Socializing with Chronic Illness: Quick Tips

I was really hoping to do another podcast but since things have changed I'm rarely ever home alone.

So anyways I just wanted to add a quick tip to socializing with chronic illness.

 Being the plan maker:

I've learned that when I plan social activities it's a lot less likely that I have to cancel plans even if my spoons get a little low. I'm not sure if it's my personality.... I tend to make the first move in any situation whether it is reaching out to make a new friend, pursuing a guy or making plans I don't know, but I'm usually the person who sets things up and it works greatly to my advantage because I know what activities I'm capable of when I feel good or a little under the weather.  Like in the last post having them come over is your best bet to warding off isolation because of the unpredictability of chronic illness you might have to cancel your own plans. But every once in a while it's nice to attempt to plan something you can do outdoors.

 Setting up an actual time to video chat

As much as I love real life connections and leaving the house - it's hard and if it came down to it I could completely ward off isolation and have a satisfying social life by having just virtual hang outs.... But maybe that's just me. I wouldn’t say I have a lot of free time... I spend a lot of my time too sick to really do anything but I guess my schedule is flexible, because sometimes I can handle a good video chat or a physical hang out. Since my friends are healthy, they have fixed schedules so I can't just call them any time and hope they are free I find it a lot more convenient to actually ask what days they are off and call them if we cannot hang out either because I can't or because they can't. 

 If you want to make it more immersive and have a virtual movie night, karaoke, show them some video games or anything that comes to mind HERE is a tutorial I found on how to share desktop audio through Skype.

The settings on this video won't allow you to speak, so my advice is to go into Recording devices, & listen to the microphone through Cable input. Your voice will double on the other side if your speaker volume is too high on your side, your not wearing earphones, or if you’re not playing any desktop sounds simultaneously to drown out the secondary sound of your voice, 

 Make friends with your neighbours

I've talked to some other spoonies and seen that they benefit from being close friends or even dating someone who lives nearby, I think this is a great method if you are still ambulatory and able to leave your bed or house.