There was no better way to kick off a summer of internships, no classes and finally reconnecting with friends than with a concussion.
What was supposed to be the beginning of three months of freedom quickly turned into doctor’s orders: no screens, no phone, no stress until my headaches subsided. As someone who spends a lot of time online, both personally and professionally, I found those restrictions impossible to meet. No TikTok. No Instagram. No scrolling before bed. And finally, no unlocking my phone just to check notifications or the weather app.
At first, staying away from screens was the doctor’s order. As I left my phone sitting untouched on my nightstand, I started filling my time differently. I met up with my hometown friends in person instead of texting them. I started going for walks just to pass the time. One of the strangest parts of this experiment was realizing how often I reached for my phone without any reason at all. I would unlock it out of pure habit, only to remember that I wasn’t supposed to be using it. I wasn’t looking for anything specific. My hand simply moved toward my phone whenever I was bored, uncomfortable or had a free moment. It made me realize how dependent I had become on my phone.
Of course, completely disconnecting from social media isn’t realistic for me. I work in social media, and being online is part of my job. Social platforms aren’t inherently bad, and I don’t think deleting every app is the solution. But my concussion made me realize there has to be a healthier balance between your digital life and what’s right in front of you.
Before my concussion, I never paid much attention to my screen time. Now I do. During the week I spent recovering, my average screen time was around one hour per day. The minute my “phone ban” was lifted, I immediately set time limits on Instagram and TikTok: 30 minutes each per day. Since returning to work and regular life, it has climbed to around three hours. It’s not perfect, but I have made progress.
I still have relapses when I open Instagram briefly and suddenly get interested in some reels. There are nights when I scroll in bed much longer than I originally intended. Breaking habits isn’t linear, especially when our phones are designed to keep us engaged for as long as possible. But, most days, I’ve gotten better at recognizing when enough is enough.
My focus has improved, even while recovering from my concussion. I’ve started reading physical books again, something I haven’t done consistently in years. E-books never really worked for me because I struggled to stay focused on another screen. Holding an actual book feels different. It gives my brain a break instead of demanding more attention.
At work, I still spend most of my day looking at screens. Emails, virtual meetings, social media content and projects all require it. The difference now is that I can tell the difference between productive and passive screen time. One leaves me feeling accomplished, while the other often leaves me feeling drained, and it’s important to make sure that my productive screen time always totals more than my passive screen time.
I’ve also become more intentional about taking breaks. Standing up, walking around and stepping away from my computer for a few minutes makes a bigger difference than I realized. That doesn’t mean I’ve completely figured it out.
Recently, I’ve started using my phone more before sleeping again, and I’ve noticed the impact almost immediately. I fall asleep later, sleep worse and wake up feeling more tired overall. It’s another reminder that these habits are constantly evolving, and maintaining balance requires actual effort.
In this digital age, my phone isn’t going anywhere. Social media isn’t going anywhere. As much as I sometimes wish I could completely unplug, that’s neither realistic nor necessary. My concussion didn’t lead to a complete lifestyle change or a perfect digital detox. However, it forced me to pause long enough to realize how much of my life and attention had been going toward my phone without me noticing.
Ironically, one of the worst ways to start my summer ended up teaching me one of the most valuable lessons.
My phone is my most toxic situationship. It’s always there, constantly demanding my attention, making me lose track of time and somehow convincing me to come back here even when I know I should take a break. However, unlike most toxic situations, this was one relationship where setting boundaries actually worked.