I am bored I am chairman of the bored
March 26, 2014
Life can be tedious after a brain injury – here’s what you can do about it
It’s been a few months since you acquired a brain injury after stroke. You’ve been discharged from hospital, finished whatever rehabilitation was on offer and have settled back in at home. It has been very frustrating finding all these limits on what you can and can’t do anymore. Initially you were relieved to be alive but now you are bored and finding it hard to fight depression.
This is a very common state for many, as the long wait begins to see if you’ll recover enough to eventually go back to work, study, and all the things you previously did. It’s important to fight that boredom before it turns into full blown depression that is much harder to tackle.
Pace yourself
You will already know that if you overdo things you’ll be hit with fatigue that can take a few days to recover from. It’s crucial to not overdo things and wipe yourself out! Work out how long you do physical, mental and social activities for and stick to time limits. Also, plan these for when you feel most energetic.
Make a new plan, Stan
You had a former life that already had structure - now you have virtually none. To make it worse, your injured brain needs much more structure than before. Routine is your friend, as your brain has trouble planning your day, prioritising activities, making decisions, getting started on tasks, and realising when you have pushed yourself too hard. A weekly plan can do all this for you.
Draw up a chart of your week and make time slots throughout each day. Examples of activities may include:
• Exercise
• Rest breaks and short naps
• Social activities
• Meals
• Reading
• Crosswords
• Personal rehabilitation exercises
• Housework
• Hobbies.
This may sound boring in itself, but a daily plan of activities can be the perfect antidote to boredom.
Rehabilitation never finishes
Unless a brain injury has been very mild, it is likely that you will have some ongoing effects for the rest of your life. Don’t assume the hard work finished when you stopped seeing the rehabilitation team. People who are very motivated to continue their own personal rehabilitation often find they are still making progress years later after their brain has healed itself. Work out what issues you still face, and possible strategies to compensate for them. Work these into your timetable. Discuss all of this with your family members, especially if you have problems with self-awareness.
Break big things into small steps
Having a project to work on can be very motivating, but a common problem after a brain injury is feeling overwhelmed by the details, or not knowing where to start. Break it down into small manageable steps that you can work into your timetable.
Celebrate the small things
A brain injury can humble all of us – picture the former CEO of a multinational company who cries with joy the first time he manages to dress himself without help! Celebrate the small things, because in reality they aren’t small things at all. Usually only another person who has a brain injury can understand the incredible effort and willpower it has taken to accomplish those “small” steps.
Develop those social skills
This area if often neglected in rehabilitation. A brain injury can cause the following issues:
• Talking constantly and not listening to others
• Asking intrusive questions
• Self-centred behaviour
• Inappropriate comments and behaviour
• Standing or sitting too close to others.
Regaining lost social skills is critical to retaining friendships, making new ones, keeping healthy family relationships, and any eventual return to work, study or community involvement. If you have any of these issues, talk with close friends or family members about ways to relearn social skills and work these into your weekly plan.
Accept the new you
This also means coming to terms with the new you. It is very normal to be angry, depressed and frustrated - you will need time to work through these normal emotions. But eventually you will need to accept the new you, and find reasons for liking yourself too. Sounds tough? It is, but you may find that you discover hidden strengths in your character in the struggle to rebuild a new life. Often this gives people a sense of compassion for others with disabilities that they may not have had before. Many find that a brain injury has made them a stronger, more considerate person because of the many challenges they have been through.
FURTHER READING
Go to our fact sheets at www.synapse.org.au and check out the following fact sheets:
• Rehabilitation tips
• Steps to a healthier brain
• The post-rehabilitation slump
• When will I get better?
Article originally printed in Synapse Bridge Magazine Volume 14
It’s been a few months since you acquired a brain injury after stroke. You’ve been discharged from hospital, finished whatever rehabilitation was on offer and have settled back in at home. It has been very frustrating finding all these limits on what you can and can’t do anymore. Initially you were relieved to be alive but now you are bored and finding it hard to fight depression.
This is a very common state for many, as the long wait begins to see if you’ll recover enough to eventually go back to work, study, and all the things you previously did. It’s important to fight that boredom before it turns into full blown depression that is much harder to tackle.
Pace yourself
You will already know that if you overdo things you’ll be hit with fatigue that can take a few days to recover from. It’s crucial to not overdo things and wipe yourself out! Work out how long you do physical, mental and social activities for and stick to time limits. Also, plan these for when you feel most energetic.
Make a new plan, Stan
You had a former life that already had structure - now you have virtually none. To make it worse, your injured brain needs much more structure than before. Routine is your friend, as your brain has trouble planning your day, prioritising activities, making decisions, getting started on tasks, and realising when you have pushed yourself too hard. A weekly plan can do all this for you.
Draw up a chart of your week and make time slots throughout each day. Examples of activities may include:
• Exercise
• Rest breaks and short naps
• Social activities
• Meals
• Reading
• Crosswords
• Personal rehabilitation exercises
• Housework
• Hobbies.
This may sound boring in itself, but a daily plan of activities can be the perfect antidote to boredom.
Rehabilitation never finishes
Unless a brain injury has been very mild, it is likely that you will have some ongoing effects for the rest of your life. Don’t assume the hard work finished when you stopped seeing the rehabilitation team. People who are very motivated to continue their own personal rehabilitation often find they are still making progress years later after their brain has healed itself. Work out what issues you still face, and possible strategies to compensate for them. Work these into your timetable. Discuss all of this with your family members, especially if you have problems with self-awareness.
Break big things into small steps
Having a project to work on can be very motivating, but a common problem after a brain injury is feeling overwhelmed by the details, or not knowing where to start. Break it down into small manageable steps that you can work into your timetable.
Celebrate the small things
A brain injury can humble all of us – picture the former CEO of a multinational company who cries with joy the first time he manages to dress himself without help! Celebrate the small things, because in reality they aren’t small things at all. Usually only another person who has a brain injury can understand the incredible effort and willpower it has taken to accomplish those “small” steps.
Develop those social skills
This area if often neglected in rehabilitation. A brain injury can cause the following issues:
• Talking constantly and not listening to others
• Asking intrusive questions
• Self-centred behaviour
• Inappropriate comments and behaviour
• Standing or sitting too close to others.
Regaining lost social skills is critical to retaining friendships, making new ones, keeping healthy family relationships, and any eventual return to work, study or community involvement. If you have any of these issues, talk with close friends or family members about ways to relearn social skills and work these into your weekly plan.
Accept the new you
This also means coming to terms with the new you. It is very normal to be angry, depressed and frustrated - you will need time to work through these normal emotions. But eventually you will need to accept the new you, and find reasons for liking yourself too. Sounds tough? It is, but you may find that you discover hidden strengths in your character in the struggle to rebuild a new life. Often this gives people a sense of compassion for others with disabilities that they may not have had before. Many find that a brain injury has made them a stronger, more considerate person because of the many challenges they have been through.
FURTHER READING
Go to our fact sheets at www.synapse.org.au and check out the following fact sheets:
• Rehabilitation tips
• Steps to a healthier brain
• The post-rehabilitation slump
• When will I get better?
Article originally printed in Synapse Bridge Magazine Volume 14