Just over three weeks ago, I passed out and hit my head very hard as I came down. The result was a severe concussion.

I’ve spent the better part of three weeks healing from this head injury, and while things are still not quite right, I’m definitely feeling much better than I was.

Here are 7 things that have helped tremendously as I’ve been recovering from a concussion:

1. Lots of Rest. For the first few days, I slept most of the day. If I wasn’t eating, I was sleeping – or at least resting. In the following few days, I would get up for short periods of time in order to spend time with my family, but still took several naps a day. The second week I was up more, but still napping at least once a day. The third week I napped when I could, but spent most of my days up with my boys. During all of this time, I spent 10-12 hours in bed each night. Injured bodies need lots of rest.
2. An Amazing Partner. I could not have got all of this rest without a truly wonderful, loving partner. My husband took on most of the caring for our two boys as well as most of the cooking and household care items (all in addition to his regular full-time job) as I’ve recovered. While we’re starting to slowly shift things back, he’s still making sure I’m feeling okay and not getting too worn out. He has been a vital part of my recovery.
3. Nourishing Food. My body is healing from a serious physical trauma. It needs all of the nourishment it can get to help it to recuperate and to heal. We’re generally careful about what we put in our bodies, but during this time I’ve been extra mindful about what my body needs and does not need. (I’ll write more about this in a future post).
4. Healing Hands of Qualified Practitioners. Our naturopath has been a tremendous resource in helping me to figure out what my body needs during this time when it’s in a fragile state. In addition, I visited a Cranial-Sacral Therapist who helped tremendously. While her work was very subtle, it made a big difference for me. She spent about half an hour holding my head, during which it seemed nothing was really happening, but suddenly something released and my head felt so much better. It’s important to have the right practitioners as resources when you need them.
5. Natural Remedies. My body does not tend to respond well to pharmaceuticals, so I chose more-natural means to help support my body during this time. My naturopath gave me some Chinese herbs as well as a homeopathic to help restore my body. I also made good use of my stash of essential oils to help support my body and to alleviate some of the stress associated with the situation. I diffused Frankincense and Cypress essential oils, as I laid down to rest and they seemed to help tremendously (I get my essential oils HERE; you can read about other ways I use them HERE). I’ve also taken a relaxing bath each night before bed, complete with Homemade Bath Salts (recipe HERE) that contain Stress Away essential oil. I could feel the tension wash off of my body. I believe our bodies can generally heal themselves if we support them well; natural remedies are one way I do this.
6. Kind Friends. During this time, we’ve also had support from outside of our immediate family. We’ve had friends stop by with food. Friends have played with my boys for hours. And, of course, some friends did both. Neighbors have helped. Loved ones who live far away have called to check in. My grandma even sent my boys a box of surprises in the mail to give them some other things to think about and work with. Community is priceless, especially in times of distress.
7. Time. Patience is important in the recovery process. Healing is not something that can be hurried, and rushing it will likely result in a setback or two. While pharmaceuticals can do a good job of masking symptoms, I know that it was best for me to simply do as my body was telling me – which was to rest! – until it let me know that it was ready to do otherwise.

Recovering from a concussion, or any head injury, can be a long process. Thankfully, with the help of the above 7 things, my body seems to be recovering well.

The above 7 factors have helped me tremendously in my recovery. Do you have any experiences with a head injury? What sort of things helped you?