There are some dangerous professions out there. You might work construction, work on a farm, or be a utility worker. Any of those carry a high mortality rate, and serious injuries happen in those fields as well.
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If you work in a dangerous field and permanently injure yourself, you can probably get long-term disability insurance. Once you have it, it’s a way you can support yourself for the rest of your life, provided you live frugally.
However, you might still be relatively young. If so, you must figure out ways to occupy yourself for the rest of your life, rather than just sitting at home. In this article, we’ll talk about a few possible options.
You Can Start a Second Career
Once you have lined up your long-term disability benefits, you will have an income source. You probably won’t be wealthy, but at least you have a steady paycheck coming in.
Still, you may experience boredom. You’re not going to work every day, and you could feel unfulfilled. You might be able to begin a second career.
You might become:
- A blogger
- A DIY home decorator
- A political or sports commentator
What you can do depends partially on your physical condition. You injured yourself badly enough that you had to retire from one job, but that probably does not mean you’re helpless now.
As a blogger, you can create a website and write about things that interest you. You might decorate your home or do repair projects and write about them on your blog, or you can make and post YouTube videos.
You could create a podcast talking about your interests. You might talk about politics, sports, or anything else that fascinates you. You might become popular enough that you can attract sponsorship and make money that way, and you can do such things without having to leave the house.
You Can Travel
Most people are not traveling these days because of Covid-19 concerns. However, we know that vaccines are coming, and they should be here soon.
If the accident that ended your first career did not injure you too badly, you can probably still travel once it is safe to do so. Of course, you should only travel if:
- You have the money to do it
- You want to see foreign countries
Some people don’t like traveling much, and that’s fine. You should only do this if it interests you. You should also only travel if you have the budget for it.
Assuming you can afford it, though, you should at least consider it. Travel is a way to broaden your horizons, and if you’re no longer working all the time, it’s probably one of the more beneficial things you can do.
You Might Take Up a Hobby
You also might take up a hobby. Maybe you’re an avid reader. You might spend time catching up on all the literary classics.
You can start painting or sculpting. You can build models or craft birdhouses. Anything where you use your hands and create things is an excellent pastime.
If you’re not so creatively-inclined, you might use your downtime to catch up on classic movies or TV shows. You might get the newest game system and immerse yourself in the latest online role-playing game.
You Can Exercise
If you can still walk around your neighborhood after the accident that enabled you to collect long-term disability, you can do that. Walking is good exercise, and you’ll want to stay fit.
You can take up biking riding if you are capable of it. You might also get a gym membership once Covid-19 is not an issue anymore.
If you’re not working every day, you can often get in excellent shape. You will have excess time on your hands, and you can use that to exercise regularly.
You Can Learn to Cook
You can also develop some advanced cooking skills if you like. You might start with some of the basics, but if you have some time on your hands, you can tackle some more challenging recipes.
If you’ve got a spouse or partner who still works, you can cook meals for them. They will be glad to see a hot meal waiting for them when they get home.
Collecting long-term disability makes you financially stable to some degree, but you still need to figure out what to do with yourself. Your life is not over, and you’ll often find you have plenty of options.