Getting back into leisure

Leisure activities, having fun and enjoying yourself is a key part to managing your pain. Getting back into leisure on a regular basis helps your mood, overall health, fitness and to live a fulfilling life.

Soon after your brain injury, doing fun and enjoyable things was probably put on the back burner. Your focus was on other things, like learning to walk again, building up your strength or coping with memory problems. Perhaps you tried doing things you enjoyed before, but this failed because you had trouble getting organised, your physical limits stopped you or you did not have enough energy. Maybe your chronic pain got in the way and stopped you from doing more.

Think about the things you did for pleasure before your brain injury. What were your interests, hobbies, leisure and recreational activities that you loved? If your ongoing limitations from your brain injury or pain are preventing you from doing these activities, then you need to come up with some new leisure activities. Even if you still enjoy your old activities, you can try new ones too.

It is important to make a plan to help you get back into leisure to help manage your pain. Read through the steps in the Getting back into leisure guide to help you put your My plan for getting back into leisure together and learn to Be Pain Smart.