4 Hours Per Session Doesn't Have to be Boring
It's a tall order asking someone to sit still for a four-hour dialysis session. With the advent of portable devices, passing the time has never been easier.
[caption id="attachment_39050" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]
Photo courtesy Keesler Air Force Base[/caption]
If you need some ideas to help tick off the hours during your dialysis, check out the list below and get ready to get distracted!
- Stream binge-worthy TV shows. Netflix, HBO GO, Hulu, and Amazon Prime have a bevy of shows you won't be able to tear your eyes from. Godless, Stranger Things, Westworld, Man in the High Castle are just a handful of shows with lengthy episodes with addicting plot lines.
- Coloring books. Yes, you read that correctly. Coloring books made for grown-ups have intricate, complex drawings that let you bring out your inner Salvador Dali.
- Listen to music and podcasts. Grab some noise-canceling headphones and tune out the world to a Spotify playlist or choose a thought-provoking podcast to wrap yourself up in.
- Download games on a tablet. A study performed in 2011 discovered that the users across the world played 5,000,000 hours of Angry Birds per day. I wonder how many of those were dialysis patients ...
- Blog or make social media posts about your dialysis. The internet has been an incredible tool for bringing special communities together. Create an Instagram account or your very own blog to chronicle your experience and to get in touch with other people in your situation. You may make a few new friends along the way!
- Learn a new language. Online programs have made great strides in making learning a new language easier. Be it French, Spanish, Arabic, or the language of coding, you can use your dialysis to increase your skill repertoire.
- Work. Now's the time to catch up on homework or work projects that may need extra attention.
- Read a book. I know that if I had to sit for four hours three times a week in a dialysis center I'd be plowing through all of Fannie Flagg's novels. If you have trouble finding a good book to sink your teeth into, visit the Fiction Database where you can search by author, title, genre, synopsis, or rating.
Dialysis can be frustrating and lonely, but it doesn't own you. Take this time as a way to enjoy diversions that you enjoy and stay positive!
