Begin a pain diary that lasts for at least a week. Many of your pains will be acute, but nearly everyone suffers from headaches, at least occasionally, and you may have other chronic pains, such as low back pain or pain from various injuries. As part of your pain diary, rate the intensity of your pain using the MPQ to record your pain. (See the Short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire) Record the time of day when the pain is most intense, and note environmental or psychosocial events that seem to relate to the pain's onset. Next, describe your attempts to cope with the pain. Did you try to relax, take aspirin or other analgesic drugs, rest in bed, or use some other means to seek pain relief? How effective was this method? When you finish for the week, review your journal and make some predictions concerning when, where, or why a pain will return.