6 Things To Distract You From Your Chronic Condition

One of the many things that suck in life is living with a chronic condition. There are so many variations out there and, when they flare up, you sometimes need help in distracting you from it. Some of the things I’m going to cover might not be possible with your condition. I’d love to know how you try to distract yourself, though I know it’s not always possible.

For those of you who don’t know, I suffer from Fibromyalgia and IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).

Coping with even one of these is a major OOF, but it’s even worse when they decide to tag-team you. They did that over the weekend and I had to come up with some easy but effective ways to cope.

Photo by Logan Nolin on Unsplash

Take your medication

You’re probably wondering ‘Daisy, why is this on your list? Isn’t this essential?’.

You’d be correct. Medication for any illness is a vital daily thing we have to, but sometimes you have certain meds that you take at specific moments. You have inhalers to combat asthma attacks, painkillers and more. For me I have my painkillers that, on bad days, I take three times a day and my muscle relaxants. I also have something for my migraines and my IBS.

Never feel ashamed to take your medication when you need it.

The world is conditioned to force yourself through the pain. While this is okay in the short-term, it could make things worse. You won’t be able to distract yourself if you’re in agony.

Watch your favourite movie/TV show

If you’re having a particularly rough day where moving is just out of the question, escape to your favourite world.

I find myself doing this for both my mental health and physical issues. It works for both and it really does help. This weekend I was feeling dreadful and couldn’t get myself out of bed for long. That meant I needed something to keep my thoughts away from ‘OWWWW’. I knew a new episode for my favourite anime was out and, after watching this, I chose to go back and re-watch the start of the series.

Love anime? Watch Sword Art Online! It’s so GOOD!!

Time fly by and my pain meds had kicked in during this time. Yay!

Read a book

Another thing people won’t be surprised to see on my list!

Books are incredible objects that work just as effectively as TV/Movies. You can escape to a whole different world and put your thoughts on hold for a while. Find a book that has really got interest, get as comfortable as you can and run away.

I’m currently reading Melt My Heart by Bethany Rutter and this is perfect for my self-esteem issues! I can let Lily Rose (the main character) worry about them for a while.

If you haven’t got a physical copy, then an audiobook will work too!

Do gentle exercise

This is one thing that I know 50% of people won’t be able to do. One method of distraction I’ve been taught over the years for my chronic condition is do gentle exercise. I’m not expected to go a marathon but to simply move. The pain tends to get worse and makes me stiff if I don’t keep myself active.

It doesn’t work all the time but, when it does, it’s so freeing!

You can take a short 10-minute walk around your street/block and listen to nature. This time of year is brilliant for listening to the leaves blowing and birdsong. Super relaxing!

Don’t worry if you can’t walk around. Try gentle stretches and other similar exercises to help!

Play with your pet

There is nothing more magical than playing with a pet! I honestly think they have something Potter about them for what they can achieve!

When I had Jewel and was struggling, she seemed to sense it. I’d be sitting on the sofa crying and she’d suddenly appear to sit on my lap. It was crazy! I don’t think she knew exactly what was wrong but knew something. I definitely cried in her fur a few times and stroked her. That last one was so relaxing.

One of my favourite things to do was to play with her jingle stick. It had feathers and bells on it and I could dangle it in front of her for her to try and catch. She was hilarious with her little bum wiggle! I’m proud that I also taught her how to sit before I gave her food and to fetch.

Listen to a podcast/TED talk

If you haven’t got a book to read/listen to, then a podcast is effective!

There are so many podcasts out there for you depending on what you love. There are inspirational ones, true crime, food, mindfulness, exercise and even gaming ones! You can be entertained when the world feels like it hates you right now!

The podcasts I’m listening to right now are:

• David Tennant Does A Podcast With…
• Always Open
• Off Topic
• Katherine Ryan: Telling…

What ways do you have to distract yourself from your chronic condition?