This week we continue our discussion on concussion. In our previous post, Concussion Basics, we identified the basic symptoms following a concussion and this week we are going to talk about some simple ways to start slowly integrating activity back into your daily routine.
Research is telling us that the speed and intensity that people who have sustained a concussion return to their regular activities makes a significant, and at times long lasting, impact on their recovery. It can often be difficult because you might start feeling really good really fast and then, of course, there’s the fact that you LOOK so good. You’re walking around, you sound like yourself. But the scary part is: if you push yourself too far too fast you can end up regressing. People that have tried to get back to work or school too soon after an mTBI (remember, mTBI or mild traumatic brain injury is the same as a concussion) report difficulties with:
- Sleep
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Concentration
- Mood
- Light/sound sensitivity
And then require additional time to recover or, worse, begin to develop habits that only reinforce these challenges rather than finding a constructive and healthy way to work through them.
Remember: YOU CAN RECOVER FROM A CONCUSSION!!!
It is important to keep reminding yourself that it won’t and doesn’t always have to be this way.
Can it be really hard?
ABSOLUTELY!
Can it be really scary?
OF COURSE!
But it certainly isn’t impossible.
Now, let’s say you’ve made it through the first 24-48 hours after your initial injury and you followed all those new rest recommendations: currently professionals recommend complete rest for the first 24-48 hours.
Now it’s time for the gradual return.
What does gradual mean?
A lot.
First, it is important that you have good insight and continued evaluation into how you’re feeling. Being able to recognize when you are getting tired before you push yourself too far is a really important first step. There is often a “point of no return” where you push through an activity or task, you know you should have stopped, the activity doesn’t go well, and then you end up feeling awful for the rest of the day. This awful feeling usually has two components: physical – you get a headache, you get really tired, you become increasingly sensitive to light and sound; and mental: you feel like you failed, you feel moody or angry at yourself and others, and you want to isolate yourself. Now a link between the activity and feeling of failure has been created and the possibility of you trying it again goes down substantially – that’s how a negative behavior is fed and can easily become a habit.
No one wants to be in the business of breaking habits.
With a good understanding of when too much is too much we can start setting some reasonable goals.
It can be helpful to start with a problem solving strategy:
- Set a goal
- Make a plan
- Execute the plan
- Review how it went and make corrections as needed
You want your goal to realistic, something you can measure your success, and give yourself a limited amount of time to complete it. Figure out the best way to set up for your goal and then give it a shot. Afterwards, think about how it went and what you would want to do differently to make it go even better the next time.
Remember: the goal is success!
You are building up your cognitive and physical endurance and that means you need to start small and get a little bit of confidence. Getting rid of the negative thoughts and reminding yourself “I am trying my hardest” can make all the difference.
Lastly, make this process YOUR responsibility. Always ask for help when you need it, but don’t let someone else end up being your crutch. Our brains love to be lazy. If you teach it that it’s ok to let someone else solve your problems (e.g. allowing someone else to set goals for you or come up with a plan that you don’t have any personal ownership in) then your brain will only learn that it doesn’t have to work hard. It’s your recovery, so my question is: what are you going to do about? I hope you have the courage and perseverance to keep moving forward.
What if you feel like you can’t do it on your own? That’s why Life Beyond Rehab is here. If you need help with finding a way to get back to what you love at the appropriate pace or if you have sought out treatment but now need help implementing everything that you learned in real life, give us a call! It can be hard to know where to start and even harder to ask for help.
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