Brainstorming: Activities for People with Chronic Pain & Illnesses
Being in pain or feeling unwell can get one down, and to make things worse we often have to give up certain activities we used to enjoy.
Hopefully we can come up with some ideas of new ideas that are inclusive of various issues - not everyone might be able to do everything we come up with, but I'd love to have a list where anyone can find at least on activity they can participate in safely.
I'll start off with one - become a 7 cups listener!
medication and mindfulness are very helpful tools
also, I've found DBT helpful, especially the idea of Radical Acceptance
Watching funny TV Shows - here members are sharing their favourite shows which help them relax. Laughing can be a source of joy and distraction, and that can bring a lot of relief for the given moment.
Solving crosswords or sudoku.
Reading - if you don't feel up to tackle a book, try comics or graphic novels.
How about gaming? It helps me a lot since I don't have to move more than my hands to play and it certainly gets my focus away from pain and nasty sensations in my body... I don't think it's for everyone but still, it might help :P
@Lophornis, I definitely up vote your suggestion ^^ It is a great way to relax, and there's a wide range of games to choose from, with different levels of difficulty.
Get creative - blogging, artwork etc
swimming,walking,drawing,praying and playing around
I used to garden a lot- but managing it (weeds/trimming things back) became problematic. So my brother helped (did all the manual labor!) me to convert my herb garden to a cactus/succulent garden. Now I can still enjoy having some plants and a lovely space next to my deck- but it doesn't require the upkeep on the plants or weeding :)
@PeppermintSnowflake
That's a great idea :)
I find that those commercial about arthritis are correct. You can't stop moving for too long. I find that swimming and pilates (or just gentle stretching on the bad days) do wonders for my body and my mood. But when it gets to be too much I retreat into books, movies, and netflix. Journaling and talking to people also do wonders to work through what I'm feeling. Sometimes it's also fun to go to a cafe (or the front porch) and people watch! I enjoy going to pet adoption clinics or to a friend's house who has a pet and spending some time petting really helps to calm and destress from the frustration of personal limitations.