A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that temporarily disrupts normal brain function, requiring a period of cognitive and physical rest to heal. This necessary restriction often leads to significant boredom, a completely normal and common side effect of recovery. While the impulse to engage in stimulating activities is strong, the primary goal must be to allow the brain to recover without provoking symptoms. This guidance outlines safe activities to manage boredom but is not a substitute for the individualized diagnosis and treatment plan provided by a medical professional.
Activities That Must Be Avoided
Concussion recovery requires strictly avoiding activities that pose a risk of re-injury or dramatically increase the brain’s energy demands. Activities involving a high risk of a second impact, such as contact sports, heavy lifting, or roughhousing, must be stopped immediately, as re-injury can have severe, even life-threatening, consequences. Activities that involve quick acceleration, deceleration, or rapid head movement, like rollercoasters or trampolining, should also be avoided because they can exacerbate vestibular symptoms like dizziness and poor balance.
Screen time from phones, video games, computers, and intense television shows should be significantly limited or avoided entirely in the initial recovery phase. The bright light, rapid visual changes, and cognitive processing speed required for these tasks can quickly deplete the brain’s limited energy stores and trigger symptoms like headaches and nausea. Complex mental tasks like intense work, studying, or making major life decisions require high concentration and should be avoided. Loud, chaotic environments also place an undue burden on the brain’s processing centers.
Low-Stimulus Options for Safe Engagement
The initial recovery phase should focus on engagement that requires minimal mental effort to prevent symptom flare-ups. Passive listening is an excellent low-stimulus option, such as listening to audiobooks, gentle music, or calming podcasts at a low volume. The content should be non-complex to prevent intense concentration.
Light creative activities can provide mental engagement without excessive stimulation. Simple tasks like adult coloring books, doodling, knitting, or hand-written journaling may be tolerated, provided they do not aggravate symptoms like eye strain or headache. When social interaction is desired, it should be brief, one-on-one, and in a quiet environment, as group settings or long conversations are often too overwhelming. Short, slow walks in a quiet park or a designated quiet zone can offer a change of scenery and sensory input without demanding coordination or balance.
Managing Sensory Overload During Recovery
Sensory overload is a common challenge following a concussion, as the brain temporarily struggles to filter and process external stimuli. To manage light sensitivity, it is helpful to use dim, soft lighting, and wear sunglasses indoors if necessary, since bright or fluorescent light can quickly trigger symptoms.
To minimize sound sensitivity, using earplugs or noise-canceling headphones in unavoidable noisy situations can help, and background noise like television or radio should be kept minimal or turned off. Pacing is a technique where activities are performed in short bursts, often 10 to 15 minutes, followed by a mandatory rest period to prevent the onset of symptoms. Proper hydration and nutrition also support the recovery process, as fatigue and hunger can lower the tolerance threshold for sensory input. Treat any increase in symptoms—such as a rising headache or dizziness—as a stop sign, immediately ceasing the activity and resting until symptoms subside.
Safely Increasing Cognitive and Physical Load
Eventually, the focus shifts from pure rest to a gradual return to normal life. Medical clearance is necessary before beginning any structured return to activity, particularly for sports or high-risk occupations. A graded return involves increasing physical and cognitive demands step-by-step, ensuring no significant or prolonged symptom exacerbation occurs.
Progression requires that a person remain symptom-free for 24 hours at a given level of activity before attempting the next, more demanding step. This progression often begins with light aerobic activity, such as a brief walk or stationary cycling, and gradually moves toward more complex tasks. The goal is to stimulate recovery without pushing the brain past its current energy capacity, driven by symptom tolerance rather than a fixed timeline.