Several days ago I created a new YouTube channel, Building Your Life After Traumatic Brain Injury, to explore and answer questions.
In response, someone asked how they could better organize their life.
Below I will share their question and what helped me to better organize my life after my traumatic brain Injury.
As you have questions that you would like to explore, please send them to me in a comment.
Thank you for your question.
“One of my questions is how to organize my life. I know living with T.B.I. is frustrating. I listen to your story and it is inspiring. I am so grateful that you share so transparently and honestly. For me sometimes it feels like I’ve lost part of myself. Often this takes me to depression as I know most don’t or won’t understand. I’m sorry my question isn’t more clear. I know my life needs more organization so I can meet many life’s challenges that I struggle immensely with. Thank you.”
In my experience, I needed to grieve my abilities. It just took what it took to grieve what I could not change. There were no short cuts.
Finding Peace
When I reached a place and time when I realized what I could not change my reality, I found peace. Finding peace helped me to grow in my ability to accept what I could not change. And as I grew in my ability to accept what I could not change, I began to realize that I had more choices.
“When one door of happiness closes another opens but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one the one which has opened for us.” Helen Keller
Through my experience, I discovered that there are different learning styles. Visual (watching), auditory (listening) and kinesthetic (doing). Some people learn best through a combination of these three learning styles. Others learn predominantly through the use of one or two of these styles.
What I learned through being tested
After being tested by Goodwill Industries in Florida, I discovered that I learn best through a combination of the three styles. Through listening (auditory), through watching (visual) the skill modeled and then by doing (kinesthetic) the skill.
Difficulty Learning Sequences of Information
Through the testing I also discovered that I had a difficulty learning sequences of information. As a result, I developed the strategy of writing down the sequence of steps that I needed to complete to achieve the task or tasks.
After writing the steps down, I was able to refer to the list as I went about learning the task or tasks at my own rate and pace.
Being Aware After Your Traumatic Brain Injury
How people may be trying to teach you may not work. Your learning style may have changed following your brain injury my friend.
As a result, you may be attempting to learn in ways that no longer work for you.
As a result, you may be frustrated and want to give up on your process and journey.
But Don’t Give Up
Ask your counselor or case worker to test your learning style. Are you a visual learner, an auditory learner or a kinesthetic learner?
Do you learn through watching, listening, doing or a combination of watching, listening and doing?
Be aware that you may need to be taught in a different way. In a way that is different from the way you were taught before your traumatic brain injury.
Understanding how you best learn and are taught will give you hope.
Understanding how you best learn and are taught will help you. Help you to develop strategies to organize and build your life.
In October 2014 I wrote an article that helped me accept myself when other people minimized, marginalized, dismissed, and discounted me because of my disability. I would invite you to read by clicking on this link: Yes I have a disability, but Don’t Count Me Out because…!
In February 2017 I wrote an article to explore what helped me to be able to accept and stop fighting against myself. I would invite you to read by clicking on this link: You Are Not Crazy. You have an Invisible Disability
You have my permission to share my articles and or video presentations with anyone you believe could benefit, however, I maintain ownership of the intellectual property AND my articles, video presentations and eBooks are not to be considered OPEN SOURCE. Please also provide a link back to Second Chance to Live. In the event that you have questions, please send those questions to me. All questions are good questions. I look forward to hearing from you. More Information: Copyright 2007 -2019.
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