Coping strategies

If you have people to talk to and things that you can do to occupy your mind and your hands then you are less likely to dwell upon the things that you can't do.
One of the best ways I've found of learning to cope with CFS is distraction, on this page are some suggestions for ways to distract yourself at home and hopefully learn to have a decent quality of life despite your symptoms

The computer is your friend

Not everyone has a vast support network to rely on and with this illness a support network of any kind is essential.
It's worth having a scout around online to find a support group in your area, because not only will you then have people to talk to, but as and when you feel well enough, you can attend group meetings and socials and get to know others who are both helpful and understanding with regards everything you're going through.

Not only is the internet a fantastically easy way of keeping a social life going (albeit a virtual one) it also offers much in the way of distraction and entertainment. While you may not always feel you have the mental capacity to start learning new things, if you wish to make more constructive use of your time than merely browsing the net and playing games, why not start a blog?

Blogging has become increasingly more popular over the last few years with politicians and celebrities getting in on the act. It can be used as a way of sharing your knowledge and interests with the world at large or merely as an outlet for your frustrations with this illness - blogging can be very therapeutic!

I have been a dedicated blogger for several years now and have made some good friends online - but it's not just the social aspect of blogging that is of interest to me.

When I first signed up with blogger I knew nothing about html, css or image manipulation - coding of any kind was a mystery to me.
You are now looking at where blogging has taken me. I have three web sites, a forum and blog all hosted with my own domain name that show having time on your hands is not a curse.

Nor does a pc does need to be connected to the web in order to provide distractions a-plenty.
With time on your hands you could write a book, turn a love of photography (or mathematics) into stunning works of digital art - or even make music.

If you have a laptop you can even 'work' from the bed, the couch or a chair in the garden, and when you have days with a complete shutdown of cognitive function but still feel the need to do something, then have a browse round a few of these web sites:

Remember that time online does not always have to be constructive..

Crafts are not just for kids

So, what about those days when you just cannot focus on a screen?

Taking up a craft as a hobby can not only provide you with a fun and absorbing activity, it can also prove to be very satisfactory as you start to produce items that can be used as gifts or even (should you wish to do so) as items for sale.
Here are a few suggestions:

Beading
flower pressing
knitting
stitching (anything from cross stitch to embroidery)
Mosaic art
Paper crafting (box making, card making, decoupage, Iris folding, paper making, Pergamano, quilling etc)
Pyrography
weaving

I like to think of the positives where possible.. Do you get the shakes? Are you constantly dropping things? Great - take up mosaic art, anything broken instantly becomes fodder for your craft.

On the days when you're too tired to stir from the couch but you're itching to get on with something, keep a Dictaphone handy (or other voice recording device) and speak your ideas into it, It's not unheard of for a book to be written in this fashion.
Alternatively, if you have the energy, keeping a pad and pencil on hand to sketch out designs can keep you occupied for hours (just remember, even if working while lying down, you still need to take regular breaks)

Some of these suggestions take more energy than others obviously, but the more adept you become at managing the illness the more you will be able to do, so always pace yourself and do not push too hard. As a rule of thumb - no matter how enjoyable something is, if you start to feel noticeably more tired than you were upon commencing the activity, stop and take a break.