1. Identify your circle of care, with a trusted physician or advocate who can direct you to different professionals who can support your recovery, as well as patient family members and friends who can offer practical and emotional support 
  2. Do not be afraid to advocate for the care you need 
  3. Contact your local brain injury association to find specific support and get connected to others who have gone through similar experience 
  4. Budget your time and energy to keep your brain in a ‘safe zone,’ in TBI survivor Rob Staffen’s words. 
  5. Recognize that if you cannot do something, you aren’t being lazy: you are taking care of yourself and your recovery 
  6. Consider keeping a journal or taking notes to look back on in case you are struggling with memory issues 
  7. Practice accepting your injury, celebrating improvements, no matter how small, and loving the version of yourself you are today 
  8. Explore legal and administrative channels that might help, like filing a police report, contacting your insurance companying, applying for financial assistance, or meeting with a lawyer 
  9. Take steps to prevent being injured again—once you have one, you’re more prone to re-injury 
  10. Explore other ways to support your recovery, including eating nutritiously, limiting alcohol, incorporating physical activity into your life (if you are able), doing yoga to support balance and proprioception, and meditation to help quiet the brain 
  11. Don’t ignore your eyes: Work with a vestibular physiotherapist to re-create/re-establish neural pathways associated with balance, proprioception, eye-brain movements, or go to an optometrist for vision therapy