for those members who are on SSDI

Post Reply New Topic

How do you typically spend your day? How much of your day is sedentary?

I live with my sister. We agreed that I'd give her $100 every month out of my SSI checks to help with rent, and I also pay the monthly internet bill ($62) and buy about half the groceries and housewares.

I spend some of my day reading or watching movies and TV, and a lot of it doing some kind of task around the apartment. I do all the dishes and take out all the trash, and I'm always cleaning something: wiping down counters or dusting and re-arranging shelves.

Wherever I am, or whatever I'm doing, I'm often occupied somewhere in a state of reflection, introspection, meditation, dissociation, or my imagination. I rarely just sit still long outside of sleep or meditation if that's what you mean by sedentary... even if activity is just to pace while I'm in thought.

I'm on SSI... which most of it goes toward rent for room living with a roommate, food, supplies for daily life, and a monthly psychologist appointment. What I have left is limited, so my hobbies don't require I buy anything on months I cannot afford to. Like studying guitar and music, reading non-fiction from books on hand or the nearby library, or playing old games. I also go on walks in the mornings and occasionally in the afternoon if extra restless... because I just can't stay inside all day without getting fairly down.

I tend to be doing dishes about three times a day as well, because I have to prepare my food on a very restricted diet because of excessive intolerances that leave me very miserable in digestive track and very mentally stupid and confused/disoriented if I ignore that I'm intolerant... so no matter what dishes I've used, I've always got to wash my rice pot, and find myself doing the rest of the dishes as well. I guess I also do laundry twice a week, as I've only got 2/3 a week of full clothing.

Sometimes, I just make lists to remind myself there's something slightly productive I could be doing that I might forget to if not reminded as well... like "almost out of gluten free soy sauce"... "Alright, something to do, and I can't figure out what to do, I'll walk to the store and get the dark brackish non-poisonous bean fluid." >_>

I used to have more money for stuff living in cheaper areas, but I find myself more at peace not feeling like I have to sleep with one eye open like in lower income housing, even at the expense of not being able to have new things to play with, or money to save. That's not to mention, I'm easily distressed by the frequent unexpected and unavoidable maintenance that comes with run down below code housing that is about all I can afford to live in on my own.

I don't really know how long I can handle the isolation, as it's not like I know how to meet anybody outside of being a student in school or when at a place of frequent visit like a workplace, but I'm fighting that only by the thread of not actually addressing that unknown until I either can't avoid it, or I run into a fix to address such before hand. Being on WP has been my only actual pleasant human contact in the last couple of years... My daily, in life, social interaction is typically just exchanging required social pleasantries when I run into people who acknowledge my existence.

Lately there's been a dearth of side gigs that normally cover the gap between my share of the house payment and the small pleasures like gas, a couple of dollar-menu fast food items a week, birdseed, and maybe a set of guitar strings or a righteous thrift-store diaper score every odd month, but my day usually goes:

Get up, walk the dogs at 9

Go to the post office at 10, pick up 2 bottles of Dr. Pepper at the store

spend from 11 to 3 outside avoiding my mother and brother - tending my vegetable plants, raking up and tossing dog messes, looking for productive projects I can be doing that won't draw the attention of the busybodies inside the house

Skulk into my room at about 3, read, do a crossword puzzle or look for songs and movies on Youtube

On the days we're allowed to water the lawn I wait until the east-facing front yard is covered in shadow, then progress to the back lawn, that usually takes about an hour

Try to soak in the tub at 7

Play guitar from about 7:30 to 9

Check my Emails, go on WP, then Wikipedia

10:30 or 11 search images for fap material

Lights out at midnight

Friday evenings and Saturday afternoons I have my regular commitments

The last time I filled out one of those questionnaires though I had friends who were alive that I could visit to write in that space

I get it under my dad. I think I get more than he does, but I'm not sure what the amount of it is. It's quite a bit though. I spend my day playing games on my Vita/3DS, doing writing on my iPad, watching TV, browsing the net...this is my usual routine day in and day out. I do leave the house to go places with my parents or just my dad since he's the only one who can drive in the family. My dad covers all of the bills paid for my SSI since I'm unable to do it myself due to disability reasons.

My parents take care of most of my needs. I can do laundry when it's needed, but I have trouble with cleaning and cooking. However, I make up for my lack of cooking abilities by using the microwave to make my own food. I can manage well for a full day without them if they happen to be gone all day for some reason. But, I wouldn't be able to manage for more than a day without them. I get paranoid easily if they are gone longer than I can handle.

I spend time with my girlfriend; I go with her most places because she has social anxiety & avoident personality & doesn't like going out alone & it's an excuse for me to get out. We watch TV together or I watch TV by myself. She sometimes watches me play video-games or I play em alone. I spend time on computer. I go walking by myself sometimes. I do some chores too.

I've... been on SSDI for a bit. After the first couple of years I got a bit better and was starting to go under Ticket to Work but then I started having a lot of health problems, so i can't even do that anymore [hopefully that's temporary though].

I really don't get very much, but I can make it work because I managed to get a really decent rent in a safe, comfortable supportive environment and the landlord doesn't seem to want to raise the rent. The rent cost is really good for the place to begin with but I also have two roommates so my portion isn't unaffordable.

I get SNAP benefits [but I am having trouble getting all the documentation together to get the full benefit amount. I could use more].

I don't really get out much- it's kind of an understatement? heh.

It's hard to say what I do all day.

When I get up I need to get water, then almond milk, then a banana or granola bar. Then more water or juice and take meds.

Then go lay down for a while and see when I'm at:
If I feel okish I'll get dressed and go to kitchen

I really really try to at least, every day: wipe down the counters in the kitchen, unload the dishwasher, put dishes from the sink into the dishwasher. That is like, the minimum of productivity I need to do every day or I feel kind of nuts.

After that?
Priorities in order:
Eat lunch.

Usually I end up taking a nap at this point because stuff hurts or I ran out of energy or I just suck.
Sometimes I resist the nap and just lay down and screw around on facebook.
Somewhere in there I contemplate going for a walk but it's too sunny or hot or both.

hmm.
I come on here or go on facebook. Check in with BF periodically throughout the day and share stupid jokes and stuff.

I don't know. I lose time a lot.
I'll get up and if feeling ok
I shower *or* do laundry usually at that point.

Sometimes at night I will go for a walk.

On days I have appointments it's kind of anyone's guess and that sucks.

I don't do a lot.
Ugh. Typing this is pissing me off.

obviously I spend a lot of time here, and generally on the computer.

I could be doing other stuff, only not.

I used to have a better kind of schedule. I'd do some art, walk most days. maybe sew. write or something, also do some online socializing. Visit my best friend downstairs.

--- "How much of your day is sedentary?"---
Way more than I'm used to, way more than I'd like. I used to walk about 2.5 miles to go to the city square where my gym was, spend an hour there working out, walk back home. Now it's like... I can't do anything. I hate it. It's kind of torturous. It will change, but right now it's not really what I want or need.

I've had to prioritize and reduce and it's stupid.
Sorry this probably isn't what you were looking for.

I think of myself as an unemployed philosopher (which is the same as an employed one when you think about it).

I usually get up each morning between 9 and 11, depending if I have an early appointment or not. I usually have a meal right after I get up, and then I do my morning routine of checking facebook, checking my email etc. etc.

Usually I either head up to a local mental health drop in for part of the day, go to the Y and exercise, go to any appointments I have, and work on various different projects during the day. I usually have a second meal between 5 and 7 each night. I see a therapist once a week.

During the evening, I may watch a football or baseball game or a show, or I may work on my projects, but mostly I watch YouTube videos and read. I usually take a shower in the evening and am usually in bed between Midnight and 2 each night.