Welcome to the Health Activist Writer’s Month Challenge brought together by WEGO Health – a social network for all health activists.  Again, I am participating in the annual Writer’s Month Challenge in which I will be writing about my health activism and health condition based upon prompts given.

Today’s prompt reads as follows:

Health Activist Choice Day 2!…Write about whatever you like

This past weekend saw the annual celebration of Easter.  And it was also a long Bank Holiday Weekend.  A lot of people revel in these long Bank Holiday weekends – it often means a long weekend off from work, and time spent with family.  Many people even go away on these Bank Holiday weekends, perhaps visiting family or going on day trips with family and friends such as the beach if the weather permits.  However, both my parents usually work on Bank Holidays, and therefore, this Bank Holiday I will once again be home alone.  Friends and other members of the family all have their own lives and plans for such weekend and so don’t like to impose; or often I am in too much pain, or the weakness and trembling in the legs is so bad that I am unable to go out anyway.

It can be so difficult when living with a chronic illness feeling isolated from the world.  In addition, it hurts when you see or hear other people’s plans or stories for Bank Holiday weekends and you are once again stuck inside the house because of chronic illness.  It is not only miserable to be stuck inside during the Spring and Summer Bank Holidays when the weather is beautiful and warm, but it is also incredibly miserable as there is never anything on television.  The usual choices on television are films which you have already seen several times, repeats of old episodes of various television programmes and trashy reality shows.

It is on days like these that the blues can set in especially if symptoms are severe and persistent.  So, the only thing to do is to make your own fun!  But what some ideas of what you can do on such days when symptoms are bad and you need to make your own fun because of one reason or another?  Here are some ideas that you can do on such days when energy levels are low but you also want some fun:

• Movie Marathon: Think of your favourite actor or actress.  Who is it?  Sandra Bullock?  Tom Cruise?  Julia Roberts?  Whoever it may be, consider having a movie marathon of all the films that they have starred in!  Perhaps you haven’t got a favourite actor or actress; in this case you can watch films from your favourite movie genre.  For example, I love romantic comedies – they are fun, girlie and more often than not have a sweet, happy ending.  Perfect on days when you may be feeling blue.  So, get the DVD player ready, grab the popcorn and settle down on the sofa for some feel-good  entertainment
  
• Pamper Yourself and give yourself some Love!: In my opinion, there is no better tonic when feeling low then to give yourself some well-deserved pampering!  Especially when it has been a tough time dealing with chronic illness, and you have begun feeling blue.  Have a lovely warm bubble bath using your favourite bath scent – for relaxing try lavender for example.  Or paint your nails a wild and bright colour.  I usually paint my nails a bright and colourful colour whenever I am feeling low; for some reason it cheers me up and puts a smile on my face no matter how bad I am feeling.  I have had several bad falls recently so I also like to give my poor, bruised legs a pampering my applying soft and comforting body lotion.  If you have some friends around for a night-in, you can even give yourselves facial masks whilst watching some films together – double the feel-good fun!
• Take a Virtual Tour of a Museum: I know a lot of people love to visit a museum on Bank Holidays with their family or friends.  I love history myself and I love visiting museums to learn of a different period of history.  However, as energy is very often low due to chronic illness then walking around a crowded museum may be too much to handle.  The solution?  Take a virtual tour of a museum that you may have never been before.  There are plenty of choices around; for example the British Museum offers a range of different virtual tours on a variety of different topics in history.  Or if you are more interested in art then the Louvre has virtual tours on their website.  Try searching ‘virtual tours’ and see what is available and find a virtual tour which suits your interests.
• Get Creative!: In my experience of making cards, being creative whether it be making decopauge cards like myself, or painting, drawing or writing can be extremely cathartic and can also be good at distracting yourself from pain, boredom or feelings of depression that can often accompany being alone or unwell. So, whether you are an artist or a writer, try getting creative the next time you are bored, or suffering from severe symptoms.  It’s cheap, and something you can even do from your bed if needed.
• Enjoy your garden: When you are unable to get out of the house and enjoy a Bank Holiday at the seaside, for example, it does not mean you have to stay indoors feeling miserable.  Try sitting out in your garden, enjoying the sunshine whilst reading a book or listening to your favourite music on an MP3 player.  If stuck in bed, however, there are meditation exercises that involves you imagining that you are in a beautiful garden, beach or in your favourite place.  Meditation or relaxation exercises are an effective tool against chronic pain, depression and anxiety.  In my opinion, practicing such techniques are well-worth the time when living with chronic health problems.
• Learn something new: This was suggested by someone I know via social media.  I had no idea that the internet allows you the opportunity to enrol in free online courses! I think this is such a brilliant thing for anyone struggling with chronic illness or disability; as often because of our conditions we are unable to get out of the house.  Many individuals with chronic health problems also do not work and as a result do not have the funds to access courses that charge and are often very expensive, however, there are a number of websites online that allow you to enrol on courses which are completely free!  So, if as a result of your chronic illness you are stuck in the house a lot of the time on your own and find that you become bored, then this is a perfect opportunity to learn something you have always wanted to take up but have been unable to because of the lack of money or because you are unable to leave the house due to illness. It may also be a great opportunity to distract yourself from pain, fatigue and other symptoms that affect your life.
• Read a book: This is usually the first activity that I go to when alone, bored and feeling unwell.  Its cheap and does not require a lot of energy and thanks to my Kindle I have a number of books I have access too within easy reach.  In my experience, when you are engrossed in a book that interests you, then time quickly passes.

So those are some of my tips to pass the time; distract yourself from boredom, pain and other severe symptoms.  What other things that you can come up with to entertain yourself when alone in the house or just when you are too unwell to go out?  As ever I would love to hear your suggestions and thoughts so please feel free to add any comments below…