I'm bored, I'm bored, I'm bored

A little while back, somebody started a thread of “what do you do all day” or something similar, and that’s kind of how I feel … Now don’t get me wrong, I have actually had quite a busy day doing odd jobs and stuff that needed doing but ultimately I’m bored bored bored.

housework and kids aren’t that stimulating, and I do feel rather superfluous. I do volunteer, and that is keeping me sane, but life isn’t fascinating, and although I really do try and keep a positive mental attitude and all that, and try and stay independent, this takes up all my energy and the ms and it’s effects are so very life restricting. I used to have conversation and drive and wit, now I’m just bored and knackered.

just venting, hope all the good people of ms land are groovy x and here comes the rain x

Hi Sluggy

I’m right with you !

Daytime tv,netflix and a mandala colouring book for me. i’m going to have piano lessons too.

Praying I can get back on my horse before too long.

My family have instructions to shoot me if they find me watching jeremy kyle :wink:

Janet xx

4 Likes

Yes indeed, good plan. Your brain just goes to mush after a little while doesn’t it? Looking forward to wine o’clock (but not too much, ms doesn’t like it nag nag-yawn).

your mojo will return soon me hopes, until then…

I find a brief ‘look’ on ancestry can pull me in for a few hours… Or catch up on Sky+. Almost up to 4% !!! (100%=1300 hrs of telly !)

hiya

the ‘b’ word was banned from my house several years ago!

in those days i was bringing up 4 kids on my own and working and volunteering etc etc.

nowadays i have carers, use powerchair, lost sight in left eye, doubly incontinent and ride sided weakness. BUT i still never use the ‘b’ word! why not?! because that old life has changed beyond recognition!

now i watch some tv-mainly tipping point and the chase cos i can answer many of the questions, my diy brain training! i watch jk for maybe 10 mins a week just to remind myself how darn lucky i am!

i i takes me 2 hours to shower and dress. i go to local ms lunch monthly and another group locally for long term neurological conditions monthly. i go to local beauticians monthly for nail maintenance and get my eyebrows done. i meditate everyday (the single most beneficial thing i do to help live with this ms malarkey!) i stopped yearning for my previous life and learned how to live in the now-it really does do away with loads of things such as unrealistic wishes/wants, guilt…

i have spent the past half hour typing this! was it a waste?! of course not! somebody will read it and has focused me for that time! play mind games with yourself but the good ones not in the usual associated way!

ellie who might catch the end of tipping point!

i

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Hmm interesting.:slight_smile:

I used to love to walk along my local shingle beach, whatever the weather, anytime of the year. Can’t manage to walk around the supermarket now, without a trolley for support. I have an acre of garden that I waited 40years for…lord help me now! Thankfully it’s mostly lawn and a local guy doesn’t charge me much to cut it. I work part time from home so I’m very, very lucky. When I’m bored and have some energy, I batch cook using my food processor and slow cooker. I freeze loads of meals for the days when I’ve got NO energy. :slight_smile: (feeling pious now! :-):-))

Nice to read people’s comments

Chocorange I totally respect your comments, I too have accepted my current being and don’t really yearn for the used to be, however, I am bored (or constrained by the mindlessly repetitive nature of things) sometimes. Now in reality, I accept that most poor souls get a touch of this, my poor husband gets up and goes to work everyday, and deals with all that, as do millions of people. I know I can still so some things and I am grateful. Just making tea for the kids every night, like any such other person, is a little mind-numbing (and exhausting). Please do not mistake my unburdening as a woe is me, it’s really not.

Poppy, as it happens, I did make a stew this afternoon, and just eaten some, delicious, so yes all good, but don’t think there will be much left, so didn’t really plan ahead. Can’t do very often, chopping veg is hard work and always cut myself, but needs must

Carraboy, have you found anyone interesting?

lovely evening up north, and thanks to you all for company x

Mini chopper/dicer from Aldi for €12.99! Brilliant. Saved my fingers, which seem to resemble a bunch of bananas on my right hand…(and just about as useful)

Hi

I can relate to feeling bored - I’m in a fairly similar place at the moment, just going through the same old routines. So this evening I thought I’d have a look at www.ted.com, as it’s been a while since I’ve been on there. If you don’t know it, TED host conferences where people from all walks of life do short talks (no more than 20 minutes) about anything & everything. The talks are filmed, and you can watch them on their website. They can be fascinating, stimulating, funny, moving, challenging… Pick a subject and there’ll almost certainly be a talk about it - the brain, art, technology, story telling, psychology, education, creativity, medicine, relationships, nature…
(If you want a good place to start, try this one - Jill Bolte Taylor: My stroke of insight | TED Talk)

Another thing I’ve done in the past that’s helpful is to do a review at the end of each day, and consider what were the things that energised me or nourished me somehow. And then think about the things that did the opposite, that drained me or left me feeling empty & frustrated somehow. Over time, you’ll probably find recurring things cropping up. So for me, I know that just watching telly all evening will usually leave me feeling empty. But any time in nature, or writing, will leave me feeling much more satisfied. So now, I know that if I’ve got some spare time, I’ll be much better off looking at the clouds & watching the birds flying, than simply seeing what’s on telly.

And one more thing you could try - get a pen & some paper, then spend 5 minutes writing on the subject ‘Everything I know about feeling bored’. Don’t think about it, just write, and don’t stop writing until your time’s up. I sometimes pick any subject and use that writing exercise - ‘Everything I know about feeling tired/spare time/nature/my family/silence/a nice cup of tea…’ - and it often surprises me with what comes out.

Dan

Hiya slug

Woe is me didn’t enter ma heid!

Most get periods of what u r describing, do what u have to in order to help it pass.

Ellie

I’m bored too. In all honesty, I was bored while I was still working, as the job was deathly boring and often pointless, and I did not really have enough work to fill all the hours. I wasn’t really surprised to be made redundant, as I hadn’t had enough to do for ages, except once or twice a year, when there was a crisis. I worked from home, but was still afraid to go out or get engrossed in anything too far from my desk, just in case my boss suddenly called or instant-messaged, and realised I hadn’t been sitting there dutifully waiting!

In theory, it should now be better, as I could go anywhere or do anything, without the fear of: “Where were you when I called?”

But in reality, the novelty is wearing pretty thin, as I don’t go anywhere or do anything. OK, that’s not strictly true - I’m learning 2-3 languages with cheap/free online courses (I say 2-3, because I haven’t touched the Russian for quite a while, but am still persevering with Dutch and German). But I’ve now got to the stage I’ve finished ALL the course materials, and everything is just prompted revision - which is necessary, but pretty dull. I’m not going to be able to take my studies further without investing in more advanced courses.

I also do a lot of free Futurelearn courses, with varying degrees of success. A few have been excellent, others have turned out to be not really my thing, and others still, I’ve just gradually fallen behind, until I ended up not finishing them.

I’ve just recently returned to Art History one afternoon a week, for 20 weeks. The tutor is very good and inspiring, but due to the constraints of public transport, I’m out a good 6-7 hours for just a two-hour lecture. In other words, I’m spending twice as much time in transit or waiting for buses & trains as I do in the actual lecture. I’m starting to wonder if it is worth the effort, as I get home absolutely exhausted, and am fit for nothing next day. I keep wondering if this will be the last year I’m still able to manage it. I’ve prepaid, so will do it, but it keeps getting harder and harder.

The past month, I’ve been walking about a mile round the park, whenever I don’t have anything else on (like shopping) and the weather is good enough. This has averaged about five times a week. In that time, I think I’ve speeded up, and now complete the route more quickly, but I’m very disappointed I’m NOT finding it any easier or less painful - this is compared to walking three or four miles not so very long ago (within a year). I thought I would gradually be able to build back up to that, but I’m not so sure I ever will.

Reading that lot, it looks as if I do loads of things, but most of it is just sitting at the computer, and the things that aren’t exhaust me. It’s really hard to find interesting things to occupy oneself, that are neither too tiring, too expensive, nor both.

I suppose the underlying problem is feeling I have no real purpose (although I felt that when I was still at work as well).

I often scan the volunteering opportunities, but they all seem to be quite physical and demanding things, like helping in kitchens, showing people round, or driving (I don’t drive). I’d love to help in a museum or library, but those opportunities are popular and oversubscribed, and very rarely come up. And even for volunteer jobs, you need a certain level of commitment - you can’t just phone in sick because you’re having a bad MS day, even if there’s no contract - you’re letting people down.

So I don’t know what the answer is for a “meaningful life”, really.

I’ve got hundreds of books here I’ve never read - probably enough to last the rest of my life if I never bought another book again! Why don’t I get cracking reading them? But I’ve discussed this here before. I hardly read now - I gather from folk here it’s “probably” an MS thing. It’s not that my eyesight’s affected or anything - I just can’t seem to concentrate long enough. I used to do most of my reading in bed, but now I go to bed so doped up, I can’t stay awake.

What’s the answer? I dunno.

Tina

x

Tina

Just read ur reply.

I was at my local library recently and they told me u can do work from home and doesn’t matter if takes 2 hours or 6 weeks cos they appreciate all help they can get. Maybe worth asking?

Ellie x

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Thanks Ellie, don’t suppose they mentioned what kind of work it is, did they?

I assume it must be cataloguing or data entry of some sort?

Then again, that would be more sitting in front of the computer - although at least I’d feel it was benefiting someone.

Tina

x

Tina

Yes catolouging but once u are involved you will get to know what else is available. A library has changed so much! The day I was there it was kids story time and noise\singing was actively encouraged. Ebooks were also promoted so they are moving with change!

Ellie x

Sounds useful, I will look out for one, thanks x

Thank you Dan, never heard of ted, so I might have a look. Like your ideas ta x