I have worked with many great people over the years, and seen many personalities. This post is for the people who have the "Go, go, go!" mentality. It's for those who feel like if they aren't moving immediately from one thing to the next, they aren't doing enough. The folks who feel like sitting down and taking time to rest is wasting time. I can be a little like that myself, and sometimes I rely on very wise people to tell me to cut it out.
Following a brain injury, the go-getters often try to operate at that same speed because "they've always done it". The problem is, they cannot see their brain, so it is hard to know when it needs some TLC. It is much more obvious that someone with a broken leg must rest after walking a short distance. It is important to understand that tasks that feel automatic or easy prior to a brain injury, will become more effortful post-injury. The brain wants to focus its energy on healing, and this leaves less energy for other things. It has to work harder than typical to complete tasks. Additionally, any visual or balance issues will contribute to fatigue. Ten minutes of computer work may feel more like 2 hours.
Trying to operate at a high speed post-injury will typically have consequences. One such consequence is an increase in errors. This is the time to slow down, double check, and be deliberate. There is also the potential to expend all cognitive or physical energy early in the day and not have any reserve for tasks in the afternoon or evening. If the speed of processing is not as fast as it was before the concussion, the brain will constantly be trying to catch up with whatever the body is doing. You may find yourself wondering at the end of the day, "What did I do all day?" The day may feel like a blur.
In cognitive therapy I encourage people to "slow down to speed up". This just means that it is important to be careful and deliberate, pace yourself, and take more breaks during the day. Once you are operating accurately at a slower speed, and you feel that you are truly present in your daily activities, you can start to speed up (a little!). If you are familiar with the process of learning a musical piece, you may appreciate the analogy of slowing down the metronome and learning to play a piece without errors at a steady pace. You can also think about taking the time to stop and actually think through the steps of a process before beginning the task. It may seem like that will slow you down, but it will probably increase your efficiency!
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