The injury came in a workaday moment.
I had stooped over my dishwasher as I gathered clean dishes to put away.
I stood up quickly, unaware that a wooden cabinet door was open directly over my head.
What could’ve been a simple bruise and embarrassing moment ended up being more serious.
Out came a series of pain-relieving expletives I can’t print here.
It was boring and frustrating just looking around.
But ultimately, I leaned into this chill vibe and just went with it.
While I don’t recommend concussion, I do suggest spending some time in this mode.
Podcast
So much so that I have since (jokingly!)
offered to induce a concussion in anyone wanting to tame their screen addiction.
That’s even though I was in pain and frequently bored.
Don’t look at your phone for hours – or days.
Treat it like something that will hurt you.
It sucks you in by design.
Putting my face in front of the phone while looking away mostly didn’t work.
I set Siri to listen for “Hi Siri” to limit the need to look at my phone.
Siri read my texts and notifications aloud and sent messages to my loved ones.
Siri also now announces who’s calling when my phone rings and answers the phone for me.
(Sorry to my friends on Signal, hope you’re doing well!)
Luckily, staring dejectedly into the middle distance was part of my recovery process.
“The high today will be 47 degrees Fahrenheit!”
she’d offer full-throatedly, like a deranged lark.
“And the low will be 31 degrees Fahrenheit!”
Touch grass
Despite my frustration, there were some obvious upsides to limiting my screen time.
The biggest one was having a lot more free time.
In addition to doctor-approved naps, I went on walks, cooked simple meals and tidied.
I also grew more comfortable with taking a breather between activities without diving into a phone-based distraction.
That was a big change.
Almost everything but messaging and an occasional podcast was off the table.
I broke my Wordle and Spelling Bee streaks.
I stopped reading a really interesting ebook from the library.
Surprisingly, I was fine.
And reaching for your phone every time there’s a quiet moment just erases all the quiet moments.
