10 Ways to be Productive from Bed

Rest is very important for autistic people. Our energy is constantly being expended in things like masking, processing social interactions, making decisions, and remembering everything we need to do, on top of working/studying and house chores. Sometimes we do get into bed with the intention of resting, but are overwhelmed by all the tasks we still have to do. Or we really want to be productive, be we feel sick or burnout. That’s why I’ve put together a small lists of things you can do from bed. Instead of doomscrolling take time to rest, and still feel productive.

I want to point out that am not advocating for hustle culture or a mindset of constant productivity. This is very harmful for everybody, but especially autistic people. If you feel like you are very tired, please rest. Chores can be done the next day. Otherwise, if you feel like you still have some energy in you and you want to feel productive, read on.

Pay Bills and Renew Subscriptions

Use this time to check you Credit Score and your bank account balance.  Pay credit cards, video/music/game subscriptions, and pay your phone/electricity/water bills. You can also make your budget or take time to analyze your finances and see where you are spending your money. 

Study a Language

This might the perfect time to learn a new language. You can use Duolingo or other learning apps. Yo can write to a pen pal or even watch a series/movie in your target language. Trust me, I was a Foreing Language Teacher and watching media in your target language does help.

Catch up with a friend

This might be the perfect opportunity to answer that text that a friend sent you three days ago. I know that texting a friend might take a while. We need mental energy to do so. We also need time to process their message and write a reply. Sometimes we’re so tired that we keep postponing it. But you can do it, get it over with and then have more mental space/energy to focus on other things.  

Make Space in your phone

If you’re like me, you have hundreds of screenshots in your phone that you took months ago and never saw again. You might also have videos/gifs that people sent you. Use this time in bed to delete everything your not using and make space. This also applies to the 50 tabs you have open in you internet browser.

Read a Book

Reading is a great hobby. A proffered method of getting to know people and the world, for introverted people. But, you can also read amazing non-fiction books to improve your knowledge. You can choose a topic you are trying to work on or learn about. Check out my post about the learnings I acquired from Atomic Habits

I’m Time for hobbies

You can also read for fun. Definitely use your time to read books, no matter the genre or topic. Reading helps broaden the mind. You can also crochet, knit, journal, play video games, and drawing.

Do the shopping

Online shopping is a god sent for autistic people. Now we can buy almost everything online and get it delivered to our door. You can also put an order to be picked up. That way you don’t have to go into a congested store. Take this time to shop online for your groceries, household items, that item of clothing you need for a work activity, or hobby supplies.

Plan your next week

Especially in the weekend, when you are in bed is a great time to plan your week. If you don’t have much on your mind, take some time to remember what appointments or due dates you have in the coming week. Set reminders, decide what you’re going to eat during the week, and make plans.

Plan your next trip.

Research countries and places. Look through social media to see what specific locations you might like to visit. Research the food and what accomodations you might need to visit. Planning a trip when you are autistic can be hard work and can take a lot of time. Taking a few minutes every day might make a huge difference and help you to feel less ovevrwhelmed about everything that needs to be done.

Take a course

This one might need a bit more mental energy depending on the topic, but lying in bed might be a good opportunity to take an online course. Usually those courses consist of video lessons and online quizzes and tests. No need to be sitting on a computer for that. You might take course for your personal or professional enrichment.

TL;DR

I know sometimes we’re too tired to engage in physical activities and would rather take some time to rest. Please, do rest in such instances. But sometimes we are really tired, yet we also feel overwhelmed by all the tasks that need to be done. This does not lets us be calm and relaxed. When you feel like this, you might benefit from doing some tasks while resting in your bed. Tasks like paying bills, planning a trip, studying, and shopping online. You don’t have to be up and about to be productive. Take your rest and feel secured that you are improving your life at the same time.