Boredom Busters

I can't tell you how many times I've Googled "Things to do in the winter when bored," or "Boredom busters" just to be met with able-bodied people telling me to get outside and walk or work out.

Outside activities not possible for me during cold weather

It gets pretty chilly near me this time of year, so going outside sometimes is impossible because I want to stay healthy, and I can't do so in freezing weather because I will be frozen solid and it would put me at risk health-wise. So, here are some disabled/spinal muscular atrophy-friendly tips for the winter/cold weather blues/boredom. (All credit goes to my mama for this article idea.)

Disability-friendly indoor activity tips

• Drawing/doing something creative. I know that for me personally, this helps me get out of my head and be more present! You can print out designs online and color them in. Art supplies are very cheap!
• Reading. You obviously love to read if you're reading this right now, so maybe you can read a #BookTok book or whatever you like! For me, I love graphic novels, manga, romance, comedy, fantasy, and some self-help. As far as book recommendations go, here's mine: It Ends With Us, Loveless, LumberJanes, and The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k.
• Music. A good jam session always makes me happy. Put on some tunes and rock out. I love a lot of artists! My top five are: Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Sabrina Carpenter, and Meghan Trainor!
• Make/try something new! Personally, I love making different recipes! It's definitely hard to find sma-friendly recipes, but in the Winter, I love baking and having hot cocoa! It's one of the things that really helps with my Seasonal Affective Disorder because it helps keep me present and cozy. Some of my favorite baking recipes include: peanut butter cookies, chocolate chip cookies, and brookies. (Brownies and cookies combined!)

Things to watch

Watch the thing that's on your list! I know we all have that thing we wanted to watch (but maybe forget about) and now you have the time to do so. Going off of that, you can watch something or game with a friend over Discord. My best friend and I do it all the time in the Winter and it's so much fun! Some of my recommendations:

• Netflix:Community, The Mindy Project, and Kim’s Convenience.
• Disney+:Bluey, The Proud Family Louder and Prouder, Hannah Montana.
• Hulu:How I Met Your Mother/Father, Abbott Elementary, Steven Universe.
• Youtube TV (or whatever you use for regular cable):Call Me Kat, The Drew Barrymore Show, (I start every morning with Drew!), Not Dead Yet. (this is also on Hulu!)

Gaming suggestions

As far as games, I mostly use my Switch, but I love my Xbox too!

• Switch:Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Disney Dreamlight Valley, (my current favorite! I like interacting with the Disney characters, decorating, and doing missions!) Spongebob Squarepants: Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated. (I have so much nostalgia for this game as I played a bunch on my PS2! It's one of my childhood favorites! I now play it on my Switch Lite)
• As far as Xbox goes, I love the Life is Strange franchise which focuses on different topics in every game, but the first and True Colors are my favorite and I love Shadow of the Tomb Raider. It's very tough, but I love a good challenge!

There's also a Google Chrome extension that you can use and pick the show or movie you want there and it can share a link with your friend to join!

If you're having trouble finding something to watch/read/listen to, I recommend the free app Likewise, it really helps you find stuff that you'll based on what you've seen/read/listened to!

I hope that you enjoy these ideas and definitely comment some if you have any ideas! Which ideas are your favorite? See you next time!