How I Stay Productive During a Migraine

My to-do list is always longer than there is time in the day.

Finding ways to be productive during a migraine

I’m a working momma trying to maintain a clean home for my family. Even with “normal” energy, I still wouldn’t get it all done. When migraine is added to the mix, I feel completely defeated. Really, how can we get motivated to get out of bed and function when we have a migraine, let alone fulfill the many hats we wear? We simply do the best we can each and every day. But here’s the most important step – we must reset our expectations.

Setting realistic goals based on your symptoms

If we’re constantly expecting ourselves to do more than what is possible, we’re setting ourselves up for disappointment. And if you’re like me, that sends a lot of negative thinking through an already pounding head. What you can accomplish goals-wise in a day will differ from day to day. So it might be helpful to make this part of your morning routine.

Check in with your body

Check in with your body to see how you’re feeling. Before you try to be productive during a migraine, evaluate your level of:

• Pain intensity
• Physical energy
• Emotional mood

How to prioritize tasks when an attack is coming on

Next, check in with your tasks for the day. Ask yourself:

• What absolutely must get done today?
• What can be delegated to someone else?
• What can be eliminated entirely?
• What can be postponed for a better day?

And of course, on higher-energy days, you may be able to ask yourself: What can I get ahead on? Based on the answers to these questions, you can then set achievable expectations for that day.

I personally like to identify the one thing that is most important to get done. When possible, I get it done as early as my body will enable me to do so. It’s a big weight off my mind when I know that I have successfully accomplished my biggest task for the day.

Adapting your plan when symptoms worsen

Of course, there are many times when, despite my best planning, the day simply doesn’t go as planned. I may start with a low level of pain, but it increases as the day goes on. Or I may start off with no pain and then a migraine strikes out of the blue.

In those moments, I have to adjust. This is the time to revisit those morning questions and change your plans accordingly. Being productive during a migraine often means knowing when to pivot.

Learning to reset and let go of migraine guilt

And for the days (or sometimes weeks!) that seem to go all wrong, I let go of any guilt for “falling behind” with things or trying to push myself too hard, and I simply begin again. Every moment brings an opportunity to start over.

Take a couple of deep breaths and decide what is the best next step for you in this moment. Sometimes the answer will be to rest. Other times, it will be to focus on your most important task of the day.

As is typical with this disease, there’s no magic formula for every attack or every person. Remind yourself that you are doing your best to manage a chronic illness. And most of all, you are not alone in this journey.

Please share your experience and tips below for staying motivated and how you stay productive during a migraine.