Sit! Stay! Do Nothing!
A guide to staying home and healing
How many times can you French braid your hair in 30 minutes? The answer is seven. Seven sessions of gathering, separating, and combing with fingers. Seven pretty decent arm workouts. This is what I do when I have nothing better to do. Most of the time there is, in fact, something better to do: running the errands, taking the pilates class, or cooking the recipe I told myself I’d do last week. However, I currently found myself in a unique circumstance. Hobbling around my Manhattan apartment adorned with knee braces reminds me that I should be seated. I should be doing nothing, except “watching all the movies you’ve ever wanted to watch,” as recommended by my orthopedist. After a severely ungraceful fall on the slopes, I managed to tear both ACLs — not to mention, it was my first time skiing in about 20 years.
I still have a lot to learn about this diagnosis. There are gaps to be filled and emotions to be dealt with. After many conversations and some inner reflection, I’ve come to realize how lucky I am, even though it doesn’t always feel that way. No broken bones after a freak accident that could’ve left permanent damage? Having a job that allows me to work from home? I’m grateful. But as anyone who’s even the slightest bit active would experience, sitting and literally not rising unless absolutely necessary is a learned skill that does not come easily.
Here are a few ideas on how to ease the task. Use these activities to avoid an emotional pitfall by keeping your mind engaged and far away from negative thoughts. They taught me that productivity doesn’t have to present itself in the form of physical movement — it can come from exercising your mind and finding creative ways to feel fulfilled.
What to do:
Sign up for that thing
I’m a runner and I’ve been feeling down about missing races this season. In the first two weeks of healing, I decided to register for a series of races later in the year. In discovering the severity of my injury, this plan may not work for me after all, but it doesn’t change the fact that it helped me in the moment. It boosted my mood by giving me a future goal to achieve. It also offered a sense of control to a situation that can feel helpless at times. Whether it’s next month or a year from now, there will be other races when I’m ready to get back out there. So go ahead, register for that Tough Mudder you’ve been considering for four years, or that sushi making class you forgot about. Just make sure to leave yourself plenty of time to recover from your current condition, if you’re injured or sick.
Watch random videos and learn something new
Full disclosure: I found myself transfixed by a 40-minute video on the complete history of the Targaryen family, as anticipation for the Game of Thrones final season is practically unbearable (but hey, we made it this far). This is your time to deep dive into the vast waters of YouTube to find something random, cool, and enlightening. A personal favorite is the OverSimplified channel, offering comically layman overviews of historical events.
Read the book
The one you said you’d get around to over the holidays, or whenever you had spare time. If you prefer to read on a device, check out Bookbub for discounted e-books. Fill out a profile and receive a curated list based on your reading interests. You can often find promotional offers from bestselling authors, from $1.99 — $3.99, especially if they’re releasing a new book soon. Not into reading? Try an audiobook. Sign up for Audible’s free 30-day trial and see if you like it. I recently started listening to Educated by Tara Westover — it’s refreshing to listen intently to something fascinating without gluing your eyes to a screen.
Call a friend or relative
You don’t always have to text the people in your life! Have a conversation with someone you haven’t caught up with in a while and I guarantee two things: 1) they’ll appreciate it, and 2) it’ll make you smile.
What not to do:
Fall into a social media black hole
If you’re staying at home to heal, the urge to latch on to social media is stronger than a sloth to a tree. It’s not easy watching everyone else go about their daily routines, let alone have fun at brunch or travel to a tropical destination, when you’re unable to do the same. What you don’t see won’t hurt you. Avoid FOMO and social envy by giving yourself a social media cleanse for a while, or limit yourself to 1 or 2 quick peeks per day. This will let you focus on areas of productivity instead of spending your days watching videos of Samoyed puppies on Instagram (no? Just me?).
Justify retail therapy
Online shoppers: caution! While certain spending is acceptable in cases like this, such as ordering groceries or any necessities, try to see your current state in the same way you would a typical weekday: would you normally be at your office, too busy to browse through discounted boots? Or studying at the library with laser focus, with the iPhone XS the last thing on your mind? The better you can regulate spending habits, the stronger your self control muscles will be. It will ease the transition when you’re back on your feet and you’ll also feel proud of yourself for exercising self-discipline. At that point, you may be inclined to treat yourself to a little something for a job well done!
Read into things
No matter the age, it’s normal to have moments of self-doubt, but a physical injury or illness can put you in a more vulnerable state of mind. Now is not the time to start questioning your life choices or the people who surround you. Don’t regret past decisions that may or may not have led to your current circumstance. Don’t question the loyalty of your best friend. Don’t overthink the look that your dog gave you two weeks ago. And please, for the love of Jon Snow, don’t take your anger or frustration out on loved ones. That’s what screaming into a pillow is for.
Most importantly, just remember…
Give yourself a break
No pun intended. There are not enough moments in life to simply take a breath and just be. Take the time to do your own inner reflection and identify how you’re feeling, physically and mentally. People are going to tell you to stay positive and to take it one day at a time: two valid pieces of advice, but try your best not to put pressure on yourself to feel endlessly optimistic. Positivity is great, albeit arbitrary; you’re allowed to feel disappointed and upset sometimes. And when you need help getting out of a rut, try any of the above.
Happy healing!
