Perusing the online blindness discussions yesterday, I came across the question of how best to handle boredom. It’s understandable that many of us get bored, lulled into a bit of complaissance from time to time. For many, an increasing dependency on doing life online creates an isolation that can become our daily bread. Add to that our high unemployment rate in the blindness community and you have the potentially perfect storm.
Now before I give a few tips for managing boredom I’ve come up with and seen in others who are blind, I will present the fact that boredom isn’t always a bad thing. Particularly after an emotionally draining event-rough job interview, difficult doctor appointment, or frustrating experience when riding paratransit-you need time to unwind. Don’t force yourself to jump right into something stressful right away, especially if you are not working. Let yourself settle out that frustration; pour yourself some coffee or water or a coke and sip slowly. If you want to think-not stew-over things, great. If you set yourself a time to just veg, listen to music, sports, or a talkshow, do it before returning to tasks that need done.
With that said, here are a few ways to keep from letting the boredom overtake you like a weighted blanket or doleful pall.
Get yourself a hobby that has a purpose or sense of fulfillment. Maybe, it could be playing chess, Scrabble, or another adapted board game. Groups abound for us who are blind that bond us who are blind in groups where you can see your improvement in the hobby of your choice.
The United States Chess Association is one such group. It’s website is http://www.americanblindchess.org. You can learn a lot about the game of chess itself and how it’s adapted for us who are totally blind or partially sighted. The club is full of folks possessing all strengths from beginner to expert. Over the next few weeks, we are hoping to hold online voice to voice meetings where we can get to know each other better away from the board while also talking the game we love.
Maybe, you like to cook or are getting back into it after some amount of vision loss. An internet search can bring up not only online recipes but groups of blind and sighted folks who share ideas about making life at the stove or sink easier to navigate.
Another good way to stave off the depression that isolation may cause is to find groups where people share ideas about the experiences with adapting to being blind. And no, it doesn’t just repeat the formal learning that so many of us got from some rehabilitation school or camp. Groups often are much more informal than that. Go to http://www.hadley.edu and you’ll find tons of them. Also various locations of the Lighthouse for the Blind offer opportunities throughout each month when you can join said discussions. From time to time, I post these calendars full of opportunities and links where you can register for them. Joining a blindness related group on Facebook will also put you in contact with others asking many of the same questions that you have. It’s always good to get a plethora of perspectives since there is no one cookie cutter way of doing blindness.
Most importantly, keep active. Even if it means taking your paratransit to some coffee shop or burger joint, you will get outside those same four walls for a few hours. Take something to read on your smart phone or Victor Stream. Maybe, you still get magazines in braille. Count it a great teachable moment when someone notices you absorbed in a book or article and then asks how you do what you do. Most of the time they are just curious. All of the time, it means they haven’t had so much exposure to people who are blind. You get to show them that you are part of, not set apart from, the mainstream society.
It’s very vital that you take up some form of exercise. While some of us hit the ground running with some sport like goalball or Track, that’s not all of us. I am a fitness fanatic, visiting the gym several times each week and working out or doing calisthenics at home. The advantage of being at a gym is the personal interaction. Even if you workout by yourself, you will often be greeted by the folks at the front desk; someone engages you in a casual conversation about how your workout feels. Since most of us pace ourselves, there’s no correct better or worse amount of sets, reps, or machines you have to do. In a gym like Planet Fitness, everyone exercises on their own or with a personal trainer. Many of us compare notes back in the locker room. And there are always people who can help you to get familiar with the weights you’ll use.
Some cities like Fort Wayne, IN where I live have gyms designed for people with many disabilities. Tactile carpeting underfoot or lighted versus darkened tile may help you walk around without tripping over a bench or crashing into a rack of dumbbells. Designated guides can lead you when running the track or coach you through reps in the pool. The Turnstone Center which I’ve mentioned in recent posts is one such gym.
Other places like Planet Fitness go out of their way to make an inclusive environment where trainers and staff get to know your preferences, needs, and concerns from the type of exercise you enjoy, how much assistance you need when running the treadmill or how much space is necessary for you to take in some free weights or mat work.
In any case, physical activity will improve your overall outlook and attitude toward the world around you. You will gain a sense of purpose and endurance that being subsumed by boredom so easily steals away. Of course, there will be set-backs and hurdles to leap over. Still with gaining a better and more mindful approach through being active, you can better navigate all that life has to offer when being boldly blind.
Boldly Blind 