Founder’s Check-In: Small Wins, Neuro-Pacing, and the Road Back to Campus
August Update | Notes on Mind, Brain, and Recovery
If you had told me a few months ago where I would be today, I probably would have stared at you through a dense haze of brain fog, shaken my head, and retreated straight back into a dark room.
Living with chronic migraines and navigating neurological recovery has been demanding. There were stretches where even a sliver of natural light slipping through the window blinds felt like an overwhelming physical assault. I found myself calculating screen exposure down to the exact minute behind heavy red-tinted filters, and finishing even two pages of text felt like running a marathon in lead boots.
Lately, the tide has started to turn. Recovery has not arrived as an overnight miracle; instead, it shows up quietly through consistent, intentional daily habits. Here is an honest look at where my recovery stands and what is moving the needle.
1. Rebuilding Sleep Architecture with CPAP
Addressing nighttime oxygenation and sleep quality head-on was a missing variable that could no longer be ignored.
Adopting a CPAP machine has not been an instantaneous cure:
The Adaptation Phase: Learning to sleep with mask pressure and managing initial adaptation headaches required deliberate patience.
The Long-Term Shift: Ensuring steady oxygen delivery throughout the night while preventive treatments take effect has been pivotal.
Giving my autonomic nervous system the physiological support it needs during sleep allows my brain to reset its baseline pain threshold rather than waking up already in a state of sensory overload.
2. Neuro-Pacing: Stopping Before the Threshold
When your brain’s pain circuitry is hypersensitive, the instinct to "push through" fatigue or discomfort consistently backfires. The single most transformative skill I have practiced is strict neuro-pacing.
The Golden Rule of Pacing: Step away while you still feel clear, not after the strain sets in.
Setting Micro-Boundaries: My current working baseline is reading in focused 8 to 10-minute intervals using a dedicated red-tint filter. The secret is halting the session before any eye strain, visual static, or cranial tension emerges.
Neurological Conditioning: I approach focus sessions the same way an athlete approaches physical rehabilitation: building cognitive stamina and light tolerance step by step without overloading the system.
Completing a focused reading block without triggering a post-exertion flare is a major milestone for cognitive endurance.
3. The North Star: Returning to UBC and Kinesiology
All of this foundational work is not merely about making each day manageable; it is about building a sustainable bridge back to academic and professional life at the University of British Columbia.
I deeply miss being on campus, collaborating with peers, and immersing myself in Kinesiology. My focus remains clear:
Build a resilient, steady neurological baseline.
Expand visual and cognitive stamina gradually.
Return to lectures, dense scientific literature, and lab work with the capacity to thrive without sensory burnout.
Takeaway: Giving Grace to the Process
Healing is unpredictable, demanding, and rarely follows a straight path. Progress comes from listening when the body signals a need to pause, respecting strict physiological boundaries, and trusting that restorative sleep, proper medical care, and micro-habits compound over time.
Progress may be quiet, but resilience is built in the daily decisions to show up, adjust, and keep moving forward.
-Chloe Kim
Founder of Mind & Brain Student Network BC
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