If you are recovering from a traumatic brain injury (TBI) such as a concussion, you need to focus on self care now more than ever. There are a number of things you can do to help speed along the healing process.
First and foremost, if you think you may have a brain injury, go to a healthcare provider to get diagnosed, make follow-up appointments, and follow all of your doctor’s advice. Here are some other steps you can take to help your recovery.
Take Time off Work
If you are able to, take time off work until you fully heal. If taking time off isn’t a possibility or your injury is minor, you can keep working but negotiate a flexible schedule that takes some of the pressure off. This could mean working fewer days a week or simply taking frequent and longer breaks, requesting more time to complete tasks, or reducing your workload.
If you’re unsure of how to broach the subject of taking time off or changing your work schedule, you can have your doctor speak to your employer to explain the severity of your injury, what you need to recover, and help to come up with a revised work plan that gives you what you need.
If your injury was sustained due to another person’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation for your lost income. Contact us to find out more.
Talk to a Support Network
It’s important to remember to focus on emotional recovery as well as physical recovery. Depending on how your injury occurred, you may also be suffering from PTSD. Talk to a healthcare provider to determine whether or not you are exhibiting symptoms. Even if you do not have PTSD, it is likely that you have a lot of emotions to work through regarding your accident and injury.
TBI support groups, counselors, and trusted family or friends can be a very helpful resource for talking through how you are feeling after an injury. Talking to people about the emotional fallout from your injury is a great way to receive the support you need, get help working through any issues, and learn new coping mechanisms.
Don’t Multitask
During your recovery period, focusing can be tough, so just do one thing at a time, don’t try to take on multiple tasks at once. It is important not to overwhelm yourself, so if you need to complete a task or do something that requires focus, break it into small, manageable chunks and do not try to do several things at the same time.
Keep a Log of Your Symptoms
-It is a good idea to write your symptoms down regularly so that you can track whether any new symptoms develop over time and if the frequency of your symptoms is changing. It is very common for symptoms to appear over the weeks–and even months–after sustaining a traumatic brain injury, so it is important to pay attention and track this.
Rest
Give yourself the rest you need, guilt-free. Try not to get caught up in feeling lazy or unproductive right now. Your body needs extra rest during this time in order to heal, so resting is actually a very productive thing for you to be doing.
If you have sustained a traumatic brain injury in an accident due to another party’s carelessness or neglect, you may be entitled to compensation for your pain, suffering, and lost wages. Talk to a personal injury lawyer at Hoogbruin and Company today to learn more.