Somehow in the past week I managed to do something to my lower back and now it hurts… Properly. At first it was because I sat and worked for hours on end and I figured it would just go away with a little rest but now it’s lasted 2 weeks with me growing more and more aware of the pain every day.

When you have back pain it’s like metaphorically running a marathon  with your feet tied together. You can probably still finish the marathon by hopping but you’ll move slow and probably fall over a couple of times. 

In the way that having your feet tied together would keep you from running my back pain keeps me from sitting or in other words writing, doing homework, drawing, going places etc. 
So the question is what can a person do when they can’t move because of back pain? If you don’t know yet,  I went through a back operation about five years ago so I’m more than qualified to answer that question from both the perspective of a kid and a teen so here is a little list. 

1. Read… A lot. 

Back in the hospital I finished the black magician series by Trudi Canavan and I honestly suggest it for everyone. It’s a great series that is not actually children’s books despite the fact that I was about 12 when I read it. The story still sticks with me and a lot of my earlier writing was based off it. 

This week I read the Magisterium books by Cassandra Clare and Holly Black. These are children books actually and I can still suggest it if you like a well written mean character. It’s really funny and will definitely take your attention off of your back pain. 

2. Binge watch a series. 

This is yet another nice thing you can do while lying down. 

Back when I was little and had just gotten home from the hospital I basically watched Pokémon nonstop. For the more grown audience (keep in mind I’m a teen girl) I suggest something like Finding Carter or Veronica Mars to binge watch because they both definitely grabbed my attention when I watched them.  I’m currently thinking about binge watching BBC Sherlock or maybe Doctor Who just to up my nerd status a little so you can always join me and go for one of those. 

3. Create a Pintrest board

One of my favorite things to do is plan stuff and collect pretty motivational pictures. Lying on my back I can’t do that physically anymore (I normally stick stuff to my wall) so Pintrest is the perfect solution. 

A Pintrest board can be about anything. If you’re a writer you can make one to gather inspiration for your next book. If you just finished a nice book like #1 suggests then you can create a fan board full of pictured of the characters and such…

4. Message or call friends. 

Face it being stuck on your back gets really boring and lonely so if you have someone who can keep you company ask them to do just that. 

When I was in the hospital friends snuck in to come visit me there and despite the fact that I couldn’t sit only moment ago I practically jumped  up when I saw them. Sometimes company is all you need to keep yourself from succumbing to boredom. 

So text someone, call someone, or ask someone to to come chill with you. 

5. Create a list on your phone. 

Pick a topic any topic and make a list. That’s exactly what I’m doing right now because while I can’t sit to work on my laptop or notebook my phone is easy to use. 

Topics I can suggest are 

• Five happy moments in the past five years. 
• List of things that help make your back feel better. 
• 10 things to do when you’re bored. 
• Favorite movies to watch over and over again. 
• How many books you’ve read 

That’s it! 

I hope that if you’re stuck in bed like me you feel better soon. I suggest keeping a hot water bottle near where you’re hurt and a cuddle buddy 🙂 

Tell me what do you suggest for those of us stuck in bed?