Manage Concussion Care with the "Four P's" - Prioritize, Plan, Pace and Position
1
PRIORITIZE
What is important?
Decide: What is important? What are you able to do based on how you currently feel?
Break daily activities into:
- Urgent: must be done today.
- Important: must be done in next few days.
- For later: must be done this week or month.
- Don’t need to/can’t do: can it wait until you are feeling better?
- Help needed: can someone do it for you?
3
PACE
How are you going to do it?
Remember it is common for symptoms to worsen mildly after a concussion and this is OK if you can tolerate your symptoms. Pace yourself so that you can tolerate your current symptoms and still participate in safe (non-contact) activities and mental tasks.
- After a concussion, your brain is sometimes less able to do tasks that were once automatic (e.g. tasks you have a lot of practice doing).
- For some people it may take more time to complete tasks as you recover.
- Complete the task over stages (you may not be able to finish everything all at once).
- Plan tasks throughout the day so you aren’t doing too much at one time if you cannot tolerate your symptoms or if they worsen severely.
2
PLAN
What are you going to do?
Organize what you need to do so you can get more done.
- Do tasks that use more energy at times in the day when you feel best.
- Make rest breaks part of your routine if you cannot tolerate your symptoms.
- Planning saves mental energy and helps you avoid trying to remember what to do and when to do it during the day.
4
POSITION
Where are you going to do it?
Noisy, busy and distracting environments may make it hard to concentrate and will us up more energy
- Think about your environment and how you stand/sit in it.
- Your environment can make a difference in how you feel.
Source: Modified from Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. Concussion Care & You: A Handbook for Parents and Kids. (Page 9)
Manage Concussion Care with the “Four P’s” – Prioritize, Plan, Pace and Position