Concussions come about rapidly, making it hard to adapt to the sudden changes that are happening inside our brain. Memory, mood, attention, and focus are most commonly affects of concussions, as well as the slew of physical symptoms like headaches, neck pain, and fatigue.

When I first has concussion symptoms, I didn't know how important it was to rest as much as my brain needed. Instead of continuously trying to push yourself after a concussion, just slow down. Your brain is hurt, and it's important to commit to your recovery plan. You can talk to your doctor and make sure your family and friends don't sit there thinking you're wasting time, but instead, think of it like you're dedicated to your recovery plan. This timeout is priceless.

I've been dealing with post concussion syndrome for a little over a year. The short version? One day I was a happy spirit running free in Kauai and the next I was crying on the side of the freeway. Someone crashed into my car, and me, and since then I've had a tumultuous road filled with highs and lows, always trying to find out why I feel the way I do, and how can I feel better?

What I can't stop thinking about is the 2 million+ people who get concussions each year. Often caused by sports injuries (hello football, lacrosse, boxing, bmx, and rodeo!), or soldiers returning from Afghanistan or Iraq (over 15% come home with brain injuries). Concussions can also come about from a fall or bump to the head, and are basically a "brain sprain", although recovering from a concussion puts is more challenging than repairing a sprained ankle.

Ok, on to the good stuff. Have you noticed how difficult it is for you to stop using your mind? All I wanted was to be better. To heal. To keep going. Little did I know, there was a big aspect of recovery that I didn't see: patience. Allowing myself the time to recover was much harder than I thought.

Think about what the doctor told you to do: rest. This is one of the most important aspect of the steps to help your concussion heal fast. Though it seems simple, I can't stress it enough. Our brains need rest and sleep; so reading, having a conversation, or watching tv don't count. Your brain needs to recover; so thinking or browsing or planning doesn't count as brain rest either. It'll probably be some work, but it's more than worth it for your brain health to add more rest as the first steps in one of the many steps of healing your concussion.