Fever Activities

[extrapenguin]

My head has been stuffed with cotton wool and I have a proper fever. What brain-afk activities would you recommend? Writing doesn't seem to work, nor does reading anything that requires even half a braincell, I am very tired (but not tired enough to sleep through the day), and I'm achey/pressure-sensitive enough that headphones are a no-go. Activities I've succeeded at so far include brewing tea, sneezing, and eating a small quantity of food.

(I have filled in the COVID self-assessment and am waiting on a phone call from a healthcare specialist. It's some sort of upper respiratory tract infection but I haven't been tested nor have I knowingly come into contact with COVID-bearers. I do not belong to any risk groups.)

(If you really want to cheer me up, leave a nice and meaty comment on one of my fics that I can reply to next week. Cute animal pics don't work for me.)

ETA: please don't do the "oh no! :( how terrible! :( stay safe, darling!!!" thing; I am liable to bite your head off. Please do not offer me sympathy.

Comments

[shadaras]

When I've been sick/out of it like that, I usually start watching TV I've either seen before or don't care about enough to mind if I miss details. Leverage, for instance, is a show I'd think about rewatching in that space.

I think that watching good letsplays or speedruns of videogames is also great for mindless entertainment, because it's engaging enough that I won't get bored but also it's not going to be a problem if I miss something.

Or, sometimes, podcasts/audio-centric entertainment that I normally cannot focus on because it's not enough stimulation for me. If I can't focus on more than one thing anyway, it can be nice to have something where I don't even need my eyes if I don't want them. (But that works best if you can listen to things without headphones...)

Good luck! I hope you get back some braincells/energy soon. :)

[extrapenguin]

Alas, everything audio seems to be a no-go due to headphone issues + audio processing issues. I think I'll just faff around on the internet, sigh.

[james]

If you can tolerate sports, I find that watching a sporting event is easy and braincell-free, because there is no plot to keep track of and if something interesting happens they often do a replay of it. I keep the sound off because commentators are often annoying, but your mileage may vary.

[extrapenguin]

Alas, audio seems to be a no-go, and I have ended up with an allergy to sports, lol. I think I'll take a nap.

[james]

That's what I did yesterday (fever from flu shot). I had two naps and went to bed early.

[nnozomi]

Something like virtualvacation, where you can just ramble around various cities (online) without actually having to do anything? Audio doesn't seem to be a requirement and I find it soothing.

[stultiloquentia]

My go-to is drawing, sculpting with polymer clay, or even just colouring, when I can't make words happen and can't watch TV, but don't want to go to bed.

[extrapenguin]

Drawing might work! I do have a bunch of art supplies; might as well use them.

[china_shop]

Icon-making?

[extrapenguin]

Alas, that is too brain, but I did tinker with coloring for one of my vid projects! (Also: nice icon!)

[china_shop]

(Isn't it great? It's one of abyss_valkyrie's.)

[melannen]

Naps are good. If video and audio are out, is there anything small and tactile you can go through? Like I might pull out a bin of yarn or embroidery thread and untangle everything, or sort pens by color. Organize a drawer? Pull out your bin of old keepsakes and touch them all and then put them back? The non-screen equivalent of a twiddly phone game. Play solitaire with actual cards?

If you can safely go outside, even onto a balcony, sometimes just having ambient activity to observe, birds or cars or clouds, makes a difference.

(Also just in case you forget like I do: take the pills for the symptoms! They do help sometimes.)