Season Changes with Post-Concussive Syndrome

Season Changes with Post-Concussive Syndrome 

It’s that time of year again where I forget that season changes are challenging me to a game of wellness chess. It usually takes a few (or several) meltdowns and bouts of headaches, extra slow processing speeds and extra severe body pain to remember: the game is on. This happens every. single. season. But each time, it smacks me like a sledgehammer out of no where and it always takes massive meltdowns to bring me to my awakening awareness: it’s a season change.

I have been under a lot of stress lately and mixed with season change, things have gotten a bit messy. Or a lot messy. Or just plain feel catastrophic and I’m not proud of the meltdowns I have had but those can come with the territory when you have post concussion syndrome. 

This Fall has brought the familiar anxiety as dusk suddenly arrives much earlier and faster than my brain can adjust to. Keeping a sleep schedule is nearly impossible with insomnia like symptoms creeping in with chaotic gusto as my brain goes haywire with no rhyme or reason. I find myself in a panicked rush to get the dogs out before it gets dark after having adjusted to a later quieter schedule based upon sunlight and sunsets and reflection and warmth. Everything feels chaotic and upheaving on a level I’m not always consciously aware of. Being someone who just loves late summer nights doesn’t help by adding a mental battle to the physical haywire of the brain. Saying goodbye to summer evenings and hello to the physically painful Fall isn’t the most pleasant thing to have to face. Fall always hits me hard, the body pain is bitter and intense, migraines and headaches take over. Brain fog clouds on thick, processing speeds slow to sometimes a near halt and the ensuing frustration abounds. All the other regular symptoms of dizziness, memory, sensory overwhelm, balance problems all intermingle with these flared up cast of characters to wreak a havoc like no other. And then I forget to eat. I forget to drink water. I forget the basics.

But, now I have my self-awareness, so what move do I want to make on this chess board of wellness in what feels like an upheaval unseen? 

First, I choose to Seek a new quiet, a new rhythm of being that is in sync with the season before me. I remind myself that soon enough, I will again enjoy the solitude and quiet that brisk dusk walks bring. The smell of fireplaces on the light breeze awakening the senses to the comforting notion of warmth and safety as the air chills toward winter. There is a special kind of peace and quiet that darkness can bring in the early evening. I can look forward to the next season change with more awareness than I had with Fall. The transition to Winter brings those same insomniac nights, but with the joy and peace of quiet, the only sound the crunching snow under my feet, the city lights reflecting off the white and wrapping me in that warm glow at midnight. Just remembering these things brings me a sense of calm and grounding in my invisible upheaval.

What can I do to play the chess game like a master? After all, I have dealt with a multitude of season changes since my first major concussion of 2008. What have I learned?

-Seek the new quiet.

-Seek the new rhythm that this season brings.

Remember the basics:

-Eat

-Drink Water

-Brain rest. 

-Stock up on snacks and grab and go items so eating doesn’t get neglected

-Place water bottles around the house in visible places.

-Set those dreaded alarms to remind you of everything. I even have one to remind me to stop and focus on my breath every hour for two full minutes, which sometimes feels like a major chore yet once done I feel more at ease than I realized I wasn’t 2 minutes prior. 

-Seek allies during this transition. Ask for help, ask for support.

-Seek nature, music therapy, yoga nidra, meditation, any kind of quiet activity that activates the calm within you.

-Accept that it’s ok if your sleep schedule is wack for a while. Deploy your self care first aid kit. Sleep when you can and don’t beat yourself up if your rhythm doesn’t jibe with your previous rhythm last season or with expectations brought forth by societal demands. Work on figuring out what works for you this new season and find a way to sync it to the rest of life. If you need help with this, speak with a counselor, your speech therapist who can help you reorganize your day planner or talk with a peer support and brainstorm ways that you can effectively cope and mitigate the symptoms you are experiencing unique to your own brain and body.

-It is ok to change your daily schedule to reflect the new you this season. I have already begun this shift. Changing days of my volunteer job when I’ve noticed certain days just slam me harder than others. Moving appointments to the afternoons on the days of the week that I have noticed I’m more fatigued or slow to function in the morning or I shift some of my schedule to mornings when I know I will need a nap in the afternoon. Nothing needs to be set in stone, allow yourself the freedom of flexibility and acceptance. If you listen to your brain and body closely it will show you what your rhythm is. It’s when we don’t listen to the subtle nuances of our unique brains and bodies that we fall into the trap of crisis and survivalism instead of thriving.

If you have a job that makes it difficult to rearrange your schedule, make sure you follow through on breaks, don’t push through them. These breaks are important to wellness routines. Ask yourself: What are your awareness moments in regard to your job? Have you been sensory overloaded all day and in need of a quiet transition between work and home? What small adjustments can you make before, during and after work that can help mitigate season change challenges that you face?

What awareness moments have you had during this season change? 

What are some things that help you adjust to the season changes?  

Share your comments and experiences and together let’s find ways to declare check-mate to Fall.