Hobbies/activities

[Sarahw]

Hi y’all. I’m looking for a few ideas please. I have been a jigsaw addict for a while now since being wheelchair bound and it keeps me sane! However, my second hand is now becoming much worse and I think these days are numbered. Has anyone got any ideas to keep me from going round the bend? I don’t really want to watch any more tv than I already do and games/puzzles on my phone are a bit samey. I’m probably asking for the impossible but I know many of you are brilliant at thinking outside the box. Xxx

[JamesW]

Hi Sarah,

Audiobooks and my iPad keep me sane, I also limit the amount of TV I watch as well.

[denise]

Sarahw theres a great puzzle site called jigidi.com/jigsaw-puzzles I use it a lot. Its easier than lots of fiddly bits and the pieces are the right way up.
😘

[MMG]

My husband took up online gambling, watching and betting on the greyhounds and horses.

Not necessarily a good "habit" to develop but he had extra money to spend with PIP and ESA.

He and his afternoon carer studied form and geed them on.


And he liked audible books. Sitting chilling and being read to by someone with a nice voice.

[Music man's wife]

My husband writes poetry, you don't know till you've tried

[shelly21]

MMG I've started with audible books. I am also trying to find different ways to fill my day.

[Ellie]

Sarahw Bear in mind that my arms are paralysed, and I lead a sedentary lifestyle 😁😁

I don’t watch TV anymore - some weekend morning it’s on in the background, courtesy of my partner - but I do have a Netflix subscription and watch some players on my laptop, but only 2-3x per week.

I devour audiobooks, free from the library, listen to podcasts and am a big fan of BBC Sounds, all of which help relax and distract my mind as I escape into a good story or music.

I’m also a fan of crosswords, word games, logic puzzles, for which I pay an annual subscription, and have completed jigsaws and played scrabble online, and of course, I play card games.

Then there’s the weekly online grocery shop, including planning meals (contain your excitement folks 😉) and bits of other online shopping.

Occasionally I do some admin work for my partner’s job, for which I never get paid, apparently I do it for love 🙄😂😂

[Deb]

When life was mega busy I used to long for half an hour to read a book. How ironic !

I still love reading though and my fingers can just about manage my kindle. I only watch TV if its something I really want to see and usually not in the day.i enjoy watching most sport and listening to classical music. I do online Spanish lessons which is possibly pointless as my voice weakens but I like being better than hubby ! I play some online games which are strangely addictive.

I also enjoy being outside in my chair and watching the birds etc even if it's cold and it's not for long xx😘🤗

[Cinderella]

Hi Sarahw I have a nintendo switch - you don't always need to use the controls (which are a little tricky for me) as it's touch screen too - I always go back to the brain training one, but I loved Agent A and some of Captain Toad Treasure Tracker, Big Brain (which I only use touchscreen), Donut County and Down in Bermuda, even a quantum physics one called The Bridge which is more about tilting the screen and the effects of gravity (but very hard to work out). You mainly need your right thumb to press A to enter to get things running, then your first finger on the screen or button A or B. We buy games via online and download so don't have to keep changing the chips which is a pain. Not cheap to purchase unfortunately, but could buy secondhand. Maybe someone has one you could try out?

I've tried lego sets for adults - my london bus is nearly complete but some parts are fiddly and so you may need help with it. They do some amazing sets so there may be something worth trying?

What about a book club at the library - there are online versions https://www.ageukmobility.co.uk/mobi...ine-book-clubs

Depending how arty crafty you are - I can't knit anymore but crochet is still possible with a big hook - just a plain square blanket for a pet might be something to try. Or what about painting abstracts or watercolours using large brushes? There are those colouring in books for adults too?

Is there anything on the U3A website that you could join https://www.u3a.org.uk/

Good luck. xx

[Ellie]

Sarahw Oh, nearly forgot - I did various free online courses through the Open University. They have lots of interesting short courses.

[AngieCanuck]

Sarahw I have been really enjoying genealogy. I’ve signed up with ancestry and I am really enjoying it. I’ve learned so much about my family and it is really fascinating. I highly recommend it!

[Johnny5]

I like to go to AA and NA meetings. I am a recovered AA for 30 years and still have something to give. Many of the members there know me and will swing by and give me rides. I also play games. This is getting harder to do. I used to love to walk, but that's out the window now. I got a scooter and I get to go on nature walks with that. We saw a black panther on my last trip (probably 1 kilometer away). Alligators are pretty common in all the waterways in the parks in Florida where I live. I spotted a huge owl in a tree not long ago also. Monoculars are handy!! If you can get out into the parks I would say go. I know they have portable Bipap equipment, and when I need that I sure hope it is mobile.
I read voraciously. I tend to stick with non-fiction and I have collected hundreds of scientific studies on or related to ALS over the last several years. Our minds are more active with ALS I think, it is hard to not think. Maybe I will write a book? Nothing is out of the question.

[denise]

Johnny5 hi wow i was completely taken by surprise there concerning your wildlife. Didn't realise you lived in Florida.

Well done on the AA. Tried so hard to get my brother to go but unfortunately he didn't make it.

[Madge]

I have just been offered through my local hospice a company that provide virtual reality goggles to experience new things whilst sitting in my chair. The company will come to the house for me to try it out.

it’s interesting to hear what others do. Sadly I watch tv all day and it drives me mad, unless I have visitors 😠 I play online scrabble with friends. It’s hard being so inactive when I was so active 😖. I love reading, I have a book on the go at the Mo since 2020 😠

[Artie]

Hello!

I joined the forum to contribute to this thread, but I’m sure I’ll stay for all the other interesting ones! Hopefully I can make some contributions to those, but in the meantime here are the things that I do to keep myself occupied. Many of them seem to be similar to ones other forum members do, but there’s probably a good reason for that - these activities are fun, they pass the time and they’re a good distraction.

- BBC Sounds - so many great programs to listen to, including comedy, drama, audio books, podcasts.

- Local library app for e-books and audiobooks. It’s free if you have a library membership and works in exactly same way as the regular library does: you can get books out for three weeks at a time, and can renew unless anybody else wants the book. I struggle now to hold a paper book, but e-books can be read so easily. And if I’m feeling very lazy, there is an excellent selection of audiobooks 😀

- Studying online. There are online courses available through a number of providers, some of which are free.

- Webinars that I find on Eventbrite - I search for free online events on subjects I’m interested in. I know it’s screen based, but I feel like I’m learning something.

I do watch some TV, but I try to limit that.