@daphne47

Hi,

Under this group Just Want To Talk, there is a section called The Chat Room.....nothing political.....that you might be interested in. And I hear you about cranial stimulation lol. We often can’t get that with those around us in these Covid times.

FL Mary

Hello @daphne47,

I get where you are coming from! In these COVID days, it is harder than ever to get the mental stimulation that we all need.

The Chat Room that @imallears suggested is a great idea. Here is the link to that discussion group, https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/the-chat-room-a-place-to-talk-about-this-and-that/.

What I would suggest is that when you post in The Chat Room you say the same thing that you said in this post and then go on to tell a little bit about yourself. Your interests, hobbies if any, and something about your family and/or your living situation. You do not have to be specific with this information, just be general, i.e. I live on the West Coast, I am married/unmarried, I like to read/watch movies, etc. This will help like-mind people to connect with you.

Will you give it a try?

@daphne47 People that have chronic illness have been particularly impacted by the isolation that Covid-19 has caused. You'll notice that I moved your post to, "The Chat Room: A place to talk about this and that." I did this so you could connect with more members like @johnbishop @sunnyflower @lioness. Mayo Clinic Connect is a wonderful and safe way to interact with people that are going through something similar to what you are.

May I ask what kinds of other social interactions you've have since Covid-19 started and how often those interactions happen?

@daphne47 I have been largely house-bound for the last decade, and when Covid-19 restrictions hit it became more difficult for me. It wasn't that I could not go out, it was that the rest of the world seemed to stop living. My normal escapist TV shows weren't on anymore, some have been cancelled, and I don't care for most of the new ones.

I do all sorts of crafts, so I can concentrate on any one of them and change out according to my whim. I have joined some Facebook groups dedicated to cross stitching and embroidery, and look up things I hear about that I want to try. We have a cat, so I joined a couple "cat" groups. I have had to drop some of them because they just weren't for me, but I have found some that I really enjoy. On Mayo Connect there is a group talking about gratitude and another about journaling. You might find them interesting. If you look up things like paint pouring, braiding, weaving, ribbon work, etc. you might find something there you enjoy; not necessarily doing, but just watching how they come up with stuff. I also do crossword puzzles and word games online. Maybe you can find a few people online you can play cribbage, spades, hearts, chess, checkers, etc. with. Please feel free to send me a private e-mail if you are interested in talking more with me and we can see what we can work up.

Wishing you lots of cranial stimulation in the months to come!