Tips for People with Brain Tumors

Brain tumors can affect your ability to think, remember, reason, and concentrate. Follow these tips to improve your quality of life and reduce frustration:

• Become very organized.

• Lay out clothing ahead of time.

• Keep a calendar and record appointments and tasks.

• Make daily “to do” lists.

• Schedule household tasks throughout the week to prevent them from piling up.

• Make sure common household items, like the TV remote, keys, envelopes, and stamps, are easy to find.

• Write down clear driving directions.

• Organize shopping lists by aisle to cut down on wandering.

• Explain to your children what you cannot do at a level they can understand.

• Find someone to help with childcare if necessary.

• Maintain a regular sleep schedule.

• Pace yourself to prevent exhaustion.

• Start an exercise program, such as walking.

• Ask for help from a family member or friend.

• Focus on one task at a time; don't  try to multitask.

Some people find that keeping a diary is a helpful coping strategy. Knowing what time of day problems occur or what activities are more difficult can help you understand what affects your memory. This information can also help you plan activities and describe your memory problems to your doctor.