send me home with containers for the freezer. This was a great deal for both of us. She got to save time, and I got to save effort.
Shift your mindset
Try to reframe things. Are you putting pressure on yourself to cook the perfect meal? An old boss of mine had a mantra '80% good to go' which basically translates to don't let 'perfect' get in the way of 'good enough'. Why struggle through homemade hollandaise for eggs benedict when a simple fried egg on toast will get the job done.
Remember that the rules are made up. You don't have to cook at dinner time (a hill I am prepared to die on). You're allowed to use packet mixes and buy pre-prepared veggies. The CWA isn't peeking into your kitchen, I promise.
Your pain is valid. Maybe you've had a really unhelpful GP tell you it's just hormones, or to take iron tablets and to lose weight, or some other bullshit. Don't let anyone tell you it's not a big deal if it in fact, is a big deal for you.
Pain is complicated and emotional, and it’s easy to minimise or dismiss how much it affects us both physically and mentally. It's really important to be patient and gentle with yourself, especially when you're in the weeds with a flare up.
You're not alone
You can be guaranteed that at least one person in your life is also experiencing these kind of struggles. You don't need to suffer on your own. If pain is impacting your daily life, reach out to your GP or a local pain clinic for more support.
We've worked with and recommend BOOST Health Labs for managing your day-to-day life with chronic pain.
If you've found something that helps you, I'd love you to share it in the comments for others to see.
