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25 Jun

Winter And Your Brain: How Cold Weather Can Impact Brain Injury Recovery

Photo of woman warm and drinking a hot beverage.

Brain recovery in winter.

As we settle into winter, it is important to keep ourselves healthy without getting fatigued. Think about your safety, wellbeing and warmth. This is important as it will help to combat the possible outcomes of greater fatigue, mobility and stiffness due to the colder weather.

Safety first in winter to avoid re-injury

In many parts of Australia, it is starting to get dark early and raining much more. Preparing for this can help to reduce re-injury due to slips and falls.

  • Make sure your shoes provide enough grip when walking and take smaller steps if you need to.
  • Hold on to any railings that are nearby to steady yourself and avoid slipping.
  • If you need to use mobility aids to make it easier to move about, speak to a health professional.
  • Using the torch function on your phone is a good way to see your surroundings as it gets darker.

Warmth and wellbeing

As winter hits, many Australians, begrudgingly, start to pull out their jumpers and warmer clothes as shorts and t-shirts don’t really cut it to maintain wellbeing.

  • Colder temperatures can produce increased fatigue, muscle stiffness and circulation issues for people living with brain injury, so prioritise staying warm in layers and covering your head, hands and feet, if temperatures drop lower than you are used to.
  • Gentle indoor movement (stretching and short walks around the house) helps maintain circulation and reduce stiffness without overloading your energy.
  • If you notice pain or marked stiffness worsening in cold weather, talk with your GP or rehab team about medication, physiotherapy or heat-based strategies.
  • Many people living with brain injury need to pace their activities due to additional fatigue, consider shorter outings, more rest breaks, and quieter evenings.
  • Keep a regular sleep/wake routine and try to get morning light exposure to support your body clock and mood.
  • Plan for appointments or social activities on days and times you tend to feel most alert and leave buffer time to recover afterwards.

Winter can bring additional challenges, but rugging up and thinking about how to reduce fatigue and the increased safety of your body and brain are key areas to help your brain recover.