Getting up and getting ready

After a brain injury and when you have chronic pain, it can be hard to move around. Even getting out of bed and getting ready for the day can be a big mission.

Here are some tips to help you to make it a little easier. You might not need them all, but just pick the ones that are going to work for you.

When you are trying things in a new way, you will need to practise it for a while to get the hang of it. Remember to pace your movements, take breaks if you need them and ask for help.

If you are still finding getting up and getting ready difficult, exercises or training can be given by a qualified physiotherapist or occupational therapist to help you to manage your pain and become more independent in these activities.

Getting out of bed

Sometimes you might find it hard to get in and out of bed, or even move around in bed. Make sure you have all the equipment you need handy before you start. When you want to get out of bed:

1. take your time
2. roll onto your better side
3. try to use your arm/s or other supports to push up into a sitting position
4. move your legs over the edge of the bed
5. sit on the edge of the bed and get ready to stand up.

Standing up

It can be difficult to stand up for lots of reasons, but it is important to make sure you do this safely. Safe steps for standing up include:

1. move your bottom to the edge of the bed or chair
2. place both feet firmly and flat on the floor
3. place both hands on the edge of the bed or chair
4. lean forward so that your nose is over your toes
5. push down through your arms to help you move your weight off the bed or chair
6. as you begin to stand up, straighten your legs
7. let go of the bed or chair
8. stand up straight.

Getting ready

There are a few different parts to getting ready, such as showering and bathing, getting dressed and grooming yourself. You need to do these things every day, and often the movements can make your pain worse. Putting effort into these activities helps you to keep healthy and can boost your mood too. Use the tips below to make a plan so that you can do these tasks more easily and manage your pain.

Take the time to read through the Getting up and getting ready guide for more tips to make My plan for getting ready to help you to manage your pain, get back into life and learn to Be Pain Smart.