5 Lifestyle Changes To Reduce The Frequency Of Migraines
Migraines are evil! It sounds dramatic, but it is 100% true. No matter how sick I get, I always maintain focus and get through my to-do list except when I’ve a migraine attack.
Migraine is the one thing that can sap all my determination and stop me in my tracks. I end up in bed wishing for a quick death. No kidding!
I guess if you’re reading this article, you already know the pain. So, let’s move onto the true purpose of this post. I wanted to share the 5 lifestyle changes that have considerably reduced the frequency of my migraines.
In the past couple of months, my schedule got disrupted because I had taken on more commitments than I could handle. The disrupted schedule immediately resulted in frequent migraines.
Related: 5 Signs that you need to slow down!
Even so, it is not as frequent as it used to be. I am now determined to get back to my healthier lifestyle because it was really working for me, and I hadn’t had a migraine in several months.
5 lifestyle changes that can reduce the frequency of your migraines
1. Have a routine
Get yourself a routine! I have often discussed how important it is to bring discipline to your day if you’re working towards big goals, but it is just as important for health reasons. If you maintain an erratic schedule, your body will never regularise itself which may lead to a number of health issues. Eating at regular hours and sleeping for a fixed number of hours every day will allow your body to perform at optimal capacity.
If you go to sleep at the same hour every day, as the hour approaches, your body will shift to a more relaxed mode conducive to better sleep. This will result in you waking up better relaxed and fresh. Also, waking up at the same hour every day means that you’ll eventually do so without any extra struggle. Your body will get used to waking up at the same time, and you may not even need an alarm clock after a while.
Eating at the same time every day will allow you to have better digestion – another key to having a migraine-free life. If your digestion is bad, migraine is just one of the many issues you’ll have to deal with every day.
2. Increase your water intake
I drink 5 litres of water every day, and it is hands down, one of the best changes I have ever made to my lifestyle. Dehydration is one of the triggers for migraine attacks.
It doesn’t just help with migraine; an increased intake of water can give you glowing skin, and better hair. I have personally experienced, an improvement in my mood and focus. Increased water intake can also regularise your periods, flush out toxins, and strengthen your immune system.
That’s a lot of benefits for very little work. So, increase your water intake immediately, but don’t try to drink 5ls rights away. Increase it slowly.
3. Healthier eating habits
I struggle a lot with this one.
If you live alone like me, cooking is probably the one chore that gets ignored a lot. It’s just not much fun cooking for yourself so, I often end up ordering in. I say this with great annoyance, if you don’t eat healthily, nothing much is going to come off your efforts towards a healthier you!
Dietary changes are necessary. Eat more fruits, green and orange vegetables, and rice. It had been reported that decreasing your dairy intake can also help. Eggs have also been known to trigger migraines.
Most importantly, you must give up alcohol and smoking!
I don’t drink at all, but the last time I took a vodka shot, I ended up with a migraine and a bad temper because I set myself up for all that pain. So, please give up smoking and drinking or it will derail all your attempts at creating a healthy lifestyle.
4. Exercise everyday
The best one!
Exercise has so, so many benefits.
Stress, sleep, and, bad posture is considered to be the biggest triggers of migraine.
Regular exercise helps deal with all three. It can reduce stress and flood your body with endorphins (body’s natural painkillers) leading to a considerable improvement in mood and a feeling of happiness.
Exercise – gentle or aggressive – exhausts your body to just the right degree resulting in better sleep. A well-rested body is less likely to get a migraine. Improved posture is another benefit of exercising regularly.
All in all, if you exercise every day, you can considerably improve the quality of your life.
5. Get a handle on the toxic elements in your life
This is hands down the most important!
I have already mentioned that stress can be a possible migraine trigger so, if you are overly stressed, you must do whatever necessary to get a handle on it. For several years, I struggled with compulsive anxiety.
Related: How to use an intentionally designed morning routine to handle anxiety?
Meditation has helped me manage my anxiety. There are days when it all gets a little overwhelming and in those moments, meditation is my only source of comfort. I cannot emphasise how immensely helpful it can be to someone who actively suffers from stress and anxiety.
Apart from meditation, you can introduce other activities into your life that may reduce the toxicity. Change your environment! Add soothing, happy colours. Colour Therapy is known to have multiple health benefits. It is an area worth exploring. Wake-up to slow music instead of the jarring notes of the alarm clock.
Related: Remove your mental blocks by cleansing your energy
You may also limit access to people who bring in a lot of negative energy to your living and mental space. Out of all the changes I’ve made, reducing the toxicity in my life has made the most difference. I am no longer in contact with negative people and while the change was a painful one, the results have been worth the effort. De-cluttering has helped improve my living environment.
Conclusion
Simple, little changes can have a massive impact on our health. Getting a sufficient amount of sleep and eating at regular hours can improve our bodily strength and resilience.
Increased water intake, improved diet, and regular exercise – all of it are relatively painless changes and they can all help reduce migraines in frequency and intensity. Most importantly, you must detoxify your life. It means reducing all the toxic elements in your life.
If you do this, I guarantee that you will experience considerable improvement in your health. I have personally experienced a huge improvement in my life, and I hope they will do the same for you too. If you know of any other changes that can help with migraines, please do share them in the comments section.
The Brain Behind The Blog
Hi! I'm Krati Mehra
I know what it’s like to fall apart and gradually put your pieces back together to build something better than what you had before and I share all my lessons in this space hoping that you will share my learnings without the struggle.
What is your EmoPersona Archetype?
Find out what makes you, YOU. Take the leap, embrace your strengths, understand your struggles, and start your journey to emotional mastery today. It’s not just a quiz, it’s the beginning of a personal revolution.
POPULAR CATEGORIES
Emotional Empowerment
Unlock a new level of growth and a world of possibilities with emotional mastery.
Personal Transformation
Everything that can help you design a life in alignment in with your goals
Relationships
Repair broken relationships and create new, healthy ones that become part of your support system
Mind and spirit
Reprogram your subconscious to let go of past trauma, build a belief system that supports your goals, & practice calming rituals.
On Her Terms Podcast
Immerse in conversations with fiery women bent on changing the world.
On Her Terms discusses the issues and struggles women face when they go off-script and try to reach for bigger goals and more empowered living.
From sexual expression to confident communication, self-prioritisation to equality in relationships, in focused interviews with guest experts, I unpack the female experience through radically transparent conversations.
FREE QUIZ
Discover your Emotional Archetype
Are you ruled by your emotions, or are you the one in control? How emotionally intelligent are you? In difficult moments, can you carefully understand, manage, and use your emotions to overcome challenges? Find out with this quiz.