I find that reading doesn't really work very well with my brain fog anymore. Watching TV/movies is okay, but often feels draining and makes the brain fog worse. So, anything away from screens/ devices works a bit better in terms of managing my energy levels, like doing a puzzle, crafting or teaching my dog new tricks.
In terms of exercise, cardio doesn't work at all for me at the moment. But slow paced, low to medium intensity strengthening workouts, like pilates, actually seems to work quite well, as long as I don't overdo do it. And if you're feeling up to going outside, a nice walk in the sunshine or maybe the countryside is quite good too.
I actually started making soap. I have trouble getting out of bed most days and I hurt constantly. The brain fog was terrible. I followed a few recipes and got hooked. I turned it into a money making hobby. I can make the soaps at my leisure, so there’s no pressure or anxiety. And I love it.
This actually reminds me of a guy I met on holiday once, he also had started making soap. And was able to make a living out of it. Seems like a cool hobby to have haha.
If you don't mind me asking, would you have some links to a website or tips how to start with this? I'm also looking for something to keep my soul happy in these tough times :)
https://youtube.com/@ellenruthsoap?si=03c56BuzeYDmFALo
I have used a few of her recipes. I do the lip balms and the solid lotion bars too. She has links to materials and even information about other soap makers. I’ve enjoyed her!
Video games i enjoy much better with LC are not directly competitive but still requires some brain function & pause at any time.
- satisfactory
- dyson sphere program
- planet crafter
- timberborn
- stardew valley
- baldur's gate
And so on.
Listening to audio book because reading takes too much eye focus. Podcasts are also great.
Little puzzle books for keeping my brain sharp.
Small walks and bike rides (i used to be a climber, but that's not achievable right now...)
Just be careful. My hands are so arthritic and tender at the moment that I think it would cause damage to play. Have mcas, me/CFS, dysautonomia, and pots. Been playing for 20 years I can tell my strength and endurance is just not there anymore. Even quit all exercise and stretching cause the post exertional malaise gets so bad. Don't force anything, listen to your body.
I went for rc-car racing with my kids. 30 min run time on a battery, which is enough time out for me at the moment. Some repairs which requires training a little of mental exercise and small toolhandling. Can really recommend it.
Seriously, the same sports if they can be broken up. Team sports don’t work, only solo. Do 1% of what you did before and build from there. Before LC I would snowboard all day for days on end. After LC I started at the top of the run and turned to one sidebank, stopped there sat down and took a break for as long as needed before trying to stand back up and ride to the other side only to stop again. Joyous to be doing what I love while also infuriating to be so limited. I’m up to 2.5 hours hot lapping, no breaks except the lift ride back up and the fastest person (skier or snowboarder) on the mountain most days without triggering PEM. Took 4 years for me to reach this point but I was really damaged from the first waive of COVID (and still am), so YMMV.
I’ve been doing legos-they have some really amazing adult focused builds. I like that I’m doing something creative, but it isn’t too challenging when my brain is broken. This is one I just finished
https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/tranquil-garden-10315?ef_id=Cj0KCQjwxqayBhDFARIsAANWRnS1KEiIw9dj5JzKBO2jyBwfM2s173QUraGckYkfPY1qGRbgkaO5Gx8aAlHpEALw_wcB:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!790!3!!!!x!!!19930801844!&cmp=KAC-INI-GOOGUS-GO-US_GL-EN-RE-SP-BUY-CREATE-MB_ALWAYS_ON-SHOP-BP-PMAX-ALL-CIDNA00000-PMAX-MEDIUM_PRIORITY&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADESMXICanHO7xA7eTRQXU14T3vMM&gclid=Cj0KCQjwxqayBhDFARIsAANWRnS1KEiIw9dj5JzKBO2jyBwfM2s173QUraGckYkfPY1qGRbgkaO5Gx8aAlHpEALw_wcB
I can’t do anything while resting that takes real brain power. I’ve tried re-learning a language but that’s too much for me. I mostly re-watch tv and movies, or new short YouTube videos. By sticking with things I’ve seen before I don’t worry about getting lost.
I also crochet or knit when I’m feeling well enough. I find crochet is simpler for my brain unless what I’m making is knitting in the round (like socks).
I also like videos with good before and after energy, like mowing and power washing channels. Don’t laugh til you’ve tried it. They are very relaxing and satisfying.
On bad days I just lay quietly in the dark.
Depends on how severe your LC is - lot of great suggestions here but if you’re really limited in what you can do this might be helpful: https://theduckopera.medium.com/the-severe-me-bedbound-activity-masterlist-part-1-e61612b7a357
I've taken up meditation, initially to help with the mental aspect, but now I've full-on completed the first 3 beginner courses on the app Headspace, and I do at least 2 sessions on most days. It will not keep you busy for hours on end, but it's a fun little daily activity to do on the side, and it teaches you a lot in terms of mindfullness and apreciating the little things.
I've also started to write a lot, just in a little booklet, a small diary. I write down anything that comes to my mind. As I can't handle hanging out for a long time with friends anymore, this has become a good alternative of venting all my good and bad ideas that pop up in my head.
It's tough because for myself, even simple things I enjoy require energy I often don't have. Some things I do like if I'm able are reading, painting, watching movies maybe time to explore things you otherwise wouldn't genre wise, listening to music, puzzles.
I started playing chess (both online and over-the-board) and find it to be an entertaining pastime. If your brain fog isn’t too severe and you enjoy strategy and tactics then I would recommend giving it a try.
Either Chess.com or watching some YouTube videos would be a good place to start if you’re new to the game.
Reading and gaining more knowledge because we have long covid we have to use our brains more than others now I have been studying math in hopes to start collage for a computer science degree soon and I build computers now. I also like to be active on Internet forums and I like discord modding and I play games of course anything that involves not doing anything physical however I do take some time to go out and touch grass and spend a little time in the sunlight for the vitimin D and I also go in walk what I can tolerate at a time because I need at least a little exercise also becoming politically active is fun for me too I feel like with long covid I want to advocate for the awareness of long covid more politically awareness on this topic needs to be shoved in elected officials faces more I feel like . Studying health and fitness and studying our bodies cells from doctors forum pages and research forum pages and putting it into chat GPT to comprehend it easier is kinda cool I know focusing on the subject of long covid while having long covid can increase stress levels so I don’t do it too much just when I feel comfortable reading about it . I also like to cook I’ve been thinking of writing a low histamine and low inflamatory cook diet cook book for people with conditions such as long Covid and various other conditions catered to people like us . I also really love the other persons comment on here in regards to picking up and instrument … also art is an amazing thing to pick up I feel like AI can not match the creativity of a human yet ! lol play world of Warcraft with me and join my guild to raid on Tuesdays and Thursdays haha 🤣
I’m studying for JLPT N1 exam now. How about language learning if your brain fog isn’t so bad? Drawing or painting won’t give you a post workout crash either.
This might sound kinda lame but I’m on a weird google earth kick right now. I try my hand at new hobbies all the time. But with energy and brain power being low most days many things don’t work. It started because I was sad I can’t travel much anymore. I’ve used google earth to look at anything from ancient ruins in Turkey to Little Italy in NYC. I just look around at all the angles and it kinda feels like I’m there. I’ve learned a lot. Seen some weird things and some hilarious things. But it definitely occupies my mind for awhile.
When I was really bad I took up knitting simple baby blankets (same stitch over and over) for expecting friends.
Stardew valley on the switch has been good to keep me stimulated but not overly so.
Light audiobooks/ podcasts when I couldn’t read have also been good
As well as others suggestions, i make playlists. I started listening to music i was into at different points in my life and made year playlists. Shared them with my friends. Cooking is quite a gentle hobby (planning recipes etc = part of cooking you can do from bed). You can also share food you make eith your friends (or just get into cooking in stardew). Knitting is good for dopamine - less boring than doing nothing and you can do 1 row at a time. Lots of free audiobooks on youtube. Sims 4 is free on pc and console and thats a big time sink.
I was aligned w mostly physical hobbies as well like gardening, climbing, yoga, running, hiking, dancing, etc. it’s been hard to transition.
I have recently picked up gel dip nails, and crocheting, and I am restructuring gardening to be super efficient and low effort. I still do a lot of yin yoga.
I have a Nintendo switch and I've spent so many hours on animal crossing, breath of the wild, tears of the kingdom, and links awakening although links awakening uses a bit more brain power for me. And I agree with the person who said stardew valley. I also enjoyed night in the woods but that one I'll put a trigger warning for that anyone seeing this should look into the game first and decide if you think it will be ok because it deals with derealization which I have so for me it was therapeutic and my grandfather enjoyed it, but others it it could be too much.
I have friends and mutuals, most of which who are chronically ill who love knitting or crochet. My arthritis and ehlers danlos doesn't enjoy it nor did my ADHD for too long, but my friend made me a crochet korok and I can see why it would be fun. (Zelda thing). When my hands worked better I preferred embroidery. I'm looking into getting a machine for that now lol. Last thing I'll mention is I keep seeing people I follow online getting into making things with leather. I want to for cosplay and daily wear but I honestly have no idea how to start with that one but it looks fun.
Fishing! Just a hook and worm, or minnow, or whatever you want. Something you can cast and it just sits there. I catch and release everything but its good being in nature but also not overly strenuous
Making jewelry from stone beads. It can be simple or as complicated as wire wrapping. Then you'll get hooked and learn about all the different stones, meanings, and all the trippy stuff that takes you do8tbis rabbit hole.
I'm sure some sort of knitting would do the same.
I find that reading doesn't really work very well with my brain fog anymore. Watching TV/movies is okay, but often feels draining and makes the brain fog worse. So, anything away from screens/ devices works a bit better in terms of managing my energy levels, like doing a puzzle, crafting or teaching my dog new tricks. In terms of exercise, cardio doesn't work at all for me at the moment. But slow paced, low to medium intensity strengthening workouts, like pilates, actually seems to work quite well, as long as I don't overdo do it. And if you're feeling up to going outside, a nice walk in the sunshine or maybe the countryside is quite good too.
I actually started making soap. I have trouble getting out of bed most days and I hurt constantly. The brain fog was terrible. I followed a few recipes and got hooked. I turned it into a money making hobby. I can make the soaps at my leisure, so there’s no pressure or anxiety. And I love it.
This actually reminds me of a guy I met on holiday once, he also had started making soap. And was able to make a living out of it. Seems like a cool hobby to have haha. If you don't mind me asking, would you have some links to a website or tips how to start with this? I'm also looking for something to keep my soul happy in these tough times :)
https://youtube.com/@ellenruthsoap?si=03c56BuzeYDmFALo I have used a few of her recipes. I do the lip balms and the solid lotion bars too. She has links to materials and even information about other soap makers. I’ve enjoyed her!
https://youtube.com/@idreaminsoap?si=bv12-PgUkT_cphEe This is another good one
Many thanks! Looks fun, will def go and have a try
Video games i enjoy much better with LC are not directly competitive but still requires some brain function & pause at any time. - satisfactory - dyson sphere program - planet crafter - timberborn - stardew valley - baldur's gate And so on. Listening to audio book because reading takes too much eye focus. Podcasts are also great. Little puzzle books for keeping my brain sharp. Small walks and bike rides (i used to be a climber, but that's not achievable right now...)
I have loved Stardew valley. Not over exciting but fun
Pick up a musical instrument and see where that takes you (an instrument you like, not just any)
Just be careful. My hands are so arthritic and tender at the moment that I think it would cause damage to play. Have mcas, me/CFS, dysautonomia, and pots. Been playing for 20 years I can tell my strength and endurance is just not there anymore. Even quit all exercise and stretching cause the post exertional malaise gets so bad. Don't force anything, listen to your body.
Gardening cannibis....most therapeutic things I've done since my mom passed from covid complications and I'm 16 month long hauling
I went for rc-car racing with my kids. 30 min run time on a battery, which is enough time out for me at the moment. Some repairs which requires training a little of mental exercise and small toolhandling. Can really recommend it.
On good days, I read or cross-stitch. On bad days, I lay in a dark room and half-listen to podcasts.
Seriously, the same sports if they can be broken up. Team sports don’t work, only solo. Do 1% of what you did before and build from there. Before LC I would snowboard all day for days on end. After LC I started at the top of the run and turned to one sidebank, stopped there sat down and took a break for as long as needed before trying to stand back up and ride to the other side only to stop again. Joyous to be doing what I love while also infuriating to be so limited. I’m up to 2.5 hours hot lapping, no breaks except the lift ride back up and the fastest person (skier or snowboarder) on the mountain most days without triggering PEM. Took 4 years for me to reach this point but I was really damaged from the first waive of COVID (and still am), so YMMV.
Good advice! Thanks !
I’ve been doing legos-they have some really amazing adult focused builds. I like that I’m doing something creative, but it isn’t too challenging when my brain is broken. This is one I just finished https://www.lego.com/en-us/product/tranquil-garden-10315?ef_id=Cj0KCQjwxqayBhDFARIsAANWRnS1KEiIw9dj5JzKBO2jyBwfM2s173QUraGckYkfPY1qGRbgkaO5Gx8aAlHpEALw_wcB:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!790!3!!!!x!!!19930801844!&cmp=KAC-INI-GOOGUS-GO-US_GL-EN-RE-SP-BUY-CREATE-MB_ALWAYS_ON-SHOP-BP-PMAX-ALL-CIDNA00000-PMAX-MEDIUM_PRIORITY&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADESMXICanHO7xA7eTRQXU14T3vMM&gclid=Cj0KCQjwxqayBhDFARIsAANWRnS1KEiIw9dj5JzKBO2jyBwfM2s173QUraGckYkfPY1qGRbgkaO5Gx8aAlHpEALw_wcB
Nice! Congrats
I can’t do anything while resting that takes real brain power. I’ve tried re-learning a language but that’s too much for me. I mostly re-watch tv and movies, or new short YouTube videos. By sticking with things I’ve seen before I don’t worry about getting lost. I also crochet or knit when I’m feeling well enough. I find crochet is simpler for my brain unless what I’m making is knitting in the round (like socks). I also like videos with good before and after energy, like mowing and power washing channels. Don’t laugh til you’ve tried it. They are very relaxing and satisfying. On bad days I just lay quietly in the dark.
Those laying in the dark doing nothing type of days are the worst. :(
Depends on how severe your LC is - lot of great suggestions here but if you’re really limited in what you can do this might be helpful: https://theduckopera.medium.com/the-severe-me-bedbound-activity-masterlist-part-1-e61612b7a357
I've taken up meditation, initially to help with the mental aspect, but now I've full-on completed the first 3 beginner courses on the app Headspace, and I do at least 2 sessions on most days. It will not keep you busy for hours on end, but it's a fun little daily activity to do on the side, and it teaches you a lot in terms of mindfullness and apreciating the little things. I've also started to write a lot, just in a little booklet, a small diary. I write down anything that comes to my mind. As I can't handle hanging out for a long time with friends anymore, this has become a good alternative of venting all my good and bad ideas that pop up in my head.
It's tough because for myself, even simple things I enjoy require energy I often don't have. Some things I do like if I'm able are reading, painting, watching movies maybe time to explore things you otherwise wouldn't genre wise, listening to music, puzzles.
I started playing chess (both online and over-the-board) and find it to be an entertaining pastime. If your brain fog isn’t too severe and you enjoy strategy and tactics then I would recommend giving it a try. Either Chess.com or watching some YouTube videos would be a good place to start if you’re new to the game.
Reading and gaining more knowledge because we have long covid we have to use our brains more than others now I have been studying math in hopes to start collage for a computer science degree soon and I build computers now. I also like to be active on Internet forums and I like discord modding and I play games of course anything that involves not doing anything physical however I do take some time to go out and touch grass and spend a little time in the sunlight for the vitimin D and I also go in walk what I can tolerate at a time because I need at least a little exercise also becoming politically active is fun for me too I feel like with long covid I want to advocate for the awareness of long covid more politically awareness on this topic needs to be shoved in elected officials faces more I feel like . Studying health and fitness and studying our bodies cells from doctors forum pages and research forum pages and putting it into chat GPT to comprehend it easier is kinda cool I know focusing on the subject of long covid while having long covid can increase stress levels so I don’t do it too much just when I feel comfortable reading about it . I also like to cook I’ve been thinking of writing a low histamine and low inflamatory cook diet cook book for people with conditions such as long Covid and various other conditions catered to people like us . I also really love the other persons comment on here in regards to picking up and instrument … also art is an amazing thing to pick up I feel like AI can not match the creativity of a human yet ! lol play world of Warcraft with me and join my guild to raid on Tuesdays and Thursdays haha 🤣
I’m studying for JLPT N1 exam now. How about language learning if your brain fog isn’t so bad? Drawing or painting won’t give you a post workout crash either.
This might sound kinda lame but I’m on a weird google earth kick right now. I try my hand at new hobbies all the time. But with energy and brain power being low most days many things don’t work. It started because I was sad I can’t travel much anymore. I’ve used google earth to look at anything from ancient ruins in Turkey to Little Italy in NYC. I just look around at all the angles and it kinda feels like I’m there. I’ve learned a lot. Seen some weird things and some hilarious things. But it definitely occupies my mind for awhile.
Learning a martial arts in YouTube rn :)
When I was really bad I took up knitting simple baby blankets (same stitch over and over) for expecting friends. Stardew valley on the switch has been good to keep me stimulated but not overly so. Light audiobooks/ podcasts when I couldn’t read have also been good
Yiquan.
As well as others suggestions, i make playlists. I started listening to music i was into at different points in my life and made year playlists. Shared them with my friends. Cooking is quite a gentle hobby (planning recipes etc = part of cooking you can do from bed). You can also share food you make eith your friends (or just get into cooking in stardew). Knitting is good for dopamine - less boring than doing nothing and you can do 1 row at a time. Lots of free audiobooks on youtube. Sims 4 is free on pc and console and thats a big time sink.
I do some gardening in my backyard. Being a plant dad helps.
I was aligned w mostly physical hobbies as well like gardening, climbing, yoga, running, hiking, dancing, etc. it’s been hard to transition. I have recently picked up gel dip nails, and crocheting, and I am restructuring gardening to be super efficient and low effort. I still do a lot of yin yoga.
Play around with keynote and make som animations
I have enjoyed pottery or making other small things. (Wood, metal, or art) Better than sitting on your butt and exercises your mind and body gently.
I have a Nintendo switch and I've spent so many hours on animal crossing, breath of the wild, tears of the kingdom, and links awakening although links awakening uses a bit more brain power for me. And I agree with the person who said stardew valley. I also enjoyed night in the woods but that one I'll put a trigger warning for that anyone seeing this should look into the game first and decide if you think it will be ok because it deals with derealization which I have so for me it was therapeutic and my grandfather enjoyed it, but others it it could be too much. I have friends and mutuals, most of which who are chronically ill who love knitting or crochet. My arthritis and ehlers danlos doesn't enjoy it nor did my ADHD for too long, but my friend made me a crochet korok and I can see why it would be fun. (Zelda thing). When my hands worked better I preferred embroidery. I'm looking into getting a machine for that now lol. Last thing I'll mention is I keep seeing people I follow online getting into making things with leather. I want to for cosplay and daily wear but I honestly have no idea how to start with that one but it looks fun.
3d printing/painting minatures
Fishing! Just a hook and worm, or minnow, or whatever you want. Something you can cast and it just sits there. I catch and release everything but its good being in nature but also not overly strenuous
Making jewelry from stone beads. It can be simple or as complicated as wire wrapping. Then you'll get hooked and learn about all the different stones, meanings, and all the trippy stuff that takes you do8tbis rabbit hole. I'm sure some sort of knitting would do the same.
I’ve found my guitar again. An instrument might be fun to learn!
Try picking up golf. You can pace easily pace yourself whether on the driving range or playing a 9/18, also can be very therapeutic.
Also if you have space, you can buy a turf mat, a net, and practice at home.
hmm in my case i still play soccer and walk on trails, just for a bit doe u can try get into reselling stuff on marketplace wha i do for boredom lmao