According to the Mayo Clinic, a migraine is defined as “intense throbbing or a pulsing sensation in one area of the head and is commonly accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound.” This is not your average headache, and not just a dramatization of your average headache. A lot of the time it prevents you from doing your daily activities and work, and makes it hard to concentrate and even function at times. Some people have experienced a migraine before, and some, like me, get them all the time. While they are terrible, they have taught me some things.
1. Wearing sunglasses indoors is cool
If you have migraines, most likely bright lights (or any lights) and loud noises are your worst enemy, especially when a migraine is oncoming. You can’t always turn the lights down, so sunglasses are your best defense. You might look silly at first, but by now you’ve made wearing sunglasses indoors cool.
2. Use your time wisely
You never know when a migraine is going to come. It could be at any time. So, the days without them are precious. It’s time to get your work done and take care of responsibilities. Good days have to be productive days, because tomorrow could be a bad day.
3. Music, podcasts, and audiobooks are my best friend
Watching anything on a screen usually adds to the throbbing, but sitting or lying in silence is never a fun time, so turning to music, podcasts, and audiobooks are the best bet. I’ve learned that podcasts are most reliable: there are thousands of hours of podcasts available on just about any topic you can think of, and can keep you interested and distracted for as long as you need.
4. It’s not creepy to sit in the dark
Sometimes sitting or lying in the dark is one of the best things you can do. Having the lights down, or just off completely, isn’t weird.
5. Worrying won’t help
The worst migraines will keep you from doing anything, let alone any kind of productive work. And worrying about not getting any work done while you’re going through a migraine only makes it worse.
6. Schoolwork and other responsibilities can wait
Physical health is more important than any homework or any work otherwise. Pushing or forcing myself to do work that ends up being unproductive anyway causes more harm than good.
7. Sleep is key
Sleep is related to everything. Not getting enough sleep makes you feel worse. Naps make you feel better. And getting a full night’s sleep is your golden ticket.
8. Take it one day at a time
During the days when you have a migraine from the minute you wake up until the minute you go to sleep, it feels like it’s never going to end. But it will, and tomorrow is a new day. And yeah, you might get another migraine tomorrow. But it’s still a new day. Every day is its own challenge, but hey, you never know what’s going to happen.
Migraines are not a good time. Not ever. They have a negative impact on your daily life and stop you from doing things you enjoy. When I'm in the midst of a terrible migraine, it doesn’t feel like any of these things that I’ve learned even matter. But looking at the big picture, they have taught me something.
