The festive season is a time of joy, celebration, and indulgence, but for those living with migraines, it can also bring unique challenges. Late nights, different routine, new foods, and heightened stress can all act as triggers. However, with the right strategies, management and holistic approach you can enjoy the festivities while keeping migraines & vestibular migraines at bay.
Here are my top tips for thriving through the festive period while managing migraines.
1. Plan Ahead and Set Boundaries
The holidays can be overwhelming with endless to-do lists, social events, and family commitments. Planning ahead can reduce stress and help you avoid overcommitting. Here’s how:
Prioritise your schedule: Focus on the events that mean the most to you and gracefully decline others.
Communicate your needs: Share your condition with friends and family so they understand and can support you.
Schedule downtime: Build rest periods into your day to recharge and avoid overexertion.
2. Be Mindful of Food and Drink Choices
Festive indulgence often involves rich foods and alcohol, which can be common migraine triggers. Here’s how to stay on track:
Know your triggers: Avoid known culprits such as aged cheeses, cured meats, chocolate, or red wine. Also avoid to much processed foods with hidden ingredients which can be triggering for migraine & vestibular migraine.
Practice moderation: Enjoy small portions of treats to avoid overindulging.
Stay hydrated: Alcohol and salty snacks can lead to dehydration, so drink plenty of water and avoid flavoured waters and sodas with added ingredients which can be stimulating to migraine. Avoid high sugar fruit juices and artificial flavoured drinks too if these are issues for you.
Bring safe alternatives: Take a migraine-friendly dish or snack to gatherings so you always have an option.
Nutrition Tip: Support detoxification by drinking herbal teas such as dandelion or ginger to help your liver process holiday indulgences. For vestibular migraines, consider chamomile ginger or peppermint teas to soothe nausea.
3. Stick to a Routine
Holidays often disrupt daily schedules, but consistency can help reduce migraine risk:
Prioritise sleep: Aim for regular sleep patterns, even with late nights. Consistency in your sleep schedule helps regulate your body.
Eat regularly: Don’t skip meals or allow long gaps without eating to avoid blood sugar drops.
Keep hydrated: Always carry a water bottle and sip throughout the day.
Nutrition Tip: Include magnesium-rich foods like leafy greens, nuts, and seeds in your meals to support relaxation and reduce the frequency of migraines. For vestibular migraines, avoid skipping meals to maintain blood sugar stability.
4. Manage Stress and Overstimulation
The festive period can be both joyful and overwhelming. Here’s how to keep stress in check:
Practice mindfulness: Dedicate 5-10 minutes daily to deep breathing or meditation.
Create a calm retreat: Take breaks in a quiet space if events become too stimulating.
Use migraine-friendly tools: Wear sunglasses or blue light glasses to reduce triggers from bright lights or screen glare.
Nutrition Tip: Incorporate omega-3 fatty acids from sources like oily fish, flaxseeds, or chia seeds to help combat inflammation that can worsen migraines or vestibular symptoms.
5. Pack a Migraine Toolkit
Be prepared for unexpected situations by having your essentials with you:
Your Migraine Toolkit: I help my clients build their tools kits for support when a migraine hits, these may include things like peppermint oil, migraine glasses, migraine hat, a plastic bag to fill with ice etc.
Comfort items: Bring an eye mask, earplugs, or a neck pillow to help during an attack. Also have podcasts, audiobooks and playlist to avoid looking at screens.
Snacks: Carry migraine-friendly snacks to avoid skipping meals.
Nutrition Tip: Pack a small container of pumpkin seeds for an easy, magnesium-rich snack. Vestibular migraine sufferers might find ginger chews helpful for nausea relief.
6. Be Kind to Yourself
It’s okay to step back and take care of yourself during the holidays. Listen to your body and remember that self-care isn’t selfish—it’s essential for your health.
Nutrition Tip: Sip on chamomile tea in the evening to promote relaxation and aid restful sleep. For vestibular migraines, add a drop of lavender essential oil to diffuse it for added calm.
7. Get Support
You don’t have to navigate migraines alone. Whether you turn to a trusted friend or join an online migraine community, sharing your experiences can make a difference. I am here also to help!
Nutrition Tip: Visit my shopping page for extra resouces and products/ items you may find helpful to support your journey. MIGRAINE VESTIBULAR MIGRAINE MANAGEMENT HOLISTIC FESTIVE
Wishing you a joyful and migraine-free festive period! ✨
Looking for extra support?
As a naturopathic nutritional therapist, I offer an online Migraine Management Programme designed to help you manage your migraines in a more holistic fashion with the flexibility of an monthly subscription with bespoke and personalised approach with 1-2-1 support.
For personalised guidance, my 1-2-1 consultation packages provide tailored support to meet your specific needs & the option to add functional medicine testing to deepen out journey.
Book a free discovery call today to see how I can help you thrive this festive season and beyond.
Together, we can create a plan to make managing migraines simpler and more effective.
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