A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) resulting from a bump, blow, or jolt to the head that causes the brain to move rapidly inside the skull. This movement creates a temporary disturbance in brain function, requiring the brain to dedicate substantial metabolic resources to healing. Accepted treatment involves mandatory physical and cognitive rest to allow this restorative process to occur without interference. Finding ways to occupy time that do not overtax the healing brain is an important part of managing the initial recovery phase, as this period of reduced activity often leads to boredom.
Understanding Activity Restrictions
During early concussion recovery, the goal is to conserve the brain’s energy, which is temporarily compromised following the injury. Activities requiring intense concentration or high visual processing must be strictly limited because they place a high metabolic demand on the injured brain. This restriction, known as cognitive rest, prevents the aggravation of symptoms and potential for a prolonged recovery period.
Activities specifically prohibited include prolonged screen time on phones, computers, televisions, and video games. The rapid motion, bright light, and constant sensory input from these devices can quickly trigger symptoms like headaches and nausea. Intense reading, demanding homework, and complex problem-solving tasks, such as paying bills or doing crosswords, must also be avoided. Furthermore, activities involving reaction time or risk of a second injury, such as driving or operating heavy machinery, are unsafe until symptoms have fully resolved.
Passive and Restorative Activities
The safest activities for a recovering brain require minimal sensory input and low cognitive effort. These passive activities help mitigate boredom without diverting energy away from the healing process. Listening to audiobooks or podcasts is an excellent option, provided the volume is kept low and the content is not overly complex or emotionally intense.
Listening to calm, soft music can also be restorative, helping to create a peaceful environment conducive to rest. Practicing simple relaxation techniques, such as diaphragmatic breathing or gentle meditation, helps regulate the nervous system and promote physical rest. These activities should be performed in a quiet, dimly lit room to minimize external stimulation, which can easily provoke symptoms.
Taking short, scheduled naps or simply resting with eyes closed provides a direct opportunity for the brain to conserve energy and focus entirely on recovery. Simple, analog activities like coloring or light, repetitive drawing can also be done in short bursts. The key is to keep the focus low and to stop immediately if any symptoms, such as eye strain or a headache, begin to appear.
Activities Requiring Mild Focus
As initial acute symptoms subside, the patient can gradually introduce activities requiring mild focus, serving as gentle cognitive exercise. These activities should be approached with caution, acting as a bridge between complete rest and a return to normal life. Working on a simple puzzle with large pieces or engaging in light, non-strenuous crafts like basic knitting provides a structured but manageable mental task.
Social engagement can be beneficial for mental well-being, but it must be controlled to avoid sensory overload. Short, low-stakes conversations with friends or family, ideally with only one person at a time, are usually tolerated better than large social gatherings. The duration of these mildly focused activities is important; they should be strictly limited to short intervals, such as 10 to 15 minutes, before taking a planned break.
Looking through physical photo albums can be a pleasant, low-demand activity that engages memory without the negative effects of screen light. A slow, short walk in a quiet, low-traffic area, if tolerated, provides a change of scenery and gentle physical movement. The goal is a gradual, step-wise increase in activity, where the patient introduces one new activity at a time and monitors their reaction closely.
Monitoring Symptoms During Activity
Gradually reintroducing activity depends entirely on the patient’s self-monitoring and adherence to the principle of not pushing through symptoms. The brain provides clear warning signs when it is being overexerted, and recognizing these is essential to preventing a setback in recovery. Indications to stop immediately include a noticeable increase in headache pain, the onset of nausea, dizziness, or heightened sensitivity to light and sound.
Difficulty concentrating, feeling mentally foggy, or experiencing unusual irritability are also signals that the current cognitive load is too high. Clinicians often advise that a symptom increase of no more than one or two points on a ten-point scale is acceptable during activity; anything more severe requires immediate cessation. The appropriate action when symptoms worsen is to immediately stop the activity and return to a period of quiet, dark rest until the symptoms subside.