Here Are 50 Things You Can Do While Recovering Non-Weight Bearing (NWB)
- Laugh…I’m sure there is a funny story somewhere about how you injured yourself or something you said in the OR while under anesthesia.
- Decorate your best crutches for a non-weight bearing.
- Scrapbook or organize your photos, writing the names of people and the date on
the backs of the photos. Maybe even digitize them. - Join an online community.
- Rent the entire series of your favorite childhood TV show and watch it all.
- Write (old fashioned-hand written) letters to friends and family.
- Take pictures of the mundane day to day things you do making them look like they are amazingly fun things and post them on Facebook or Pinterest, making everyone jealous that they have to go to work and you get to stay at home.
- Play cards, checkers, board games, jigsaw puzzles, sudoku, etc.
- Stay up as late as you want, sleep in as long as you can, and nap whenever you want!
- Exercise your non-broken muscles and try to NOT gain weight.
- Ask friends what their favorite book is, read them and then discuss with them.
- Learn a new language or make up your own.
- Google Food Network and find new recipes to try and then put your favorites into a box or a book and share with others.
- Learn how to use Skype to video conference with friends and family for free.
- Watch old movies from the 80’s and laugh at the style changes.
- Read the Bible and memorize scriptures.
- Call friends you haven’t spoken to for some time.
- Annoy your spouse with, “Today on Dr. Oz…”
- Review your phone and cable companies to see if you have their best rate and threaten to cancel services.
- Entertain a dog or cat (and yourself) with a laser pointer.
- Paint your toenails…even if you’re a guy, you’ll give them something else to stare at.
- Read Knitting for Dummies and learn how to knit.
- Go fishing.
- Write a “bucket list”.
- Get a head start on birthday cards for the year…or a Christmas letter. You never have enough time during the holidays. If you send it early (even 10 months early), people will sure to be impressed.
- Learn how to play the piano or guitar…I’m sure there is an APP for that!
- Watch your favorite movies or movies you’ve always heard about but never seen before.
- Remind your spouse about the “for better or worse, in sickness and in health” part.
- Go to the Secretary of State for a Handicap Sign for your car…haven’t you always wanted one of those? Especially in cold weather!
- Go through all your important papers and shred the ones you don’t need anymore and file those you do need.
- Take online surveys, or sign up to get paid to critique websites.
- Plan a trip for when you recover.
- Enjoy the special attention you get from family and friends the first week…after that, they might not be so quick to respond to your pleas!
- Wii
- Journal or blog.
- Fill in a family tree/genealogy.
- Read up on a topic you’ve always wanted to know more about or take an online course.
- Sign up for Facebook and make more friends.
- Color…when was the last time you did that? And it’s a great stress reliever.
- Visit friends/family that are retired or are at home during the day.
- Learn to Juggle.
- Perfect your paper airplane making skills.
- Read up on local, world, and bizarre news.
- Go to the movie theater in the middle of the day and enjoy a “private” showing.
- Write a letter to the editor about something you are passionate about.
- Pray for yourself and others.
- Watch Days Of Our Lives…the irony is that soaps can make time stand still with one storyline while others skip years in a matter of months…hopefully when you watch it won’t be a standstill plot.
- Decorate your best crutches to match your personality and then send us a picture!
- Set up your online banking feature…a convenience now and a time saver later.
- Go outside, get some fresh air, and enjoy the “forced” slow down in life.
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