30+ Things to Do when Stuck On Your Bum (a.k.a. Bed rest)

30+ Things to Do When Stuck on Your Bum aka Bed Rest

How many of you have been knocked off your feet because you ran out of spoons, over did it, had surgery, dislocated a joint, had a complicated pregnancy or suffered some other set back?

Being stuck off your feet, unable to work and take care of yourself, your house and your family can leave you feeling very depressed.

It gives you lots of time to think about the pain and problems in your life.

This post has been created to help combat those feelings.

I actually have a list and small basket of items I allow to accumulate to work on whenever I am forced off my feet (which happens a lot). The last few years I have learned to save my sanity by doing physical things first and setting aside the less pressing/easy to do/sitting things at the end of the day or when I am required to bed rest.

30+ Things to do when you are stuck on your bum (a.k.a. on bed rest).

Not everyone will enjoy these items or be physically capable of doing them, but our goal is to reach a wide, diverse audience from pregnant moms to recovering surgery patients, from those down for two days rest due to a swollen ankle to those who are down for months at a time due to chemo, surgery or serious injury.

Use the internet, a friend, books or magazines to learn a new skill (for now or later). Bed Rest is the perfect time to get ahead on those handmade Christmas gifts.

Beading

Cake Decorating

Calligraphy

Crafting

Crocheting

Gardening

Healthy Eating

Knitting

Learn a new language (Italian, French, Spanish) or test the waters to see if you would like too.

Learn sign language

New Hairstyles and Makeup for you or your children

Use your bed rest time to catch up on things you need to do, but can’t ever seem to get to.

Breakdown and organize your family’s shopping list (especially since others need to go for you). I organize mine by store, aisle, and coupon for my husband, and so far this has worked fairly well. I do all the brainwork at home so that all he has to do is the legwork.
Create a budget or update the one you currently have. (Even if your funds are extremely tight and you see no end in sight, having a budget will help you control overspending and avoid late bill payments.)
Do your hand mending (All of us have that hidden pile of clothes that just needs a button or a whipstitch to repair… if your hands are functioning, now is the perfect time to do this while you catch up on your favorite audio book or movie.)
Pair all of those mismatched socks you have hiding in the laundry room (This is a job we do every two weeks or so, but I have discovered I don’t mind doing it as much when it doesn’t interfere with something I want to do.)
Pair the oddball earrings you have been throwing in the catch-all you hide in your dresser drawer. (You know who you are…. Don’t try to deny it… ahem, yeah, that’s me!)
Clean out your inbox on your email account and desk.
Earn your GED
Plan your upcoming parties– for school, kids and the holidays. Pinterest is full of ideas for themes, foods, cakes and gifts.
Brainstorm your menu plan/ideas. Look for new, fun menus on Pinterest or online.
Create a Christmas list and budget (perhaps even begin making Christmas gifts).
Make all those phone calls you have had on your to do list forever.
Organize and purge your purse, wallet, or briefcase.
Update your will/insurance/investment, etc….
Review your household bills– insurance, medical, lights, cable, cell phone, etc… and make sure you are getting the best deal you can and are not being charged for services you are not using. (Our cell phone company kept charging us for road side assistance and insurance that we had never requested- totaling $30 or more dollars a month….. I don’t know about you, but I can use that money more than they can!)
Check your credit report and pursue any wrong information. You may request your credit report once a year for absolutely free.
Pre-sign and address Christmas cards to cut down on your holiday stress. (Just remember where you put them when finished. Yes, I, myself, have forgotten on more than one occasion.)
If you are truly ambitious you can create a letter highlighting the big changes your family has celebrated this year, and include this with the yearly Christmas cards.
Write your life story for your grandchildren and family to read.
Create a bucket list.
Research and plan your next vacation. (I have been researching Disneyland for years, we have yet to go, but it’s fun to plan and I have an ongoing realistic idea of what we can do and what it will cost.)
Write a guest post for The Zippy Zebra or another blog you would like to contribute to.
Contact and encourage old friends with an email, Facebook message, phone call or handwritten letter. They made need an encouraging word even more than you do.
Start a thankful journal– Every time you feel sad or discouraged make yourself write down 1-5 things your are thankful for, no matter how small they may seem. Review on really dark days.
Plan a remodeling or organizational project for later. Pinterest and the internet offer a vast source of photos and how-tos to mull over until the time is right. Create a file and refer to it when you are ready to start.
Look up your favorite stores and learn their coupon, rewards and sales policies. Several stores have rewards programs (NOT involving charge cards) that allow you earn free items and free points throughout the year just by shopping and being a member. My personal favorites are Target, Kroger, CVS, Walgreens and County Market.

Bed Rest is the perfect time to sign up for Rewards Programs at your favorite stores, restaurants, brands and products.

Some of my favorites are:

Kelloggs Family Rewards– sign up and receive free codes through facebook, email, contests and on every Kelloggs item you purchase. These can be redeemed for coupons, music downloads, on-line products, gift cards, magazine subscriptions and so much more at no cost to you. I use my points to get great, free music downloads and books.
Pampers Rewards– Receive points on each package of diapers and wipes you purchase, as well as bonus points found on-line. Redeem points for coupons, free products, etc… or donate to the March of Dimes, Disaster Relief Fund or other Not For Profit Groups.
My Cat Chow Perks– Watch videos, answer questions, take surveys and enter codes from every bag purchased to receive points to redeem for coupons, free merchandise or even a free bag of full-sized cat food.
My Coke Rewards– Enter codes from specially marked lids and redeem for coupons, gift cards, music, magazines, free Shutterfly items and lots more.
Research and find ways to improve your everyday living… braces for support, tools for assistance, changes in your home… to make life easier when you are back on your feet.
Research what would be required to earn the degree you have always wanted.
Research the scholarships available for yourself or your family.

Use your bed rest time to discover ways earn on-line cash and gift cards by answering questions, watching videos and filling out surveys.

Some of the sites I currently use are:

Swagbucks: I use this site daily and earn between one to three $5 Amazon gift cards per month. I spend less than 3 minutes a day answering the daily questions and NOSO, which automatically scores me 3 points. I also use it for searching the web, printing available coupons and watching the videos. In just the first month alone, I received $15 or more in points for simply answering the original survey questions, watching cute cat videos, and completing the daily tasks. If you are interested, simply use the link above (no one receives credit), or if you don’t mind, give me a few extra points (at no cost to you). Contact me and I will send you the direct link up to give me credit. To learn more check out MSM’s post here. I find the additional comments on her post very helpful and suggest reading them if you have the time and inclination.
Recyclebank– Watch videos, take pledges, learn about recycling, reusing and reducing and earn points for free items, coupons, gift cards and subscriptions. New ways to earn are added regularly. I try to check in once a week or so, and have received 2 completely FREE magazine subscriptions and have a bundle of points left to still use.
Check out these other great ideas here. This is a list of sites my daughter and I use to earn a little extra income since we are unable to work and are not on disability, but ANYONE can use them.

Other great ways to learn and utilize while you have some time on your hands.

Most of these are digital coupon websites you can use on your phone, using your rewards card or by take a picture of your receipt.

Saving Star– Offers a variety of options both on-line and in store.
Checkout 51– Can be used with any store including Aldis and often has something without a name brand such as $.50 off on a gallon of milk or loaf of bread. Who doesn’t use these things?
Ibotta– A phone app. for specific items at specific stores.

These are the programs I use for digital refunds and discounts in addition to the printed and store coupons. Yes, the Ibotta and Checkout 51 stack with sales, cartwheels and paper coupons!

The only drawback for some is the fact you need to pay the cash upfront at the store and then the money is credited to an account and you cash out when it reaches a value of $5 or more.

And of course there is always web surfing. Who doesn’t web surf when they have been sentenced to bed rest? I know I do.

Some of my favorite sites are:

Treasured Tidbits

The Zippy Zebra (this one LOL)

MoneySavingMom

LivingWellSpendingLess

DaveRamsey

EhlersDanlos Support Group (on FB)

EDNF (Ehlers Danlos National Foundation)

Pinterest (It covers EVERYTHING!)

Tickled

We hope you are able to enjoy your bed rest a little more by implementing some of these ideas.

If you have any ideas, suggestions or comments please be encouraged to share. We welcome everyone’s suggestions.

Some of the links above do offer us bonus points and credits through the links we offer, but they do not affect your rewards in the least. You often will receive extra points for yourself if you use these specific links.

Please be encouraged to share this with any friends, family or groups that may find it helpful; our goal is to encourage everyone with a chronic or short time illness.

PLEASE like, comment, share and spread the love.

Want to see more from The Zippy Zebra and other great chronic illness sites?

A few of you wrote in with comments about this list needing you to use your hands. Yes, the majority of it does; if you need bed rest suggestions that require less hand use read our 10+ Things to Do When Stuck On Your Bum with No Hands

Check out other ideas and suggestions at:

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Tags: bedrest, Checkout 51, Coke, depression, keeping busy, Kelloggs, Kroger, online earning, online reward programs, Pregnancy, Swagbucks, things to do while recovering from surgery, what to do on bedrest, zebra help

Tools 4 Taking Life Back | TinaMiller | September 29, 2014 2:56 am

2 Comments

By Carrie, February 25, 2015 @ 9:15 pm

Great ideas!
Carrie
Just Mildly Medicated