interests while being ill

[neil25]

i was wondering what interests and activities people do? i'm looking to find more interests as i'm getting bored and was wondering if anyone could suggest stuff.

here is the list below of things that I do, i dont do them all on a daily basis:

Watching tv
playing video games
going to the cinema
shopping
visiting friends
listening to music
going online
reading books
going to pub quizzes
going out for lunch

[jankel]

Hi there
I'm struggling entertaining myself & getting through the day, I have just started the Gupta programme & doing all the techniques.meditation etc I watch TV a bit, I draw, write to friends (long hand)friends visit and I listen to the radio...... its all hard being housebound I do everything in tiny chunks. sorry nothing too exciting here but I am trying to make Gupta my full time job.
love
Jx

[neil25]

ok i tried to make gupta my full time job myself but it was making me feel more depressed. so now i just focus on making myself happy through anyway possible.

[damask-rose]

I learned some good tips on this from the Linden Method. He strongly advises finding activities which engage your mind very fully - so watching videos, TV etc are supposed not to be helpful, as the mind just goes on worrying in the background. I found the same with reading, unless I imagined I was reading out loud to someone, because then my mind had to concentrate more.

Activites like photography, where you have to really use your brain to figure out how to take a good picture, or learning a new language, or a musical instrument are all good activities, because they are so thoroughly engaging. And the idea is to spend as much as the day doing these things and to take great interest in it (even pretend to start off with!)

I took up photography, and learnt to play treble recorder (I'm quite good now.to my surprise) and they have really helped me to get out of the ME/anxiety state by focussing my mind on something outside myself.

There are many hobbies and crafts, too, which are absorbing, although knitting was not recommended as it's a bit mindless! I only knit if I listen to something engaging at the same time.

I must see, that doing these things has worked really well, in conjunction with the STOP technique, as it made me feel I was living a life again, and not just sitting around being ill. I had to start off gently with them, taking into account my strength at the time, but now I can do more and more and more!

Hope that helps!

[damask-rose]

PS, sorry for typos in previous message!

[neil_l]

OK, so I am classic ME/CFS fodder I know....

But when I was quite ill and only working part time, I recorded, produced, mixed and played on my band's album, I also set up a small independent record company to release it.

Now, as I improve I am working full time, playing a gig once a month, and just recorded, produced and released another EP with the same band.

We got great reviews in national press and CD of the Month in a well known sound recording magazine. Me? A Perfectionist? Never!

[damask-rose]

That's brilliant, Neal!

[neil_l]

Thanks

http://www.300ftgorilla.com

if anyone is interested!

There's some songs on http://www.myspace.com/300ftgorilla

[Gattone]

And you have cfs??? i'm glad you can do all these things i play guitar and my friends doesn't believe the illness so i couldn't cope with the gigs which were strenuos

[neil_l]

Yeah. The gigs are stressful as I never know how I will be feeling on the day.

I always have some sort of stool or chair on stage should I need to sit down (never needed to use it yet, but have been close a few times). I have also purchased a massive fan/blower to keep me cool when onstage

The big problem I have is the rush of adrenaline when I start playing can really shake my symptoms up and on a bad night it can be a constant mental battle to stay on top of them.

I had to stop playing when I was really bad between 2003-2007, but now I'm around 60-80% functioning I just love playing too much to let CFS stop me doing it.

This was us last year at a festival we did in Montrose http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCMhX7tU1KQ I'm in the black t-shirt on the singer's left

[neil25]

you are doing very well there, i don't think i could cope in a situation like that myself.

[neil_l]

And I couldn't have done where you are now Neil.

But even if you end up with this thing for life (15 years for me I think) it won't always be the same and you can still enjoy yourself.

[Gattone]

wow if i'll stop playing for 4 years i won't be able to play a note

[neil_l]

LOL

It took me a while and a lot of practice to get to be any good again.

I also had to completely change my playing style as I was playing too hard and my muscles couldn't cope. This is one area where CFS has really improved my life, because now I play softer and let my amp do the work I am a much better player.

One interesting thing is, when I'm playing and I feel absolutely terrible, the part of my brain that plays can often be working perfectly well. I've played gigs where I have felt awful and played really well! Don't know what that is all about!!!

[Graham]

I haven't launched my own album or anything, but I also recommend learning to play a musical instrument. I drag myself out to a guitar class once a week: it's social, low energy, and very rewarding. At our end-of-term mini-concert I played "Good Riddance" by Green Day as a reflection of my feelings about CFS. Learning to play music is quite engrossing, and a great life skill to have once the CFS is all gone.

Cheers,
Graham