On a good day

On a good day focuses on the hidden and fluctuating nature of brain injury

The impact of brain injury can be devastating and lifelong. Day to day, hour to hour, the symptoms of a brain injury can vary and change wildly.

On a good day, life can seem almost normal, but on a bad day, a brain injury survivor can experience a huge range of debilitating symptoms from severe fatigue, headaches, mood changes and cognitive issues, leaving them feeling isolated and having a huge impact on their relationships with friends, family and colleagues.

Explore the campaign:

• On a good day: Discover our newest campaign in action
• Survey results: The impact on people of the fluctuating nature of brain injury
• Fatigue after brain injury
• Memory problems after brain injury
• Anxiety after brain injury
• Minimising the bad days and ways to cope when they occur
• Support the campaign
• On a Good Day podcast
• Explore the campaign

On a good day: Discover our newest campaign in action

With 72% of brain injury survivors reporting that they find it difficult to do things independently when brain injury symptoms make it a bad day, share this video to raise awareness for people living with brain injury.

Survey results

At the core of this campaign is the report sharing our latest survey results. The surveys were designed to gather experiences from brain injury survivors and their carers on the fluctuating nature of brain injury. By fluctuating, we mean that the effects of brain injury are not the same every day. They may be ‘better’ on some days and ‘worse’ on others.

Read the full study report.

Key findings:

Fatigue after brain injury

Fatigue is an extreme tiredness and lack of energy.

We all feel tired sometimes, but fatigue after brain injury is something else entirely.

Unlike everyday tiredness that fades with rest, pathological fatigue can be constant, overwhelming, and unrelenting. It doesn’t always improve with sleep or downtime, and it can make even simple daily tasks feel impossible.

This kind of fatigue is one of the most common—and most misunderstood—effects of brain injury.

Find out more

Explore the sections on fatigue across our website to learn more about:

• What fatigue really is
• Why it happens after brain injury
• How to spot the signs
• Common triggers
• Practical ways to manage it

Need support?

Find out more in our publication Fatigue after brain injury (PDF).

For further information and support about living with the effects of brain injury, contact our nurse-led helpline.

Memory problems after brain injury

Memory is easily affected by brain injury because there are several structures within the brain that are involved in memory, and injury to any of these parts can impair memory performance. As remembering involves the stages of taking in information, storing it adequately and retrieving it when needed, injury to those parts of the brain responsible for these stages can lead to poor memory.

Find out more

Explore the sections on memory across our website to learn more about:

• What is memory?
• What is amnesia?
• Strategies for coping with memory problems
• Frequently asked questions about memory problems after brain injury
• More information on memory problems

Need support?

Find out more in our publication Memory problems after brain injury (PDF). 

For further information and support about living with the effects of brain injury, contact our nurse-led helpline.

Anxiety after brain injury

After having a brain injury, people can experience a wide range of emotions, including anxiety. Anxiety is a common consequence of brain injury, and there are many reasons why someone may feel anxious after their injury. There are a range of symptoms associated with anxiety, from mild to severe, and it can interfere with various aspects of life such as relationships, employment and emotional well-being.

Find out more

Explore the sections on anxiety in our publication to learn more about:

• What is anxiety
• How a brain injury can cause anxiety
• Where to get professional help for anxiety after brain injury
• How to cope with anxiety after brain injury
• Anxiety in carers

Need support?

Find out more in our publication Anxiety after brain injury (PDF). 

For further information and support about living with the effects of brain injury, contact our nurse-led helpline.

Minimising the bad days and ways to cope when they occur

Try these tips when you need some extra support on a bad day

• Reach out to others on a bad day. Talk about how you are feeling, ask for practical support, and do not feel that you have to get through the day on your own. You can speak to friends, family, or others who you have a good relationship with and who understand the impact of your brain injury. Our Headway support groups, helpline and online communities are available to you as well.
• Learn ways to cope with fatigue and other effects of brain injury.
• Try to get a good night’s sleep by learning about sleep hygiene and relaxation. Our publications on fatigue and sleep problems after brain injury both contain guidance on this, as well as our webinar on sleep after brain injury, available on our YouTube channel.
• Communicate with others if you are wanting to be left alone and have time to yourself. Doing this in a respectful way means that people will better understand why you may be minimising contact, helping to avoid social misunderstandings. You can consider using your Headway Brain Injury Identity Card to help with having this conversation.
• Find activities that are important and meaningful for you to do and complete these on your bad days if you are feeling able to.
• Enjoy nature by going for a walk, gardening, or even sitting by a window to enjoy the birdsong outside. Check out our webinar on this topic to find out more about how nature can help after brain injury.
• Keep things in perspective on bad days. Life can be challenging after brain injury, but remember how far you have come and all of the things that you have achieved through your recovery.
• Slow down on your bad days and allow yourself time to do things at a gentler pace.

Support the campaign

During ABI week, whether you're an individual or an organisation, we encourage you to highlight the subject of brain injury by sharing your support, your lived experience, and your fundraising events and activities across email and social media.​

We have put together this digital toolkit where you can access everything you need!

On a Good Day podcast

On a Good Day is the podcast about brain injury and its impact on all involved, hosted by Elizabeth Callaghan and Julia Ajayi.  We'd like to thank Elizabeth and Julia for sharing the 'On a good day name', and encourage you to have a listen!

Explore the campaign