Teens juggle many things. They go to school for several hours per day, complete homework, and may have jobs, sports, after school activities, social plans, or family responsibilities. Often teens don’t take the time to take care of themselves well. They frequently run on empty by not pacing themselves, or failing to get enough sleep, exercise, nutritious food or water.
Pacing Yourself & Adjusting Your Schedule
After a TBI, teens are more likely to experience fatigue and have difficulty sleeping, which makes it harder to get through the day. There are some things that can help, like scheduling breaks throughout your day, getting plenty of sleep, exercising regularly, eating well, and staying hydrated.
After a TBI, it may take more energy to function like other people or like you did before the injury. Your body might need more breaks because it is working harder than it used to on some tasks. When you are planning out your activities and your day, be sure to allow time between activities to rest. You may need to sit out some activities altogether. Try to think of creative ways that you can be a part of the group, even if you aren’t able to do this in the same way as you did before the injury.
Here are two examples of how other people with a TBI handled activities.
How did Leah handle band?
The first season that I came back after my injury, I played the kettle drums in the pit because I didn’t have the energy to march with the band.
How did Malia handle her return to high school?
When I first came back to school, I needed to go fewer days for shorter periods of time. I have been able to slowly increase my time at school.