1% Thursday: 30 Day Lifestyle Change

There’s an incredibly powerful set of weapons that we have to fight chronic headache, cluster, and migraine.  But these are weapons that, for some reason, we’re reluctant to talk about.  They’re called lifestyle changes.

I know, we all want to live just the way we want to live.  And isn’t that what the fight is all about?  Being free from pain, from symptoms that are keeping us from the life we want?

Well, we may not want to admit it – but all of us have to face limitations, boundaries, and give-and-take.  And that’s not a bad thing.  Boundaries help us see things outside ourselves.  Give-and-take teaches us about balance – a balance that we must have with the environment we live in.

So today, we’re going to think about what lifestyle change might be the most helpful to our health overall – and in our fight against migraine, cluster, and headaches.  If it just benefits our health overall, it will still make us more able to cope with the symptoms we face.

What kinds of changes am I talking about?

Here are some examples:

• Quitting smoking (had to start with a hard one, didn’t I?
• Drinking less
• A more regular sleep schedule
• Getting enough sleep
• Getting a little more exercise (one step at a time, please)
• Taking the stairs instead of the elevator
• Eat less processed food
• Cut out one of those morning cups of coffee (be careful about cutting too much all at once – take it slow, especially if you have migraine
• Start getting 8 hours of sleep
• Start a good food habit – like drinking a green smoothie a day, drinking more water, etc

Obviously, the list could go on and on.  And you may be thinking of something that’s not on the list.

Don’t make 27 resolutions you won’t keep – just take a simple step, for the next 30 days.  For example, tell yourself you’re going to take the stairs instead of the elevator for 30 days.  After 30 days, evaluate – what was the hardest thing about this change?  What benefits did you notice?  How did it change other parts of your life (ie you need to leave 5 minutes earlier for work, you had more energy in the mornings, etc)?  Then, obviously, you may want to keep it up permanently, or you may need to make some changes to your plan.

Then, after another 30 days (60 days from tomorrow), try another small step – cut out one drink a week, or try drinking a green smoothie a day, etc.

After a year, that will be 6 small but significant things that you’ve really made a part of your life.  For most people, six changes like that a year are a LOT.  You can do it – one step at a time!

What is 1% Thursday?

Every Thursday at Headache and Migraine News (weather permitting) we’ll talk about one measurable, practical thing we can do to make our lives just 1% better.  Usually it will be something very easy, sometimes it will be a challenge.  Let us know if you try it, or share an idea of your own – and maybe a year from now we’ll see that things have really changed for the better!