i play a lot of video games, i go for long walks, and i watch kittens online

sometimes i manage to get out to a friends house for the evening, thats usually pretty distracting

but lately my whole life is a distraction... im the only computer nerd in my circles, so everyone comes to me to fix all the crap they break (sometimes over annd over and over and over again)

i dont charge them... i try to be a nice guy about it... but i sure do wish they'd at least reccomend me to their friends so i could make a few $$ and pay for better distractions

I also read a lot and i try to do crosswords and puzzles to keep the old brain going but some days can't even answer half lol.. when I'm stuck laying flat in bed i listen to the radio, it keeps me up to date with the real world and i usually get a laugh out of the people who phone in. Then i have days like today when I'm so bored i could scream but, because of pain and exhaustion, i can't concentrate on anything and just wait for the day to end..

I'm struggling with this myself right now because my pain has taken away so many of my favourite distractions. I used to love playing video games but being on the computer for too long hurts my wrists. Same with knitting, which I also used to love. I'm so bored of TV - went through a lot of TV for the past several months and just over it.

And I was really bumming hard because the thing I missed most was reading - I used to read all the time! But my concentration levels are so bad these days I just can't focus. I tried audiobooks but those only work if I'm doing something else. Hubby came up with a great idea that I tried today that really worked - I listened to the audiobook and followed along in a real book. Worked wonders! Felt like I was reading again with a little help. Sounds a bit childish maybe, but I am so happy I can somewhat read again!

I also love to scrapbook but only do that when I've got a page to do - takes me a few days to put together and then I'm out. I'd like to get into adult colouring books, because colouring is so relaxing but again the wrist thing. But if you don't have any problems with your wrists I'd say give scrapbooking and colouring a go. Also, just pinning stuff on Pinterest is addicting, even if you'll never make the recipes. Sometimes I'll just browse tattoo designs on there for fun.

Good luck and hope you find a new distraction!

I am watching "Scandal" on Netflix. It is distracting. Also eating a frosty from wendys is distracting. Too bad they also cause weight gain.

I go to pogo.com and gamesville.com and play free games. I try to do sewing and crocheting but cant do it to long, causes pain.

I am like you it helps to keep our mind off our pain. Somedays its a struggle but its one thing we have to try to help ourselves.

I lost my first son also, so I understand the lose.

((((((((((((((( ))))))))))))))),

I am sorry about the loss of your son. My heart aches thinking of the immense pain you go through daily.

Distractions for me differ by the day and the limitations. Some days I type more on a book I am writing online (biography) of my life. Other days I like crafts like latch hook rugs or painting or making ribbons. Then other days I like to challenge my brain with jigsaw puzzles or online brain games. Then other days I love to revisit the old games online like price is right, jeopardy, family feud, and wheel of fortune. Some days I just lie down and watch Law and Order SVU reruns or criminal intent. It really varies. Choose something to relax you that you don't have to think about too much. Farmville is an online game that has many distractions and possibilities. It keeps some people going for hours because you have to plant, harvest, and water veggies, fruit, trees, and manage multiple farms. You can build buildings, etc...and buy multiple items with harvest money. I got into it at one time but I had to stop because I was spending too much time on my virtual farm, lol...... hope some of these ideas help hun!!!

whatever you do thaliajen, stay away from Candy Crush on Facebook.:):)

My whole family plays it. My sister spent $50 last week on it! I play my Nintendo DS (a huge distraction) alot, read, cook, bake, talk to friends, do special cleaning chores. I was an athlete until my 40's. I tried crochet, etc years ago. It's a no go. My older sister got the creative gene.

When my pain gets unmanageable, nothing is enough to distract me. I just get as comfortable as I can until it goes down.

I walk, get on the computer, play basketball, run, read, watch television, write poems, play guitar, sing, dance, and speak to people online and on the phone.

I play at Quebles , a cute little computer game where u create pictures from content they give u . if u r interested its just quebles.com . its quite childish and mindless but is all I can do with my brain sometimes .. I also was fortunate that my sister rented back copies of downtown abbey which is captivating and addictive I email to friends , read discussions here and sometimes when I m in an out of control flare I have to take a Xanax and clonazepam , cry & hopefully sleep .. .

I pretend I'm a human!!

Seriously, my joking around always puts me in a good mood. I play video games and watch many documentaries to distract myself. As well as relaxation videos and checking out social media. Helping others here also takes my mind of my problems. Yet some days pain is very much like a spoiled child wanting attention and gets it. When all else fails, "I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream"!!

I watch too much tv, get on here, when the arms are willing play games and sharpen my nails on the buffalo's horns

Keeping distracted is often very difficult. TV/movies and books are also a big part of my distraction techniques but, yeah, when you can't find anything to watch or read...then what? Been there, done that many times. And because I also need to quit smoking and need something for my hands to do, I took up crocheting. In the short time since I've taken it up, I've made a great deal of projects! Now, this can be difficult for anyone suffering from arthritis pain (or any other pain) in the hands or fingers but, if that is not an issue for you, maybe crocheting or some type of craft you can do while sitting/half-lying down? I'm also working on cross-stitch, the hook rug thing in addition to the crochet. I love it because it requires no physical pain in my problem areas but helps time just FLY by. Before I know it hours have gone by and I realized I didn't feel a miserable amount of pain with my mind occupied. I do need to remember to take a break every now and again because it can be hard on the neck/shoulders from looking down.

I dunno...it has worked well for me AND I have a bunch of hand-made Christmas presents to give, well, everyone really, lol! :)

~Michelle

I rely on distractions constantly. Sometimes they help, sometimes they don't.

-Project Gutenberg has tons of free eBooks; basically if the copyright is expired, they seem to have it. They have many audiobooks as well, for when reading just isn't possible. (1)

-iTunes University offers free lectures if you go to "iTunes U" in the upper right of the iTunes Store. There are recordings from schools all around the world. Some of the lectures are just audio, some are audiovisual, and there's just about every subject you can think of.

-PBS puts many of their programs free online; usually there's something on there that piques my interest. (2)

-Sudoku (3) & Scrabble (4)

(1) http://www.gutenberg.org/
(2) http://video.pbs.org/
(3) http://www.websudoku.com/
(4) http://www.lexulous.com/

What great ideas! I used to scrapbook like a maniac and then after my son was born I was just too tired. I finished his baby book (almost) and hope one day to put together photo albums as I keep a lot of pictures online.

Tonight I'm loving watching the Theater version of "Sound of Music" that aired on NBC live last night. I'm loving it so much that I'm giving myself an extra hour before taking a sleeping pill that will, I hope, provide me with some much needed sleep!

Keep the ideas coming- I love hearing how everyone copes. And it's good to know that we ARE coping! :)

I try to stay distracted as much as possible... living as a recliner jockey for about 20 to 22 hours most days doesn't lend itself well to isolating the pain and depression that builds up pretty much every day...

When I was younger, I used to devour books... LOVED to read! Then my hands started to go wonky and painful and numb and I couldn't hold books still anymore... Stephen King is great, but I'd get motion sickness trying to read his captivating tales of horror and the macabre... Then I found Google Books... and I could read again! Let the laptop or the Chromebook or a docked or propped tablet hold the text still and the joy of reading was mine again... :) I also read somewhere a LONG while back that when you're reading your brain doesn't multi-task too well and pain signals can't get through to register... not sure if it's entirely true, but it could also be my CP- and medication-related lack of focus...

The other usuals that seem fairly universal... TV, Netflix, Wattpad, web stuff, YouTube... Music is a big one for me, although when I have no voice and can't sing along it can be more of a downer than a distraction...

My sick and twisted sense of humor has long been my mainstay, chief defense, and last resort of choice... George Carlin on YouTube and/or Netflix... Craig Ferguson on TV, Netflix, and his books as well... Bill Burr can make me laugh pretty much no matter what(!)... and the all-time classics like Victor Borge, Tim Conway, Bill Cosby, Tom Lehrer... ANY movie with John Candy... the Bob Hope and Bing Crosby 'On The Road' movies... Shel Silverstein books... DVD collections like The Rocky & Bullwinkle Show and Monty Python's Flying Circus... just to name a few...

When all else fails, weeping is a serviceable distraction... though not very enjoyable... nor one of my favorites... but it does pop up fairly regularly, DAMMIT!

When all else REALLY fails, Jack Daniels can distract the hell out of you in no time flat... NOT a recommendation... merely an observation... and another weapon in the arsenal...

Hope some of these help... Gook luck...

Peace,
Dave