There are certain activities that you need to do, such as going to school, getting regular exercise or doing chores. It may feel like these things are hard enough when you are having pain. Doing something else, even if it is fun, may be the last thing on your mind.
Many teens with sickle cell disease have to work even harder at school and other important activities because they have less energy or because they may have fallen behind if they had to miss school frequently. It may seem hard to find time for friendships and fun activities.
However, you will feel happier and less tense if you can find a way to balance work and play.
Doing enjoyable activities can help distract you, make you feel happier and actually reduce your pain. Doing enjoyable activities can also help you strike a balance between the activities that you do each day.
Some teens have to schedule a time to play and have fun. One way to increase the number of enjoyable activities you do is to deliberately schedule those activities.
Please refer to Doing enjoyable activities for more information and examples of activities.
