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Brain rest after a concussion is so important, but it can feel so boring sometimes! At the beginning, I was just feeling so off and sick that I didn’t feel bored yet. I was just staying in bed and surviving my days.
But after needing to stay at home for a longer period of time and getting a bit better, I got bored sometimes. Read on to find out what 9 activities I filled my day with when I needed to rest.
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Bored with a concussion
For such a long time, I missed on out so many fun things. My life was always very busy, I had a great social life, loved my job and never missed a party. But after I sustained my concussion, I couldn’t keep up with this anymore; my brain needed rest after a concussion.
So, I stayed at home many times while I didn’t want to. Sometimes, I got bored and tried to come up with new activities that were fun but also calmed my mind. It felt like I had to find out what new activities suited the new me as I couldn’t do the old ones anymore.
>>> Read my other blog: I was in slow motion and the world around me was in fast forward.
Your brain needs rest after a concussion
I didn’t want to rest all the time and sometimes, I just pushed myself because I wanted my life to be normal. But your brain really needs rest to recover. If you don’t give your brain the rest after a concussion, your recovery will only take longer.
I don’t want you to wonder (like I did) how much faster I would have recovered when I didn’t push myself that much if I didn’t feel that bored and discovered these activities sooner. But I know this is not helping at this moment, so let’s focus on the things that are helpful and that we can do right now ;).
9 activities I filled my days with
(to give my brain rest after a concussion):
Puzzling: At first, I thought this wasn’t something for me as my grandma always puzzled a lot. I felt young and saw this as something only older people did haha! But after feeling so bored, a friend gave me a puzzle, and one day, I thought, let’s just try one. No one can see me, so I am the only one who’ll know. But I loved it; it’s so calming because when you’re puzzling, you don’t think of anything else. And at the same time, it’s a lovely cognitive activity too. Doubting to start puzzling? Just give it a try!
Listening to podcasts/audio books: This was my life saver. I couldn’t read during that time as it bothered my eyes, but I could listen to it. Storytel (audio book app) was my lifesaver. I dove into personal development books and learned so much about psychology, spirituality, my mind, and so much more. I think this was the time I developed myself the most. It felt productive and relaxing at the same time. I love that because when you have a concussion, you already feel so unproductive, you want to do something useful. Well, this helps!
Writing: before my concussion, I never wrote, yes on my laptop for work, but never with just pen and paper about life, my thoughts, things I dreamed of and many other things. I started to love it and added this to my morning routine. Sometimes, it was just about how I felt and what I would do that day to support my health. Other times, it was about how mad I was that this happened and that I felt sad. I think it’s such a great way to express your feelings and clear your mind.
Yoga/meditation: this was new for me as well. I never did anything like this before my concussion, and I thought it was only for people who are very spiritual or something. But, of course, this is not true haha! It helped me to feel calm and start my day with a positive mindset. For meditations, I use the app Insight Timer, and for yoga, I just go to YouTube.
Trying new recipes: this was something that was a bit challenging, but as I like a challenge and want to keep my brain “active,” I loved to do this. I just started with easy recipes and tried more challenging ones over time. For me, this was calming as I only focused on preparing the meals and nothing else. Besides that, it felt relaxing for me, and it was also a great cognitive exercise to keep the brain active.
Making vision boards: A vision board is just a collection of things you like, things you dream of or want to achieve. It helped me keep my mind in a positive place. I just looked for photos in magazines or online and printed them. So, for me, there were things on my board like: one day, I will travel again (travel photos of beautiful beaches), my perfect boyfriend (as I didn’t have one during that time and now, I found him!), how my home should look like, a lovely social life, a healthy and calm brain, things like that! Every morning, I looked at my board and tried to imagine I already had those things, so I felt that happy feeling. I believe when you can imagine things, you can achieve them.
Painting: my concussion definitely made me more creative. I never did anything like this before, and I am still not a good painter, but that’s not where this is about. It’s about enjoying, calming your mind, doing something you like. Sometimes, I just don't’ know what to paint and start doing something. The result: an expression of my emotions, and that’s it. Don’t make it too hard for yourself, it doesn’t have to be beautiful as long as you like it and it helps you, that’s what counts.
Gardening: this is so grounding! I never had any interest in gardening or nature before I sustained my concussion. Now I do and love it! It’s something that gives your brain rest after a concussion, it makes you feel grounded and more connected with nature.
Going for a walk: Okay, this is not an activity to do AT home, but I still mention it as it helped me a lot. Sometimes, you’re so done looking at the walls of your home that you want to go out of the house, even if only for a few minutes. The exercise helped me to get a better mood and break up the day.
>> Read also my other blog: Is it Ok to exercise with a concussion?
It’s all about trying new things
I think it’s all about learning to get to know the new you, what does this person love? What activities do you like AND gives your brain rest after a concussion?
The earlier you discover this and the less bored you are with a concussion at home, the less you will push yourself doing other activities (because of the boredom) that are not supporting your health. I believe there is so much to discover and so many things you never knew you would like when you try new things and find new hobbies.
And if you don’t like the activity then you didn’t lose anything right? You tried it, and that’s what counts!
Always remember, taking enough rest and breaks helps heal your brain faster.
Good luck!
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