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26 Jun

Men’s Health and Brain Injury  

 

 

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Men’s Mental Health and brain injury 

Did you know that Men’s Health Week was in June? An important time for all men, but especially those with a brain injury, to check in on their health. We know that of the half a million people in Australia who live with a brain injury, more than two-thirds of them are men. We also know that large numbers of individuals with a brain injury struggle with anxiety and depression – this makes it critical for men with a brain injury to be aware of the potential mental health issues they may face after learning of their brain injury.  

Managing both the effects of a brain injury and mental health issues can seem like a hard task. Still, there are things you can do daily to improve your mood and ability to manage your mental health, including exercise, eating a well-balanced diet, spending quality time with friends and family, enjoying your hobbies, maintaining a regular weekly productive routine, getting enough sleep, minimising the level of alcohol you consume and undertaking activities that give meaning to your life. 

Exercise 

It’s important to enjoy a daily exercise routine, it helps reduce stress and the risk of cardiovascular disease significantly. And we know that anything that increases your heart rate and blood flow is good for your brain. A simple walk is enough to increase feelings of wellbeing. A 12-minute bout of exercise (to 85 per cent maximum heart rate) releases serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline.  

Exercise can easily be built into daily activities, such as using stairs instead of lifts or including more walks wherever possible. If you have limited mobility, consider swimming and pool exercises with a floatation aid. Speaking to an exercise physiologist and rehabilitation specialist to help you achieve any goals you might want to achieve.  

Hobbies 

Sometimes after a brain injury people are no longer able to participate in the hobbies that they once enjoyed.  However, there are multiple ways to fill this space in your life again. It’s important to take on a new challenge and a new hobby that will add value and meaning to your life – as losing the ability to enjoy your previous hobby is understandable a very difficult thing to overcome.  

Diet 

Another important factor to staying healthy is having a consistent and easy to prepare diet recommended by your doctor or a dietician. Planning your meals can be an important part of having a consistent diet, and we know that a brain injury can often affect memory and the ability to plan. Meal planning makes life easier as you can set out what ingredients you need and add them to your shopping list or online order. Planning your meals like this helps you avoid buying “fast food”, which typically isn’t as healthy as cooking at home. Having simple recipes ready to cook is a good way to stay consistent. 

For more tips on how to manage your health you can go to our website here. 

 

Help and Information 

If you are concerned with your mental health, reach out to Synapse, Lifeline or 13 Yarn.  

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