Tag: #headinjury

New Normal: Everything Changed

A brain injury adaptation. It is not just over when everything is healed. It is a process that takes all your life.

A brain injury is not like other physical injuries people endure. When someone breaks a limb, they go through rehab, and if all goes well, they are back to normal after some hard work. They have a new normal.

A brain injury is, sadly, not exactly like that. After a brain injury, you are living with a new normal. Rehabilitation is a vital part after a brain injury. This will help you to go back to as normal as possible while learning how to live with your new normal.

A brain injury requires you to adapt to your lifestyle. This is possible. It requires times and patience. Trust me, this can be difficult.

I have lived with my brain injury for 24 years, and there are still things I need to figure out. For my situation, my brain isn’t fully developed yet so things will keep changing.

New Normal: It never ends

A brain injury tests people’s ability to handle adversity. Things may be going smoothly for a while, and then something pops up can be complicated. This is normal in my experience.

It has been years at times. I may forget that I have a brain injury, and then I face a new challenge. This new challenge reminds me of what I live with and that I need to enjoy every minute.

I am not condoning blaming all of your troubles on your brain injury. After years of living with your brain injury, there is no real way to know if this would have caused issues without the damage. It may be possible to have an educated guess as to if the brain injury does effect because of where the injury is.

I am not saying you are not allowed to blame your injury, just don’t let it be a crutch in your life.

Please check out my story if you haven’t already. Click here.

Full-time Job: When you Have Not had One

After spending time in school all our lives, it is a shock to have a change in schedule. It takes time to get used to the change in schedule but it happens and in the end we will get used to it.

Whether or not you have a brain injury, once we get to a certain age we will have to find a full-time job.

This is surprisingly different from a school schedule. This takes some time to get used to. The need to work a full eight hours is different between having class and then a break.

My job is explicitly tiring. It is a very physically and mentally exhausting. The mental component probably holds true for every job. The other difference between school and jobs are that jobs have the same routine Monday thru Friday, whereas school is different every day.

Full-time Job: Give it time

I have found that finally after six months, I have gotten into a new routine and am able to do what I want to do. It turns out that a full-time job doesn’t leave much time for much else.

I have had to readjust what I want to do during the week and what I need to get done during the weekends. Throughout college, we get used to going to maybe three classes a day and having the rest of the time to do other things. Turns out, adult life is not like.

Be Okay with Change

My job also forced me to change my schedule. I have to be at work at 7 in the morning. This requires that I go to sleep earlier than others. I get to be home before others are off work. After six months, I have finally changed my schedule.

I have also had to schedule time for me to do what I love individually. My sport is time-consuming, so I have found that the weekends are the only real time I have to partake in it.

After I have figured this out, I am happier. This allows me to get less fun stuff done after work, and during the week.

Understand the Difference in Holiday


A rude awakening was when I was still going to work, and my brother was home relaxing because he was on winter break. I have found that even though it was annoying, it is how life will be for a while.

All in all, I am happy to have my job even though it has required some getting used to. It is a rough realization, but we will get used to it.

If you haven’t read my story yet, please click here.

New Challenge: Sticking with it.

It can be daunting to take on a new challenge after a brain injury. I find that if it is something you are passionate about, it will feel less like work.

Learning something new with a brain injury can be daunting. The first step is deciding what your new challenge should be. Pick something you are interested in. For me, this was figure skating.

Of course, you never really know what you are going to be passionate about until you try it. Sometimes you will have to change because you decide the effort isn’t worth it.

I tried different sports and hobbies. I ended up choosing figure skating as the thing to learn and put the effort in.

What about the activity you are learning is strenuous depends on where the brain injury is. This may dictate what you decide is more enjoyable to learn.

The activity or task that you decide to learn will probably take a lot of work. Unless you are born with the talent you need for the thing you choose to do, it will take some pushing, and a brain injury will make it more challenging.

It sucks. I said I was going to quit skating many times, but I am still here. It took a ton of work to get to where I am in my skating. I am never going to be an Olympic skater.

I think that the main reason I have been able to stick with it is that I am passionate about it and I have found something I love to do.

This is essential. If you do not wake up and think about practicing or want to go to practice, you may want to try to find something else. That is okay.

You will know you have found the right challenge when it doesn’t feel like work most days.

If you haven’t read my story please click here.

Routines: Anxiety and Breaking them

Routines allow a busy life to feel more manageable. Sometimes, the unexpected happens when you have to learn how to cope with routines being messed with.

Routines are a considerable part of my life. I have my morning routine and my after work routine. When something happens to break them, it causes anxiety.


When I have quirks like this, it is difficult to differentiate if this is due to my environment or my brain injury. Either way, it causes me anxiety.

Coping


The ability to cope with broken routines are crucial. Life can be unpredictable, and this means that routines are going to be broken.


Routines allow me to get done what I need to get done. I am relatively busy in life. I am trying to balance a full-time job and getting my masters degree.


My routine doesn’t have an exact timeline, but I know that when I get home, I shower and then eat dinner. After that, I do school work, and if I have, I will read a chapter of my pleasure book.


On the days where I go to the gym, it is the same routine just pushed back a bit. I try hard not to freak out when something happens, and I can’t do as much school work as I wanted, or I go to bed a little later than planned.


I try hard to remind myself that it is one night. It won’t kill me or make me fail. I focus on relaxing and figuring out what I need to do for sure that night and what can slide for a day.

Routines that break


The ability to relax when a routine is broken is a critical part because if you just let anxiety get the best of you, life will be very miserable.


I am not perfect. I am still working on not getting all worked up when something unexpected takes priority. Taking steps toward being okay with broken routines are essential to living an overall happy life.


I have found that one thing that works for me is telling the people around me that if I can have notice as soon as possible, I am then able to plan. This allows me to readjust what I want to get done.


Routines are great, but life is full of unexpected events. Allowing them to come and go with ease is the key to a less stressful life.

If you want more information about my brain injury, please click here.

Attitude: It can Change is Everything

When dealing with a brain injury, everyday tasks can become difficult. This is frustrating but there are ways to get around it.

When something terrible happens to you in life, it is simple to dig a hole. This hole is full of why me’s and feeling sorry for yourself which is a bad attitude that won’t make things better.


I am only human. I have been in the hole before. It turns out that nothing about the situation changes or can get worse while in the hole.


If the hole isn’t too thick, it can be easier to come out of it. This doesn’t mean you can’t get frustrated or sad because you can’t do anything. It means to recognize the feeling. Allow it to sit with you for a little but then push it aside.


Pushing it aside can be difficult. Maybe it includes finding a different way to do what you want to. Perhaps it means understanding a smaller thing you have to accomplish first.

Attitude: Change


Everyone is different so what is needed to dig yourself out of your hole may be a different strategy compared to mine.


I have found that as tricky as it is, sometimes I have to step away from what I am trying to do. I spend a few hours doing something else and then come back to try it again.


This technique allows me to cool off, forget about what I was frustrated about and then come back with a fresh head.


This gives me a new perspective, and I may find a new way to try what I want to do. At times I need to walk away and come back a few times, but I have been able to get it.


Finding a technique that works for you may require some trial and error. One way may not work, but then you will find the perfect style. It may take some time and can be frustrating, but once you see what works for you, you will be able to glide through life.

New Year: A time for change

The new year allows the ability to reflect on the past year and decide what you would like to change.

The new year is coming soon. It is customary to make goals for the upcoming year and reflect on what happened this past.


I have talked to many people, and they all agree that 2018 flew by. It was not an easy year either. I urge you to reflect on the year.


I find that reflection allows me to understand what I can do differently in the new year. This allows me to plan what I want to do.


I tend to set goals for the new year based on what I decide I want to do differently. This pushes me forward to start the year off on the right foot.


This year my primary goal is to find more time for myself. My job is so tiring, I need to be able to have some downtime, so I don’t get burnt out.


Time for myself includes writing, working out, reading and vegging out while watching tv. I do not have to do all of these, but I want to do some each day.

New Year: Setting a routine


This means I need to find a routine I can stick to that gives me time after work to do these tasks. I have not officially made that schedule yet. But I think it will involve spending an hour after dinner and before bed to do this.


Setting some goals for yourself is good. It allows reflection which can tell you what you want to change. Life can become overwhelming especially when you have a brain injury. Becoming a bit more organized will aid in this.

The classic saying is ‘New year, new you.’ Try to learn something new or relearn something you used to know before your injury. The new time can allow you to live your best life.

Please read my story about my brain injury by clicking here.