Why You Get More Migraines Over the Holidays
It’s supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year… so why are your migraine attacks at their highest during the holidays? Sure, there’s more alcohol and less sleep - but the reason for your migraine attacks might not be so obvious.
The holidays are nothing if not emotional, and our bodies respond to strong emotions physically. When we feel embarrassed, the blood rushes to our face. When we feel guilty, our stomach grows uneasy. And for some of us, the body responds to strong emotions with a migraine. It’s no wonder 75% of migraine sufferers credit stress for their attacks.
Let’s take a closer look at the three emotional causes of migraines during the holidays.
Emotional triggers from our past
When we spend time around family, it reminds us of our past (for better or worse). These memories can trigger a more intense emotional response than we expect. In some cases, that response is stressful and intense enough to cause a migraine.
Let’s look at an example of how this happens: Say you have a sister who bullied you growing up. You’re both adults now, and the banter certainly isn’t as childish as it used to be. Even so, a harsh word from her can elicit a tidal wave of emotions. You attribute your frustration to the most obvious explanation - “she said something mean to me.” But in reality, your mind is stuck in the past, triggered by a familiar behavior, jumping all the way from “she said something mean” to “she’ll never think I’m good enough.” It’s not the weight of a single fight bearing down upon you - it’s the weight of 10,000.
Emotional triggers like this one are sneaky and dangerous for anyone who experiences migraines in times of stress. If you don’t understand that you’re being triggered, it’s almost impossible to calm your body down. But if you can take the time to identify what you’re feeling and why, your chances of soothing the migraine are much better.
If you feel yourself being triggered, take a time out. Acknowledge that your body may be having a reaction to something emotional. Identify the emotion, and allow it to move through you. For more on how emotions can create physical symptoms in your body, listen to our interview with Dr. David Clarke: "Your Parents Might Be The Reason For That Pain In Your Butt."
Self-imposed pressure
The holidays bring out a more introspective side… one that can fuel your inner critic and create an immense amount of pressure. You wonder who you’ve become this year. Whether you’ve done enough for your family, your career, your community. Whether your life is where it should be by this point in time. You begin to compare your life not only to those around you, but to the life you imagined for yourself. You feel like you need to be the perfect hostess, daughter-in-law, wife, mother, and career woman all at the same time. It’s enough to make anyone crack - but you can’t. You’re not allowed to. Not now.
We all want to be good, to be well-liked and admired. There’s something about the holidays that simultaneously intensifies that need and makes us feel like we’ve fallen short. It’s an immense amount of pressure to put on anyone, and yet we carry it all on our shoulders. It’s no wonder how this can lead to enough internal stress to trigger a migraine.
If you fall prone to this kind of critical chatter, try setting more boundaries this holiday season. Commit to fewer events, ask for help with preparations, and above all, be kind to yourself.
Current stressors
Maybe you’re working your butt off for a big promotion, or trying to prepare a new baby for its first Christmas. Whatever it is, it’s stressing you out. You might be sleeping less, drinking more, eating worse, and sacrificing exercise. While it’s easy to blame those things for triggering migraines, the truth is that they’re all symptoms of the deeper emotional state that’s bubbling up inside of you… and it’s possible that your migraine is, too.
If you’re running on empty this holiday season and feel a migraine coming on, pay close attention to the connection between your body and your mind. What were you thinking about the first time you felt a twinge of migraine pain…. was it your in-laws? your boss? last-minute shopping? The more quickly you can identify what’s bothering you, the better off you’ll be.
Looking to REALLY do something about it?
If these concepts resonate with you and you're serious about kicking the holiday migraines this year, you might want to make a bigger leap than these small changes. Finding a mindbody-based program that works for you can be life-changing. It won't be a magical overnight solution, but many people start to see results in just a couple of weeks, even those who experience chronic migraine.
If you live near a large institution and can afford to enroll in extended inpatient stays, there are excellent programs available at Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, and more. If you don't have the time or resources to dedicate to that, seeing a mindbody physician or enrolling in an online program like Curable can have immediate impact with less time and a lower budget. But don't take my word for it... just read what TechCrunch had to say:
"I don’t want to pretend that [the Curable program] will be a panacea for every chronic pain sufferer. It won’t. But I can tell you that
in the two months since my wife started using it, she has gone from 18-20 migraine days a month to one or two. Yes, you read that correctly. She has resumed drinking wine, eating chocolate, running and lifting weights, napping, casually booking cross-country & transcontinental flights, and working long, strenuous attorney hours again. We have an appointment with her neurologist later this month … for a friendly dinner, because it doesn’t look like we’ll be needing his professional services much anytime soon."
If you're ready to give yourself a gift this holiday season, start your Curable journey today completely free, no credit card required. Not quite convinced? That's okay. Read up on the mindbody migraine guide for the latest research, stories, and podcast episodes.