Dealing with boredom/restlessness + stress
 

Well, I've had a few good days this week (Tues - Thurs), which has been really encouraging, although one thing I've learned not to take anything for granted with PCS. Even at its best, the progression typically seems to be two steps forward, one step back.

During this recovery period, two things I find myself dealing with on a regular basis are:

- Boredom and restlessness, as in, I know that I should be mostly resting during the day, but I've rested so much that I can't take naps, and I find it hard to do nothing all the time. On the other hand, spending too much time doing stuff (surfing the internet, emailing, phone calls, pottering around) isn't a great idea either. Any suggestions for getting ample rest on a daily basis without causing overstimulation OR excessive boredom/restlessness?

- Stress surges. These sometimes come about as a result of anxiety about my condition (although this type of anxiety seems to be lessening), but lately I've been dealing with some pesky employment/insurance issues (for example, a couple of intransigent and/or adversarial bureaucracies), which seem to create mini-stress surges. These can be quite damaging, causing symptoms to flare up during what was otherwise a reasonably good day. Does anyone have any good de-stressing suggestions that don't involve too much stimulation or activity?

I know it can be difficult to sit around and do nothing all the time; especially if you are a person who is used to being on the go all the time.

For me, I have found that sitting outdoors helps to relieve a bit of the boredom of doing nothing. I am lucky to have a great backyard with lots of trees and greenery, so I find it relaxing to sit just outside on the patio. It also makes me feel like I did "something" besides lay in bed in my room all day.

I have also found that listening to relaxing music can be de-stressing. There are quite a few healing/relaxation/meditation music radio stations online and I have found that listening to them is a way to take my mind off of things.

Hope that helps.

As a busy person who was doing Grad School 3 nights a week, working full time during the day and on the go all weekend, being completely sidelined for almost 4 months now has made me extremely restless, so I completely understand where you are coming from.

For the first few weeks after the accident, the best I could do was lay in bed or come downstairs to my couch and watch tv, (if needed with sunglasses for glare and keeping the sound down low.)

As I was able to tolerate more light, I moved on to watching tv, knitting (simple scarf, so it didn't require thought), and a little bit of internet time when I could tolerate it.

I have a kindle and have been fortunately able to read it from about the 4th week to current. They do not produce a glare and I didn't feel disoriented by having to turn pages, (as I did when I tried a real book). Also, I was able to make the print size bigger and put more space in between lines. The only downfall is that I had to surrender to the fact that I may not remember what I had already read when I picked it up later in the day or the next. However, after giving into this concentration problem, I realized it was still a way to pass the time. I also picked books that were not very involved or invoked deep thinking, ha ha.

I think the biggest thing, as was already mentioned, is changing scenery. When I can, I sit on my back patio. Otherwise I try to at least get out of bed and sit on the couch for part of the day, so I feel like I "did something" for the day.

Also, although being around people can be a trigger of symptoms, I try to have a short conversation with someone I haven't talked to in a while, daily. I start the conversation letting the person know that I can only talk for a brief period before it gets to my symptoms, but I'll catch up on gossip with a friend from work, talk with relatives, etc.

As time has passed, I've also worked on cooking a little bit. I will do a quick search of crock pot recipes that don't require too much work. My boyfriend will pick the stuff up at the store, (4 months later and the grocery store still sets me to spinning for the rest of the day!). Then one afternoon when I'm feeling bored, I'll throw the couple of ingrediants together in a crock pot. I keep it really simple, whether searching for the recipe on line or making it. However, it gives me a sense of having "done something" with my day, and that I can give a little back to my boyfriend for all he has done to help me through all this, to have a cooked meal when he gets home once in a while. (Note- I normally the least domestic person you could meet, but desparate times call for desparate measures...)

My true Godsend is that I have been able to tolerate reading on the Kindle. If I didn't have that escape, my depression would be 100X worse!

I am also considering a netflix subscription.

Hope you can find a good escape to break up yorur day! Its hard in the beginning, but when you are able to tolerate stuff a little more, you can branch out a little bit without taxing yourself too much.

Best wishes for sanity in such boring and frustrating times!