The following are 5 fundamental keys to mental, physical, and nervous system health:
1 – Sleep
2 – Sunlight
3 – Movement
4 – Nutrition/Hydration
5 – Relationships
Sleep: Try to get 7–9 hours, have consistency in the timing of getting to bed and waking up, don’t use screens 30 min – 2 hours prior to sleep.
Sunlight: Get natural light for 5-30 min as close to when you wake up, and again at dusk (go outside — through a window doesn’t count). This will help regulate your circadian rhythm, allow you to be more alert and focused throughout the day, and help you get tired when it’s close to bedtime.
Movement: Shoot for 20-30 min of movement daily. Walks, resistance training, pilates, yoga, etc. (High Intensity Interval Training is good for the brain, too, FYI.)
Nutrition/Hydration: Drink lots of water, basic healthy eating habits: leafy greens, fruits, veggies, whole foods.
Relationships: Connection and love/acceptance of self, others, and your higher power are so very important — find ways to connect daily.
It seems like there’s always room to improve in all of these areas, but if any of them are severely out of balance, it will absolutely affect your mental/emotional/physical wellness. This is true for everyone, with or without a head injury. So do what you can to get these fundamentals figured out, and it will give you a good foundation on which to build all the other things that are meaningful in your life.