Everyone knows what condition comes with symptoms like increasing frailty, loss of mobility, cognitive decline, vision and hearing loss, deteriorating muscle and bone strength. They are all common symptoms of aging. However, they can also appear as symptoms of moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), especially in older people. TBI can not only resemble aging, it can amplify some symptoms of natural aging, as well as lowered life expectancy. Studies have indicated lower life expectancy in TBI survivors compared to the general population, depending on age, sex, and the severity of the injury, especially when walking. Additionally, dependency on others…
Today our mindfulness activity is going to focus on one word. Choose one of the words below and write it on an index card, piece of note paper, post-it, or even the back of an envelope. Then place the paper with with word on it somewhere you will see it (refrigerator, bathroom mirror, computer monitor). You can also use a word of your own that isn’t included in our list. Inspire, Calm, Heartfelt, Focused, Grateful, Dream, Simplify, Imagine, Wonder, Blossom, Brilliant, Capable, Abundance, Courageous, Deserving, Dynamic, Vital, Triumphant, Overflowing, Peace, Joy, Grateful, Grounded, Possibility, Worthy If you have a busy…
I love haiku and though the form doesn’t have the same nuance or depth in English as it does in Japanese, I still strive to write the “perfect” haiku. It’s not that I expect to ever be a great poet. It’s that the energy I put into creating a haiku is so different from the energy I use to work or navigate daily life that it really is a terrific stress buster for me. Haiku is known as a non-rhyming form of poetry consisting of 17 syllables arranged in three lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables each. The intent…
Running out of mental energy always seems to happen at the worst time; in the middle of a meeting, while trying to get that last “thing” done before the end of the day, in the middle of a family gathering. You’ve probably even had the experience where your neurologist told you to “pace yourself” or your neuropsychologist said to “prioritize” with little guidance on next steps and less consideration for your capacity, or lack of, to follow through on their suggestions. All the while you’re silently screaming, “You don’t understand! HOW?!!” I attended a virtual “support group” (quotes intentional) last…
