5 Ways To Have Fun With Fibromyalgia

Five Ways To Have Fun With Fibromyalgia

I have recently written several articles on the downside of fibromyalgia. Makes sense right? Can any fun come from having a terrible, disabling illness like fibromyalgia? The answer is typically no, that is unless you make an attempt to have some fun within the disabling limitations of fibromyalgia, chronic pain or chronic fatigue.

If you can some how manage add some fun to your life you will likely feel less depressed, maybe even feel a degree of happiness and a little contentment. It is easy to watch life pass you by as you lay in bed, the couch or your favorite recliner.

Also if you try to have some fun within your limitations it can help keep your mind be active in a positive way, and hopefully pull some energy away from feeling sorry for yourself and use that energy in giving your life some meaning outside of the crippling pain and other symptoms of fibromyalgia.

1. Read – Watching videos or TV is a passive activity for your mind. Watching TV and Videos isn’t the worse thing you can do and it has its place in this list which we will touch on later. Reading books is an engaging activity for your mind and stimulates your mind while you’re having fun being caught up in an engaging story. Reading is also like exercising your brain but it is an enjoyable event.

2. Listening To Your Favorite Music – While this may seem like a passive way to use your mind, music is different in that it stimulates memories and emotions. I can listen to certain songs that immediately bring up memories that are both good and bad. Don’t listen to the songs with bad memories attached.

3. Sing along With Your Favorite Music – As you are listening to your favorite music sing along to it. It doesn’t matter if you are bedfast or not, you can sing to your favorite music. Watch out though, in the middle of one of your favorite songs you might hear your self really getting caught up in the music and belting out the words like a rock star. That’s even better. If you need to, lock the door and let it roar.

5 ways to have fun

4. Watch TV and Movies – Besides trying to learn ways to have fun within the constraints of your chronic illness, part of the point of this list is to get your mind off of your illness, even if it is only for ten or twenty minutes. Watch exciting TV or videos that catch your attention and get you hooked. This can give you motivation each day to watch the next part in a series of movies or a TV series. I know I said that TV and movie watching is a passive brain activity, but it can also be fun. But don’t just flip the TV on for background noise. Watch comedy’s that make you laugh out loud. Watch documentaries on your favorite subjects, watch the TV with a purpose.

5. Find A Doable Hobby – This idea can be a little more difficult because of the limitations that fibromyalgia, chronic pain and chronic fatigue place on your body. But it’s not impossible. Maybe bird watching might be fun. Rather than hiking in the woods to look for bird you take a passive approach and find a comfortable folding chair and site in your back yard or in a park and watch for bird. The first hobby I picked up was to study World War II. I’ve always been a history buff so I picked up a book that had a general overview of the war, read it, and was hooked on wanting to learn more and more. I would often take a history book with me to read in doctors offices. It was interesting and helped pass the time of day.

What things have you come up with that help occupy your time in a meaningful way? What hobbies can you participate in? Let us know in the comments below.

“I’ve got a large list of other things that you can do to have fun while suffering from fibromyalgia or chronic pain I’ll post later on. Make sure you are a follower so you won’t miss the next several installments.

The 5 Most Popular Posts Of The Last Two Weeks At Fibro Champions Blog

The 5 Most Popular Posts Of The Last Two Weeks At Fibro Champions Blog

last_2_weeks_most_popular_posts

38 Tips To Make Traveling With Fibromyalgia Easier

Coping With Fibromyalgia And Chronic Fatigue – The 10 C’s

10 Things We Would Like Our Pain-free Friends to Know About Us

Not All Fibromyalgia Symptoms Are Fibromyalgia Symptoms

7 Fibromyalgia Awareness Free Graphics Or Memes

20 Top Tips For Managing Fibromyalgia

20 Top Tips For Managing Fibromyalgia

1. Let go of any guilt.

2. Recognize the contradictions of fibromyalgia.

3. Manage your expectations of yourself.

4. Manage the expectations of others.

5. Allow for rest.

6. Pace yourself.

7. Understand the illness.

8. Forgive the illness, don’t carry the baggage around.

9. Exercise and move around.

20 tips managing fibro10. Don’t give up!

11. Get the best sleep you can, even if it’s in nap form.

12. Stay Positive

13. Be consistent with your meds.

14. Keep all your doctor appointments

15. Be polite but assertive with your doctors, ultimately you are in control.

16. Manage your stress levels, Keep them as small as possible

17. Keep your mind and memory active and engaged.

18. Use all forms of therapy that work for you like a TENS or a heating pad etc.

19. Don’t be afraid to say no.

20. Remember, even if people around you say it’s a “trash can” diagnosis, God knows how you really feel.

8 Inspirational Fibromyalgia Quotes and Memes

8 Inspirational Fibromyalgia Quotes and Memes


fibro_mourning_1


being_a_victim


fibro_wheel


fibro_awareness_subart


chronic_pain


fibro_fellowship


fierce fighters


don't focus

The Most Popular Posts Of The Last Two Weeks At Fibro Champions Blog

The Most Popular Posts Of The Last Two Weeks At Fibro Champions Blog

What Does It Feel Like to Have Fibromyalgia

IS FIBROMYALGIA THE END OF LIFE AS WE KNOW IT? PART 3

two_weeks_most_popular

IS FIBROMYALGIA THE END OF LIFE AS WE KNOW IT? – PART 1

Starting a Weekly Support Group For Fibro, Chronic Fatigue, Lyme, Lupus and all chronic invisible illnesses.

14 Ways To Cope With Fibromyalgia, POTS, CFS And Other Chronic Illnesses

We Are Not Hypochondriacs . . . But Maybe We Should Be?

71 Fibromyalgia Emotions

71 Fibromyalgia Emotions

This is a list of 71 common emotions for those who suffer with fibromyalgia, chronic pain, chronic fatigue syndrome and all the other invisible illnesses. We suffer all the emotions that everyone else does but these emotions are prevalent in our lives due to the illness we have.

Agitation

Amazement

Anger

Anguish

Annoyance

Anticipation

Anxiety

Commotion

Concern

Confidence

Conflicted

Confusion

Contempt

Defeat

Defensiveness

Denial

Depression

Despair

Determination

fibro_invisible_illness_emotions

Disappointment

Disbelief

Disgust

Doubt

Dread

Eagerness

Embarrassment

Endearing

Envy

Excite

Fear

Frustration

Gratitude

Grief

Guilt

Hatred

Hopeful

Humiliation

Hurt

Impatient

Indifference

Insecurity

Irritation

Jealousy

Loneliness

Love

Nervousness

Nostalgia

emotions_CFS_fibro_pain

Overwhelmed

Paranoia

Pride

Rage

Regret

Reluctance

Resentment

Resignation

Sadness

Satisfaction

Scorn

Shame

Shock

Skepticism

Somberness

Sorrow

Surprise

Suspicion

Sympathy

Terror

Uncertainty

Unease

Wariness

Worry

9 Tips For Coping With Chronic Pain and Fibromyalgia

9 Tips For Coping With Chronic Pain and Fibromyalgia

1. Understand what else can trigger a fibro flare to avoid it.

2. Say no when you need to.

3. Don’t feel guilty for saying no.

4. You have a lot of limitations, don’t feel guilty for having limitations.

5. Remember you did not ask for Fibromyalgia.

6. You can always do something within the parameters Fibro has given you. Find out what there are.

7. Find something to laugh about, every single day.

8. Take time out to pray or meditate

9. Take time out for yourself each day

9_tips_coping_with_fibro

Not All Fibromyalgia Symptoms Are Fibromyalgia Symptoms

Not All Fibromyalgia Symptoms Are Fibromyalgia Symptoms

Most people discover that they have fibromyalgia after a long bout of chronic pain. Then it usually takes a year or more to get it correctly diagnosed. In the meantime and for the next several years they discover additional symptoms of fibromyalgia like chronic fatigue, fibro fog, IBS, chemical sensitivities, dizziness, impaired motor skills and the list really goes on and on.

I’ve heard that there are more than sixty symptoms related to fibromyalgia. I haven’t researched that statement yet but here are a lot of additional fibro symptoms to consider such as Chronic muscle spasms, or tightness, chronic fatigue and decreased energy, Insomnia, waking up feeling just as tired, as when you went to sleep, stiffness upon waking or after staying in one position for too long, difficulty remembering, concentrating, and performing simple mental tasks (“fibro fog”), abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, and constipation alternating with diarrhea (irritable bowel syndrome), tension or migraine headaches, jaw and facial tenderness, sensitivity to one or more of the following: odors, noise, bright lights, medications, certain foods, and cold.

Even more fibro symptoms are feeling anxious or depressed, numbness or tingling in the face, arms, hands, legs, or feet, increase in urinary urgency or frequency (irritable bladder), reduced tolerance for exercise and muscle pain after exercise, a feeling of swelling (without actual swelling) in the hands and feet.

not_all_fibro_symptoms_are sympRemember, there are countless more symptoms of fibromyalgia. But here is the point, when you notice a new symptom don’t just assume that it is a fibro symptom, at least get it checked out before assuming anything.

My first example from my decades long experiences that illustrates this concept: I have been having problems recently being way more fatigued than usual. I went the doctor to check it out. It felt a little more than traditional chronic fatigue symptoms. To make a long story short, I found out that my heart rate was hovering in the mid 40’s. Sometimes and low as 40. That can make a person very sleeping. I am currently being monitored by a Cardiologist.

The second example is related to dizziness. Dizziness can be a symptom of fibromyalgia but it, like most of the symptoms of fibromyalgia can by symptoms related t other things. Occasionally I have dizziness with fibromyalgia. In the past I have had a few inner ear infections. I started getting much more dizzy than usual. Went to the doctor to finds out I have an inner ear infection and fluid build up behind both ear drums. I was able to get some Meclizine to help with the dizziness. I was told to take Mucinex to help get rid of the fluid.

Ten days later I went to my doctor again and the fluid was gone behind one ear and the other ear was infected. Got an antibiotic and after three days I am seeing improvement.

If I had not gone to the doctor then I would have got really dizzy and sick and suffered longer than needed.

My third example is that I take medicine for IBS, irritable bladder, anxiety, muscle spasms, to manage fibro symptoms. Always treat the symptoms if they are a part of fibro or not. Chronic pain is more than enough to deal with, manage your other symptoms the best you can.

Troy Wagstaff ©

This is not medical advice. This is for informational purposes and should not be considered medical advice. Consult your doctor for any questions about your health.

Fibro-Awareness Memes Or Graphics

Fibro-Awareness Memes Or Graphics

To promote fibro-awareness, you may use these and any other fibro-awareness graphics of memes to raise awareness of Fibromyalgia free of charge. They are copyrighted but this post give permission for free use of unaltered memes or graphics.


fibro_aware_want_need_settle


fibro_is_real


fibro_unpredictable


fibro_victim1


fibro_mourning


fibro-awareness1


how_fibro_affects_my_daily_life


waves_of_hope_fibro_despair

Fibro Awareness Memes

Fibromyalgia Awareness Memes

I like to create memes as a way of coping with fibromyalgia. These are free to use for fibro awareness if you like.

fibro_fog1


fibro_awareness_subart


forgiveness_future1