When you're stuck at home, low on energy and feeling rough, what can you do to stop boredom setting in? Here are some suggestions. If you've got more good ideas – send 'em in!
NB. Fun and interesting stuff takes up energy too. Remember to pace yourself.
- Get creative. Drawing, painting, scrap-booking, model-making, collecting, jewellery-making … the list is endless.
- Read things which interest you, fact or fiction, books, magazines, newsletters or online.
- Visit one of the websites in our links to the right.
- Play games online. There are a lot of websites that you play games for free, such as Games.co.uk and Miniclip.
- Plant some seeds in a pot and keep them on your window sill.
- Ask your mum or dad to buy puzzle books for you, or download crosswords free from the web.
- Write a story, poem, play, film, book, comic strip…
- Ask your parents if you can get a pet (a crazy dog that needs lots of exercise probably isn't a great idea - unless your family can walk it!). Even a goldfish can be really relaxing to watch and it doesn't take much energy to look after.
- Keep a diary or a blog.
- Try listening to music on different radio stations, maybe something you wouldn't normally listen to like classical, jazz or country, or make your own playlist using iTunes or Windows Media Player.
- Raise funds for your favourite good cause. Low-energy ways include having a sponsored silence.
- Hang out some bird food up outside your window and look out for hungry visitors. Borrow a book from the library to help you tell what you're looking at. See the British Trust for Ornithology or the RSPB for more info.
- Listen to audio books - many can be download for free from your local library's website.
- Start a collection of anything that interests you, eg. celeb stuff, sports cards, coins, posters, shells, stamps, music, film memorabilia etc. Ask friends and family members to chip in, then make a display of what you've collected.
- Use CDs or go online to learn a new language or how to play a musical instrument.
- Unleash your imagination. Imagine you are your hero/heroine for a day – what happens from the moment you get up to when you go to bed? Next time, imagine you are a character in your hero’s life, how did the day go for them?
- Join the Association of Young People with M.E. (AYME) for their e-noticeboard, penpal scheme or newsletter - and/or a non-M.E. social network which matches your other interests, eg. on MySpace, Facebook, Bebo etc. Just remember to stay safe online by never giving out personal details online or in emails.
