03/16/2026
Does anyone else notice certain times of the year when their mind gets heavier?
Every year around this season I start feeling like I’m slipping backwards. My brain starts telling me the same things it told me last year… that I’m never going to get better, that this is just who I am now. Living with traumatic brain injury means there are seasons where the fog rolls in and motivation disappears.
Fru reminds me of something every year when this happens. She points to the calendar on the fridge and says, “David, you say the exact same things every year around this time.” And she’s right. Same season, same thoughts, same doubts.
That’s why tracking things matters. My pastor once told me to write down the things I need to do and scratch them off when I finish them. It sounds simple, but when your brain struggles to see progress it helps to make progress visible.
So today I went outside and planted potatoes. Dug a row in the dirt, got my hands in the soil, scratched a few things off my list. Gardening reminds me that seasons change. Those potatoes just look like ugly chunks with sprouts right now, but under the ground something is happening you can’t see yet. Healing can be like that too.
March is TBI Awareness Month and I hadn’t posted anything about it yet, but maybe someone needs to hear this. If you feel like you’re stuck or going backwards, pay attention to your seasons. Track your moods, write things down, celebrate the small wins. Sometimes growth is happening underground before you ever see it.
Has anyone else noticed certain seasons of the year affecting their mental health?
***deFoundation
