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Do you ever feel so mentally exhausted that even regular daily chores or tasks seem impossible?

Does it seem as though each task you undertake requires every single ounce of energy that you have?

If you’ve suffered a concussion or traumatic brain injury (TBI), you are likely all too aware of these sensations. In fact, one of the most common and persistent symptoms after a concussion or traumatic brain injury is neurofatigue. 

Neurofatigue following a head injury or incident can make it hard, if not impossible, to readjust to your daily life. Neurofatigue goes beyond just being tired after a long day. Neurofatigue is a state of exhaustion that affects every aspect of your life and can greatly diminish your quality of life.

Even if you haven’t sustained a TBI, these feelings may still sound all-too-familiar. Yes, even healthy people can experience the ravages of neurofatigue. 

While experiencing this condition, one needs to find coping strategies to help them function and get the most out of life. The following are some tips to help you manage and regain control of your life.

What is Neurofatigue?

Neurofatigue is a collection of symptoms that leave a survivor of a traumatic brain injury or concussion mentally and physically exhausted. 

Cognitive fogginess, slower eye-hand coordination, and feeling too tired physically or mentally to function can all be a part of neurofatigue. Your brain is too tired or sore to work correctly.

As a result, everything becomes exhausting. The mental energy required for even simple tasks gets used up quickly, which can leave you exhausted after a short time. 

After a brain injury, you use more parts of your brain in completing any task, because the injured area of the brain must be by-passed as neurons work to communicate with each other. This requires extra energy and longer distances for neuronal messages to travel. Reaction times become slower or are delayed. This, in and of itself, requires more energy. And if your brain is processing information at a slower rate, then it takes more energy to do things. Additionally, tasks that require a lot of thinking and concentration will drain your brain’s energy even faster.

To read more information about neurofatigue and its consequences, be sure to check out my previous blog.

How to Deal with Neurofatigue

It may not be possible to predict your healing and if or when you'll completely recover from experiencing these symptoms. Whether you're exhausted or experiencing extreme brain fog, there are some things you can, and should, do to deal with them while you are going through it.

1. Limit Screen Time

One of the biggest favours you can do your brain is to limit the amount of screen time you have. This isn't just good advice for those with neurofatigue. It's a smart idea for everyone to take some time away from electronics that emit blue light, especially before going to bed. 

Minimizing screen time has been known to help people regulate their circadian rhythm, sleep better, and feel more rejuvenated in the morning.

2. Take Frequent Breaks

You have to take your time and only do what you physically and mentally can without becoming too stressed out. No matter what you are doing, if you get tired, take a break! 

You know your body better than anyone, and even though things have changed for you since the injury, you are best able to tell when you need to take a few minutes to refresh your energy. And if you feel the need for a mid-day nap, take one. Don’t try to be heroic - you won’t be doing anyone a favour, especially yourself.

3. Have Rest Days

It may not be enough just to take your days slowly. You'll need to have self-care days where you simply give your brain a chance to heal and rest without concentrating on anything else.

If you know that one particular day is going to be strenuous, make sure the day (or two) after is one where you can recharge your physical and mental batteries. 

4. Help Your Brain Out

You can help your brain out by leaving yourself notes or voice memos so that you don't have to use energy remembering appointments or to-do lists mentally. Creating that list or having a visual cue will ensure you don’t increase your brain’s workload needlessly.

Try to think and be in the moment rather than overwhelming yourself with several things at once. Do not try to juggle multiple tasks, as your ability to multi-task is also likely impaired. 

Set alarms and reminders on your cellphone or computer to remind you what you need to do next. Don’t forget to include times you must any medications. You may even want to do this for things like taking a break from your computer and remembering to drink lots of water.

5. Limit Visual and Audio Stimuli

You may find having too much going on around you is tiring. You can help yourself by limiting the bright lights and loud noises your brain has to process. A good place to start is by avoiding movie theatres and packed restaurants with blaring music and loud patrons - both can be a recipe for disaster.

Dim lighting and having people keep their voices down can be helpful in preventing headaches (or migraines) and keeping mental fatigue to a minimum.

Particular lights may cause strain on the eyes and lead to headaches, so also try to avoid shopping malls, office buildings, and other areas with overhead lights. These locations also tend to be overstimulating, so minimizing your exposure to them, along with any other place you know is too much for your brain to handle, can be helpful.  

6. Be Patient with Yourself

Unfortunately, the reality is you are not capable of doing the same things you could before your injury. The most significant gift you can give yourself is to be patient when you are finding basic tasks to be tiring or too frustrating to accomplish.

Break down the things you want to accomplish into smaller tasks and work at completing one task at a time. This will make it easier for your brain to process the job at hand and prevent you from feeling overwhelmed. 

Know that it's okay to take a nap in the middle of the day, and it is still a victory to accomplish a goal even if it took you twice as long as you hoped. Be patient with yourself and remove any time pressures you tend to self impose. 

7. Make Healthy Choices

Your brain needs you to be proactive in taking care of your overall health so that it can heal and regenerate. Eating correctly and staying well hydrated following a brain injury can make a world of difference in how you feel and how you can concentrate and function throughout the day. If you’re not sure what foods your brain needs, be sure to grab my brain healthy recipes e-book for a great place to start!

If, however, you find it challenging to eat, take steps to make the process easier and less dangerous. You are at a higher risk of choking when you are tired or experiencing neurofatigue. Follow your healthcare professional's advice for proper eating techniques for your specific situation. For some, this may mean mincing or pureeing food. Others may simply need to take small bites and concentrate on eating rather than having a conversation.

Experiencing difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) or eating correctly following a brain injury is not uncommon. Your brain sends signals to the nerves that control muscles in your mouth, throat, esophagus, and neck. After a brain injury, these signals may not work properly. So when you try to eat or drink, you may run into difficulty. 

If this happens to you, request a consultation with a speech pathologist. They can teach you ways to make it easier. 

Staying hydrated will also help not only your brain but the rest of your body to function better.

Neurofatigue is Exhausting

There's no denying that neurofatigue is exhausting and can hurt every aspect of your life. It can make tasks that were once second nature seem almost impossible. 

Using the above coping techniques and strategies can help you gain a better quality of life while facing the effects of neurofatigue and other TBI or concussion symptoms. They can also help if you are experiencing mental fatigue without a brain injury.

For more information on dealing with neurofatigue and other debilitating symptoms of traumatic brain injury or concussions, and for help making the best healthy choices for you and your family, get in touch today. 

As always, I welcome your thoughts and value your feedback. Let me know what you think by dropping me a line or commenting below. And if I can help you or a loved one with your nutritional needs, make an appointment to see me today!