Distracted needed please - very, very stressed

So sorry to hear your news and hope for the best possible outcome.
Maybe look at catchup T.V you may find something to distract you.
Sending love and healing thoughts.

Hi Fanny, so very sorry you are feeling like this. I hope that you start feeling a little bit better after reading these lovely posts. I spend my time reading, internet, order e-mails etc and also get very tired due to a host of medication which I take for a condition I have. When i start feeling tired, I sleep, sometime just an hour after I've woken lol. I don't feel bad about it and nor should you. Please feel free to PM if you want.xx

I am sorry that you are having such a stressful time, FannyCornforth. I can only suggest that you rest and get a good sleep if you can. When things get tough, I find I can distract myself by doing tai chi with Don Fiore on YouTube. It gives my mind a rest for 20 minutes and I do feel better afterwards.
Take care ?

To others not to us sorry

Sorry for your news fanny fingers crossed for a speedy recovery for your husband
Have you any good friends you can phone or talk to I always find that’s what helps me I m not so keen on the good walk as I just take all the bleak thoughts with me but if that works for you that could help
I find a shower and a good old cry with the tears and water all mingling together takes some pressure off
Tell your dog or cat all your secrets all that’s worrying you they are marvellous listeners
I leave the books and programmes to us as the feel good ones usually leave me feeling slightly nauseous and the sort I would watch probably wouldn’t help your mood
Anyway take care and keep popping back if you need anything xx ??

Hello again
Thank you all so much for your lovely messages, it really means so much.
Unfortunately there is very little I can do physically as I've been recently diagnosed as having spinal stenosis.
Re the test. It's all very odd, but the hospital has said that he has had / got it, but his symptoms were very unusual and they are a bit flummoxed. I don't really want to go into it, sorry.
Thank you again, I will read all of your messages properly later

Sorry to read your news FannyC. Hope your husband recovers well.
Distraction for me - dog walk is number 1. My daughters used to say they knew if I was cleaning the windows, I was worrying about something
Sending positive thoughts, be gentle with yourself x

I forgot to mention it’s a radio show (R4).

I really like The Shuttleworths, it’s a gentle northern comedy but very cleverly done by Graham Fellows. It’s takes a few episodes to get used to the characters (wiki has a good background on the chap who created it, format, episodes etc). A chap called Andrew Hamilton has uploaded episodes on YouTube as they are not always available on iplayer. The episodes of The Shuttleworths are only 15 minutes long but there are longer shows that have been done, such as John Shuttleworth’s Open Mind and others.

I do wish you and DH all the very best.

Sorry to hear this Fanny hopefully your DH will soon be on the mend but obviously you are worried. I find a walk in a quiet area helps to clear your mind, then a treat in front of a lighthearted TV programme. Take care x

Some great ideas already, would just like to add my good wishes for your husband's full and speedy recovery

So sorry Fanny to read this. Sending you a hug from one Black Country girl to another

My way of distracting myself is to bake, or give the house a good clean and tidy, anything to stop the mind from wandering.

Sending you [hugs] and

As others have said, getting outside even for a short time and even if you can't go for a walk, will make you feel better. You could see geese flying over - depending on where you live - as they're certainly on the go here just now. Seeing them always makes me feel better. They just seem so purposeful but calm at the same time, and I love the noise they make and the patterns they form.

Best wishes to you husband and I hope he makes a full recovery very soon.

My daughter just got Clanlands from Amazon for her kindle and decided to get the audio book as well.She wa stressed to the max ,its been a very tough few weeks .She says she sat up very late to listen to it as it was hilarious and informative.If you're an Outlander fan this might hit the spot for you or even if you're not you might enjoy it .
Hope it gets better for you very soon

As well as the excellent suggestions already given, I would like to add exercise in the fresh air.

A brisk walk, even just from your home will do you the world of good. I hope it doesn’t sound like a cliche but it does help at least a bit to dispel anxious feelings.

It should help you to sleep well too.

I hope you have some encouraging news about your husband tomorrow.
It’s good to remember that, despite all the doom and gloom surrounding Covid that the vast majority of people of ALL ages make a complete recovery.

So sorry about your DH.
I’m another who has to be kept busy with a mindless task, such as clearing the garden leaves, cleaning the kitchen, polishing and getting outside for a walk.
Hope things are brighter soon.

Fanny, if you like a blissfully soothing voice you might try watching and listening to Bob Ross on i player. Each programme only lasts 1/2 hour bit every little helps.

So sorry to hear about your husband. My neighbour had COVID and is back home now - so don't worry too much.
I find playing online games, like the ones here, quite relaxing. I also find,decluttering, very therapeutic- going to do that now.

I am so sorry Fanny I can only imagine how you must feel. I know that this goes against what others are suggesting but I have always found that getting stuck in to a job that maybe you have been avoiding, helps me - cleaning the cooker, scrubbing something really vigorously. Then I follow this up with some pampering and a good book. Try everything suggested by others, anything to keep you occupied. My thoughts are with you and your husband, I hope you have good news soon.

A walk with a dog usually cheers me up - that soppy smile and waggy tail- but I also know only too well how worry and grief can paralyse me - music starts up the tears, can’t concentrate on a book, don’t feel like food, etc
Maybe a favourite gentle TV programme? (On iPlayer or a DVD) I remember when there was little hope for our baby boy how watching Morecambe and Wise actually made me laugh.
I would say try to find company - within Covid regulations of course and please stay in touch on GN.
With sincere hopes that this is not as serious as you fear xxx

So sorry to hear about MrFC, I hope he makes good progress.

How about ‘A Good Read’ on the BBC Sounds (it’s the radio) webpage. You’ll find it alongside iplayer on bbb.co.uk. They have pages and pages of programmes, with well known people discussing interesting books. I have just listened to Bianca Jagger and Mariella Fostrup. Previously have listened to Jo Brand, Nina Sosanya and David Nichols.
Then if you like the sound of the book you can order it on Amazon and it could be with you the following day.

I hope you find something helpful and am sending you flowers.

Fanny sorry to hear about your DH.
I find online jigsaws a distraction, I started doing them after surgery when I was immobile.
I find Alan Bennett audio books entertaining especially when he reads them himself.

Well done for identifying what can help you, Fanny, great thinking. Have you tried podcasts? I used to love Radio4 and talk radio; podcasts are a glorious expansion of that. You can search out topics that interest you.

You are in my thoughts xx

Yes, so so sorry to hear- and let's hope he will soon be home and 'mended'.

For me, the best distraction is to go out to the woods and walk, and breathe, or be in the garden. Are you able to get out? x

I am so sorry to hear what you are currently going through. Be kind to yourself, talk to your friends, buy yourself a few treats. I love getting a new bath oil or soap. Don’t let yourself brood on things. Try to do a bit of exercise if you can. Sometimes it is hard to force yourself but even a few stretches can make you feel better. Yoga with Adriene on YouTube is brilliant if you’re up to that. It’s gentle and Adriene is so lovely. Try not to think about bad things. When my daughter was really poorly, I literally could not bear to think about what might happen. I know this sounds stupid but I had to try to think about two different things at once to stop my mind from heading back to the awful situation we were going through. Sending virtual hugs.