At one time or another, I think we have all heard this saying. After a brain injury, it becomes a rule to live by. Scientifically speaking, we are saying that neural connections that aren’t ‘lit up’ or participating in tasks for a long period of time will start to degrade or get weaker. After an injury it is so important to get your brain involved and keep it “responsible” during your day to day life. Often people say, “I don’t have to remember anything because my mom always remembers” or they rely heavily on their spouse to be their ‘secretary’.
It is always ok to have an external strategy in place to help you remember, whether it’s a calendar, planner, notepad, whiteboard on the fridge, or voice notes in your phone, but it’s NOT ok to always assume or count on someone else to do it for you.
Find a way to be involved.
Verbally tell someone what to write on your calendar (that should be placed in an area that you are able to access/see on a regular basis) or write it down but then try to remember without looking at your notes. The important thing is trying. Even just attempting to learn a new piece of technology (Dragon Naturally Speaking voice recognition software for the computer, using Alexa or Siri) makes a HUGE difference for keeping those neurons firing in your brain.
Bottom line: keep learning and keep your brain active as much as possible. You don’t have to be in therapy to continue challenging and remapping your brain after your injury.
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