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The Invisible Load
A cognitive fatigue support sheet for people living with neurological conditions — and the people who support them.
For:
People living with cognitive change
Families
Carers
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A4 format · Free to share with attribution
What is this resource?
Cognitive fatigue is one of the most common — and least understood — symptoms
of neurological conditions including CADASIL, dementia, stroke, and acquired brain injury.
It is not tiredness that a good sleep fixes. It is the brain’s limited energy for thinking,
processing, and managing — and when that energy runs out, everything becomes harder.
This one-page support sheet is designed to help you — and the people around you —
understand what cognitive fatigue actually looks like in daily life, and to give you
language you can use when you need to explain it to others.
You shouldn’t have to justify yourself when your brain is already working overtime.
These scripts are here so you don’t have to find the words from scratch.
What’s inside
🔍 What it can look like
10 specific, recognisable signs — written without clinical jargon
✅ What helps
9 practical strategies focused on pacing, environment, and energy
🏠 Scripts for home
5 ready-made phrases for conversations with family and loved ones
💼 Scripts for work
5 professional phrases to communicate needs in workplace settings
Who is this for?
This sheet was created specifically for:
People living with CADASIL, dementia, stroke, acquired brain injury,
or any condition involving cognitive change
Family members and partners who want to better understand
what their loved one is experiencing
Paid carers and support workers supporting someone
with cognitive fatigue
Employers and colleagues who want to be more
informed and supportive
“Cognitive fatigue doesn’t show on a scan. It isn’t fixed by a good night’s sleep.
You are not making it up. You are managing something most people cannot see.”
— The Memory Nook
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Free to share with attribution · © The Memory Nook · thememorynook.com.au