Featured
Featured
Featured
Featured
Featured
Blue Mundane Monday Mi...
My music and mixing are both therapeutic and stimulating.
Glen Stephenson sustained a severe brain injury when an aneurysm 'the size of a giant strawberry' burst, leading to a sub-arachnoid haemorrhage (SAH). Here, Glen describes how he has used music to help relax and challenge himself after brain injury - and you can listen to his Blu Mundane Monday Mix for Headway using the Mixcloud player.
I've always been a creative person so it's not something new to me, but I'm definitely mixing a lot more since my injury as I find it both relaxing and stimulating. My injury hasn't affected my cognitive abilities except for fatigue management, but my fatigue is very manageable. My brain injury has affected me physically, I have no energy, which has been the hardest thing to accept. Prior to my SAH I was quite active, mountain biking and long dog walks, neither of which I am able to do anymore if I want to enjoy a decent quality of life.
Personally, for me, my music and mixing are both therapeutic and stimulating. I find it relaxing but at the same time challenging. Each track I play is different and it's fun creating different sounds from mixing two tracks together. If the opportunity were to ever present itself then I would like to take it further, as I am no longer able to work full time, due to not having the physical capabilities to do so.
The one piece of advice I'd like to pass onto others is to listen to your body, don't overdo it, you have changed, you're not the person you were prior to your injury, that's the hardest thing to accept.
Rest is key, there's no point trying to push through it as your body will eventually crash. You'll know you've done too much as you'll be so fatigued, you're incapable of doing even the simplest tasks, trust me, I'm speaking from experience.
Meditation really helps, just go onto YouTube, there are plenty of guided meditations on there if you're struggling to do it yourself.
Take each day as it comes, for me personally, each day is a new adventure. But don't try to do too much on the days you do feel great, as you'll feel it afterwards. Boom/bust cycle.
For many people after brain injury, fatigue may feel like overwhelming tiredness, which makes them unable to complete normal activities of daily living.
Find out moreIn this special feature, we look at how Headway groups and branches across the country use music to improve the lives of brain injury survivors.
Find out more"Being told you’ll never be the same again is the hardest thing, I have many ways of dealing with my stress/ hurt and anger, one of them is doing some drawings!"
Find out moreFriends of Headway Individual membership Join/Renew
Contact Us t: 0115 924 0800 e: enquiries@headway.org.uk
Call our free helpline 9am - 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Or email helpline@headway.org.uk
Headway - the brain injury association is registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (Charity no. 1025852) and the Office of the Scottish Regulator (Charity no. SC 039992). Headway is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England no. 2346893.
© Copyright Headway 2024 - Site designed and developed by MEDIAmaker