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Develop a Migraine Bucket List
Downtime can be fleeting for migraineurs, so be picky about what’ s worthy of your time. No matter how great you feel, there just aren’ t enough hours in a day to reorganize the closet, finish those sales projections and trim the bushes. Bottom line: Migraine sufferers need to figure out what can realistically be accomplished in one day and plan accordingly, Dr. Nicholson says.
Migraineur and professional artist Evie Ryland likes to call herself a“ spontaneous, free form-type person.” But she finds herself rising early and immediately organizing mental lists to fully seize her best days. As a published author and illustrator, Ryland requires a clear head to successfully draw or write, but the one or two migraines she endures each week dampen her creative mojo.
To compensate, Ryland works ahead on household chores and other time-consuming busywork to maximize the unimpeded hours she spends with her muse.“ If I’ m not feeling good, I’ m not going to screw up sorting my laundry,” Ryland says.“ So I focus on the bigger, more intense goals when I’ m feeling good.”
32 HEAD WISE | Volume 2, Issue 1 • 2012
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Break a Sweat
You’ ve heard it a thousand times before, but every day is another opportunity to rekindle your on-again, off-again romance with fitness. Like doing laundry on vacation, 30 minutes on the elliptical machine or even an extra-long walk with the dog might not be the most enjoyable way to spend your free time. But, according to Dr. Mays, it can positively impact the neurochemicals that cause headaches.
“ If someone has had a day where they’ ve been busy or stressed, later in the day they should end up with some exercises so that the endorphins kick in and you don’ t get that big drop off in emotions and develop a stress‘ let down’ headache,” she says, adding that exercise early in the day can also help control headache frequency.
They don’ t have to be Ironman-style workouts either.( In fact, unless you’ re angling to join the cast of Jersey Shore, you should skip muscle-blasting, strenuous exercises and the requisite indoor tanning altogether.) Just keep it simple: When Wise gets active, he focuses on light cardio— some basketball with friends, swimming and bike riding.“ It definitely makes me feel better and, in my opinion, doesn’ t lead to so many headaches,” he says.
Migraine sufferers need to figure out what can realistically be accomplished in one day and plan accordingly.
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Manage Expectations
Friends, family and coworkers can be tremendous assets for chronic pain sufferers, but missed holidays, last-minute cancellations and commonly held misconceptions about migraines can strain those relationships and become another unnecessary stressor.
“ I detest making plans now,” says Ryland, who regularly has to reschedule a commitment to help an elderly friend with odd jobs around the house due to pain.“ I think migraines are why I do things so spontaneously rather than making plans. You just never know if you’ re going to make it or not.”
And if the neurochemical assault to the system wasn’ t enough, there’ s the inevitable guilt that accompanies feeling like you’ ve let down those closest to you. So when migraineurs experience relief, they often feel obligated to overcompensate for their absences and leave little time for themselves.
Since time machines and cloning are the stuff of science fiction, a migraineur’ s best remedy may be simple, direct communication. Talk with those closest to you about your condition in advance, make contingency plans like a doctor on-call would, and, perhaps most importantly, realize you can’ t control everything and sometimes have to let go, Dr. Nicholson says.
“ You can’ t let their response cause you to feel guilty, stressed, worried or frustrated,” he says.“ The fact is the only person you have any control over is yourself, and that’ s really a hard thing to get. If someone can get to a point where they can appreciate that, the conflicts will go away.”
Nourish Your Priorities
Twenty-four hours; 1,440 minutes; 86,400 seconds. That’ s all the time you get in a single, migraine-free day— including sleep— so make it count.
People often spend too much time on things they don’ t really value, and our technology-energized world makes it easier than ever to engage in activities that provide little satsifaction, Dr. Nicholson says. Before jumping head first into a barrage of activity, Dr. Nicholson says migraine sufferers should take a moment to discover what matters most to them and indulge in those pursuits.
For Ryland, that might mean taking out the sketchpad and doodling a picture of her dog Fuzzy Monster Truck. For Wise, it could mean hanging with the kids and going nose-to-nose with a killer whale at SeaWorld— separated by several inches of glass, of course. Whether it’ s the siren song of a good book, dinner with old friends, a little work in the garden or scrapbooking those vacation photos, it’ s up to you to decide how to navigate your mind’ s calm seas.
“ If it’ s what you really enjoy,” Dr. Nicholson says,“ at the end of the day, you won’ t regret that time spent.” HW
www. headaches. org | National Headache Foundation 33