Author: The Mindful Migraine Blog

  • Is it OK to feel sorry for yourself?

    Is it OK to feel sorry for yourself?

    I’ve always been a fan of John Denver (the music, more than the moppy-haired-man).  Perhaps it’s because I have a fair bit of farming in my family tree, or just because I’m a back-to-nature kinda gal when possible.  His songs ‘Rocky Mountain High’ and ‘Take Me Home Country Road’ are…

  • Compassion for Overwhelm

    Compassion for Overwhelm

    Quite by accident, I came across a mindful-meditation teacher called Tara Brach.  I found her while searching for information about self-compassion and discovered that she had written a book called ‘Radical Compassion’.  I haven’t had a chance to look into it yet, but my attention was caught by a video…

  • Trauma and migraine

    Trauma and migraine

    Dr Aimie Apigian was interviewed about trauma for the series of interviews held at the 2024 Migraine World Summit.  I made a promise to myself when I started this blog at the beginning of the year that I would not post content that I felt might be triggering to myself…

  • Brain-strain (not pain): Part TWO (answers)

    Brain-strain (not pain): Part TWO (answers)

    SPOILER ALERT: Today’s post includes the answers to the three matchstick riddles I offered on Tuesday. If you would like to go back and try the puzzles before you see the answers, go to the link here: * * * * * Ok then, for everyone else, how’d you go?…

  • Pain rescue: sometimes you have to save yourself

    Pain rescue: sometimes you have to save yourself

    Today is May the first – May Day. It’s traditionally a European day of ribbon twirling and dancing. But, me being me, it also reminds me of the distress call “Mayday – Mayday!!” I looked up the origins of the phrase, and it apparently comes from the 1920s and is…

  • Brain-strain (not pain): Part ONE (questions)

    Brain-strain (not pain): Part ONE (questions)

    I’ve been talking a lot about how to improve brain health from the point of view of minimizing pain. But I also realized that brain health in general is important; “use it or lose it”, as they say. So, I thought that for something completely different, I’d find three ‘matchstick…

  • Creating a (mental) happy place

    Creating a (mental) happy place

    When I was a child, I used to suffer from insomnia.  I would lie in bed and overanalyze what had happened that day… agonize over whether I could have handled things differently… imagine alternative tomorrows… catastrophize a bit.  I’m not a huge fan of the concept of a ‘migraine personality’…

  • The Boston Marathon and Mount Everest

    The Boston Marathon and Mount Everest

    What do the Boston Marathon and Mount Everest have in common?  They seem to be the two most common stories I hear referred to as an (im)possible dream.  A dream so big, the dreamer knows it could take them years to achieve, but one which they believe the sacrifice will…

  • Sacrifice

    Sacrifice

    Today (the 25th of April) in Australia and New Zealand, is ANZAC Day (the acronym stands for “Australian and New Zealand Army Corps”). Since 1916, it’s been a National Day of Remembrance which pays respect to all those who served and died in all the wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping missions our…