Chronic Illness and Boredom - any tips please?

Anoneemoose

Hi,

I hope this is the right place to post this. As the title says, and I have mentioned in previous posts, I suffer from ME/CFS/Fibromyalgia. I have recently stopped working because of this and am now accepting of the fact that I won't be returning. This thing is, I'm bored. Most days I have to spend at home because of the extreme fatigue and pain and can just about manage to do the school runs. A lot of time I sleep, although this is usually slightly worse in the winter months. Daytime TV is only good to a point and brain fog often means I can't concentrate for long.

Although I don't feel depressed, I feel a bit fed up and bored of the same four walls. My friends all work during the day, as do my parents and sisters.

Does anyone have any ideas of what I can do?? I appreciate I am a bit of an awkward customer..:D

Bennifred

Hello!
If you can't go out into the world. how about bringing the world to you? Is there an online support group/forum for your condition that you could help with? Or one associated with something else you are interested in? If you join an international group, there will be people available to talk to around the clock.

gettingtheresometime

I
Adult colouring in books seem all the rage at the moment?

Audio books?

Some sort of craft that can be picked up and put down as your health dictates? Cross stitch perhaps?

piglet74

Have you an interest \ hobby etc.. Can you knit, sew, paint, draw etc?

Can you do any sort of work from home? I once was off work sick, recovering from an operation, but not bedbound, and I worked from home for a while for a chatline \ psychic line ! Passed the day.

Torry_Quine

You have my sympathy as I'm in the same boat although a few years down the road. The days are long on my own and like you I do sleep a lot. I don't really have any tips as my energy is limited

pathtofreedom

I taught myself crochet by watching youtube videos. I also watch a lot of netflix and listen to podcasts, I can't concentrate that well as all my energy goes into to still working full time, so when I'm not working I do as little as possible to recover and pace. So I sometimes have to watch an episode twice when I realise I have no idea what has just happened.

I am lucky with my job I can work from home a lot so that helps when I'm feeling really bad. As I don't have to think about getting dressed, going somewhere etc.

Coursera / edx / ted talks are good too, but they involve your brain being a bit awake to take it in.

SailorSam

We've just been talking on another thread about Futurelearn. It's a bit like the OU and they have a long list of couses you can do online and they're all free. Most are only a few hours a week and lots of them what you'd think of as hobbies, not academic.
See if there's anything that interests you.

https://www.futurelearn.com/

http://www.open.edu/openlearn/free-courses

Anoneemoose

Thank you! Some fab suggestions. I do actually make cakes as a hobby and extra pocket money and I really love that, but I can't take on too many as it is far too much for me. I can't stand for long and do try to do stuff at the table, but it still really takes it out of me.

I am on a fb group and have made some really good online friends, but it's not always very busy - probably because we're all sleeping :rotfl:

I have a colouring book, but struggle with holding the pencils, however I could pick it up and put it down, I suppose. I think I am going through that 'denial' stage again, thinking I can do this, that and the other, and then when I realise I can't, I get frustrated!!

I have looked for working from home ideas as well, but there doesn't seem to be anything legit out there.

Podcasts sound like a good idea! I used to listen to some comedy shows. I might start recording Countdown (if it's still on) and play along with that the next day like my Grandma used to, to keep her brain ticking over!

Anoneemoose

pathtofreedom wrote: »

I taught myself crochet by watching youtube videos. I also watch a lot of netflix and listen to podcasts, I can't concentrate that well as all my energy goes into to still working full time, so when I'm not working I do as little as possible to recover and pace. So I sometimes have to watch an episode twice when I realise I have no idea what has just happened.

I am lucky with my job I can work from home a lot so that helps when I'm feeling really bad. As I don't have to think about getting dressed, going somewhere etc.

Coursera / edx / ted talks are good too, but they involve your brain being a bit awake to take it in.

I tried crocheting once (one of the many things I tried before finding a talent for 'caking'), but most of the videos were for right handed people, and I am left handed and I couldn't get my head round it!

Anoneemoose

SailorSam wrote: »

We've just been talking on another thread about Futurelearn. It's a bit like the OU and they have a long list of couses you can do online and they're all free. Most are only a few hours a week and lots of them what you'd think of as hobbies, not academic.
See if there's anything that interests you.

Ooh, excellent! Thank you. My friend and I were talking about the OU the other day - she had done some sort of course that cost about £80 A good few years ago, but when she checked it was now over £2000!!!

Savvy_Sue

Anoneemoose wrote: »

I tried crocheting once (one of the many things I tried before finding a talent for 'caking'), but most of the videos were for right handed people, and I am left handed and I couldn't get my head round it!

There are youtube videos for crocheting left-handed ... :rotfl:

With colouring, if your hands get tired, would grips for the pencils help?

I can think of few things worse than colouring, but hey! One of those few things is jigsaws - how about for you?

My answer to boredom is Radio 4. You're never really alone with Radio 4.